Posted: 1/14/2011 10:16:39 AM EDT
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First, I've used Google. I read as much as I can, but I'm tired of seeing the same information over and over... especially with ones suggesting to take medication (for the most part, I don't like putting drugs in my body). Second, this has something that has happened for years... only recently has it really been bothering me because it makes me less motivated to train. I wake up several times a night, for apparently no reason. Usually, it might be a dream that I just suddenly come out of... or I have some sort of body movement (sudden turn, etc... usually associated with a dream) that pops me awake. I'd say it probably happens on average about 3-4 times a night. I have trouble going to sleep, and always have. I have a restless mind. It doesn't matter what my body feels like, my mind can't shut off. I've tried meditating, counting, all that stuff... but I'll eventually pull an ADD move and start thinking about anything and everything. I'm sort of an insomniac. I hate mornings, I can't fall asleep at night. I will lie in bed between 30min to 2 hours in bed in some cases before I fall asleep. I exercise plenty. I'm training for Pararescue, so lack of exercise isn't an issue. I'm sleepy during the day at times, but it's not because I'm not physically recovered from exercise–– it's because I'm not getting good rest. It's that "cloudy mind" feeling, rather than my body being tired. Even if I get 8-9 hours of sleep, it's the same thing. I try to hit the sack NLT 2200 and wake up at about 0545. I now shower before I go to bed to try and calm me down (no significant results yet). I can't get tested for sleep apnea anytime soon, because I don't want to disqualify myself for my career (currently a fourth year cadet just finishing up before I commission in May). One thing I do suck at is making sure to eat breakfast. Like I said, I'm not a morning person... and I'm certainly not a breakfast person unless I'm starving. I'm trying to fix that so my body gets used to it. I only eat after I workout in the morning (provided I have time, or else a protein shake and snack is all I have as I head to class). I drink plenty of water, take my vitamins, eat relatively well... but I hate waking up at night. Especially when I can't fall back asleep. Quite often, actually, I'll wake up either anticipating it being time to wake up (and find I still have 1-6 hours more sleep needed) or wake up and then think it's time to get up as I go check the time. In the latter cases, I almost always have trouble falling back asleep. Then in the mornings, if I decide to sleep-in... I'm usually in a state of half-consciousness (which sucks, because it negates my resetting the alarm for a later time). Maybe I do need to switch to some meds. I've tried a melatonin pill before sleep one night, but that gave me crazy lucid dreams so I didn't go back to it. Has anyone ever been in the same boat before? Any advice would be great.
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I have been the same. I think it partly comes from getting older - I slept like the dead until I hit 40. I experimented a lot, and found the following works best for me:
1) Don't sleep during the day. 2) Avoid caffeine of any sort after 5pm. 3) Don't drink alcohol to excess in the evening. 4) Get in bed at least 30 minutes before you want to sleep, and read a not-too-exciting book until you feel drowsy... no TV, work or video games before bed. 5) Make sure your bed is comfortable. It took me years to work out a matress and pillow combination that work for me (I like a very soft mattress, and the pillows have to be just right too, because I can only sleep comfortably on my side). If I really am having trouble getting to sleep, I sometime eat something really starchy like a few pieces of white bread, pizza or similar - it knocks me right out 
HTH |
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Quoted: Do you have a wife or GF who can take some notes? Might you have sleep apnea? A sleep study might be worth looking in to as well if you have a university in your area. No wife or GF at the moment. I'm worried it might be sleep apnea, but like I said –– I can't get tested for it until I know it won't affect my career. As of now, it's not in my best interests to get something on my medical record. The sleep study sounds like a good idea, I'll check around.
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I am in the exact same boat...tried meds, dont really like them. Tylenol PM i think makes me sleep worse. I think my problem is an overactive mind, i have dozens of dreams a night, it sucks.
i try to avoid to much to drink (really makes my mind race), i eat early (i also get really bad heartburn that will keep me awake), i really like background noise (fan etc, i use an air filter on high), im sure a different bed pilllow would help, i toss and turn a lot. Im 26 now but i have had trouble sleeping since i was 15 or so... Keeping a regular routine helps too |
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Quoted: Quoted: Do you have a wife or GF who can take some notes? Might you have sleep apnea? A sleep study might be worth looking in to as well if you have a university in your area. No wife or GF at the moment. I'm worried it might be sleep apnea, but like I said –– I can't get tested for it until I know it won't affect my career. As of now, it's not in my best interests to get something on my medical record. The sleep study sounds like a good idea, I'll check around. If you've got a digital camera or something, just set it up and watch for intermittent or otherwise weird breathing patterns. If you can sorta self-diagnose yourself with sleep apnea, I'm pretty sure you can get a bi- or c-pap without going through medical channels. I'm by no means diagnosing you, but this seems like an easy thing for you to observe on your own to rule it in or out. |
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ZMA is supposed to help with sleep. But you will have more vivid dreams.
If you are really stressed out, that will impact your sleep also. You can try a lot of things to relax: read a book, listen to relaxing music, or get a massage. Lavender helps too. But you might have sleep apnea. I would be careful about going to get a sleep study done, considering your career situation. Even if you don't have it, you might get "scored" as having it, depending on their particular criteria and the doctor and what kind of day you are having. |
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Do you take any pre-workout drinks with stimulants?
Do you get very high amounts of B vitamins? Are you training every day? A few years ago I had the same problem and realized I was stressing my body out too much. I now only weight train 2 days in a row before taking one day off. I also cut out all vitamins about 1 day every two weeks when i realize my nervous system is feeling taxed. That day off usually depletes enough B that I real "normal." As for stimulants, at the time, ephedra was legal and I used to take it in the morning and pre-workout. I eventually got to the point that i was sleeping about 3 hours a night before waking up wide awake for my day. So here's my advice. Drop all vitamin supplements for 3 days. Don;t workout for three days and don't take any stimulants for three days. See if you feel any different. If you notice a difference, start slowly adding things and figure out you tolerance. |
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If you're not sleeping well, you need to figure that shit out. Sleep disorders put you at a much higher risk for hypertension, stroke, heart attack, insulin resistance/diabetes, heart disease, and higher rates of MVA and other accidents. Seriously, this is no joke. Get it straight. What you will gain from getting it right will ultimately wind up being worth a lot more than what you could lose if you don't. |
| I know I'm being sort of a dick here by suggesting the thing that you said not to suggest, but have you ever tried melatonin? I'm only suggesting it because melatonin is _the same stuff_ that your body secretes to help you sleep and keep you asleep. All you're doing is sort of.. beating your body to the punch: you're just bumping up the level a little higher a little earlier in the cycle, as far as I understand it. I take it sometimes if I'm real amped-up from the day and know I won't be able to hit the sack properly. |
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Quoted: I know I'm being sort of a dick here by suggesting the thing that you said not to suggest, but have you ever tried melatonin? I'm only suggesting it because melatonin is _the same stuff_ that your body secretes to help you sleep and keep you asleep. All you're doing is sort of.. beating your body to the punch: you're just bumping up the level a little higher a little earlier in the cycle, as far as I understand it. I take it sometimes if I'm real amped-up from the day and know I won't be able to hit the sack properly. I mentioned it in my first post that I did try it one night, and maybe I didn't do it justice. I didn't get drowsy sooner or anything, but I did have wicked lucid dreams. The dreams were so vivid that it kind of weirded me out. |