Sleeping Problems?

[Paulssurround]

Do you sleep like a baby? In other words, wake up several times in the middle of the night, demanding to be changed and looking for milk? or do you sleep well through the night? If so what is your secret?

A month or so ago, for several weeks, I was waking up at 5:00am-5-30am every morning, even on the weekends. I know that some of the Linn Forum members are posting in the middle of the night in their time zone. I was wondering what you do to get a good nights sleep?

I am sensitive to coffee, chocolate and strong tea(non-herbal), so I have to avoid those. I try to avoid watching the news before I go to bed? I find having a warm shower before bed helps, as well as massaging sore muscles, that sometimes keep me from falling asleep.

[SaltyDog]

Last good sleep I had was 13 years ago when we went Here.

Inland and rural, though I did get to both big towns.

The last good sleep before that was in the 70's.

Nothing works like that anymore, but being on the boat is better than usual.

Could it be that being where no one can contact me is required?

You got me thinking now.

[Paulssurround]

(2012-06-13 00:51)SaltyDog Wrote:  Last good sleep I had was 13 years ago when we went Here.

Inland and rural, though I did get to both big towns.

The last good sleep before that was in the 70's.

Nothing works like that anymore, but being on the boat is better than usual.

Could it be that being where no one can contact me is required?

You got me thinking now.

I do wonder if our constant exposure to cell phone signals, WiFi, and being on computers for hours every day effects us and our sleep?

I live in a high-rise, and when I turn on WiFi, I have the signals of at least a dozen other people in my building. I also wonder what being exposed to everyones cell phone signal 24 hours a day does to us? Every time someone, somewhere in the city makes a cell phone call, we are all exposed to those radio waves, not to mention all the microwave towers, and cell phone repeater towers.

Sleeping with our heads just inches from a power outlet next to our beds, effecting our sleep? Move the bed away from any power outlets?

I have done a number of cruises, 12-13 so far, and discovered, that that when I was sleeping in an inside cabin, with no light whatsoever, at night, I slept at least 8-9 hours through the night. When I got home, I installed an extra black curtain, that I close at night, to completely block any light whatsoever in my bedroom.

Completely cutting out coffee and chocolate help. Even a small piece of chocolate in the morning can effect my sleep, as I developed a sensitivity to chocolate and caffeine about 10 or so years ago.

It is surprising how many beverages have added caffeine, cola, non-cola beverages, energy drinks, and prescription pills. Strangely, even cough medicines that are supposed to help you sleep better have added caffeine? I do not consume any of these products. My boss still drinks several cups of coffee a day and then needs a sleeping pill to get to sleep

Stress at work, or at home, financial issues, etc. are keeping some people I know up late at night, or sleepless. Meditation the answer?

One of my friends gets up in the middle of the night to urinate, sometimes more than once. My advise, don't drink anything after 9:00pm, and urinate twice, just before going to sleep.

I have friends and colleagues that are greatly effected by allergies, especially in the spring. So much so, they can't sleep well, as they can't breath properly. I recommended they buy a really good air filter device, for their bedroom, turned on low, while they sleep at night. It has helped them, for those that have tried this.

[stunta]

I can't fall asleep unless the conditions are optimal. For instance, a ticking clock will keep me from sleeping. In fact it will annoy the hell out of me and I want to go smash it into pieces. I can't sleep if a guest in the other room is snoring or if one of our dogs is chewing on something in the loft across the hallway. It really sucks.

I wake up multiple times during the night. I don't really know why. For most of the year I am sleep deprived. My work requires a very active mind and for the 2 years or so, I haven't been as productive as I used to be and I think it is because my sleeping patterns have become worse.

I used to drink coffee till 5 PM. Recently I have been stopping by 3 PM and that seems to help. Also substituting coffee with green tea in the afternoon helps (I have to have coffee in the morning or I am useless at work). Yoga also helps.

I have the bad habit of sleeping late (1 AM or 2 AM). I think its because I think sleeping is a waste of time. Life is so short and we waste so much time sleeping. My wife has been telling me for years to go to sleep before midnight. It didn't make any logical sense to me so I ignored the advice. But recently I tried it and it has been the biggest positive change. I must admit I find it hard to do. I start reading either the Linn or some photography forums, read news, listen to music and suddenly its 2 AM. But for some reason, if I sleep before 12, I am up by 7 AM (otherwise its 9 AM and I am not fresh at all) and am wide awake, ready for the day.

[Paulssurround]

(2012-06-13 05:44)stunta Wrote:  I can't fall asleep unless the conditions are optimal. For instance, a ticking clock will keep me from sleeping. In fact it will annoy the hell out of me and I want to go smash it into pieces. I can't sleep if a guest in the other room is snoring or if one of our dogs is chewing on something in the loft across the hallway. It really sucks.

I wake up multiple times during the night. I don't really know why. For most of the year I am sleep deprived. My work requires a very active mind and for the 2 years or so, I haven't been as productive as I used to be and I think it is because my sleeping patterns have become worse.

I used to drink coffee till 5 PM. Recently I have been stopping by 3 PM and that seems to help. Also substituting coffee with green tea in the afternoon helps (I have to have coffee in the morning or I am useless at work). Yoga also helps.

I have the bad habit of sleeping late (1 AM or 2 AM). I think its because I think sleeping is a waste of time. Life is so short and we waste so much time sleeping. My wife has been telling me for years to go to sleep before midnight. It didn't make any logical sense to me so I ignored the advice. But recently I tried it and it has been the biggest positive change. I must admit I find it hard to do. I start reading either the Linn or some photography forums, read news, listen to music and suddenly its 2 AM. But for some reason, if I sleep before 12, I am up by 7 AM (otherwise its 9 AM and I am not fresh at all) and am wide awake, ready for the day.

Hmmmmm, Sleepless in Seattle?

[Rufus McDufus]

I get a much better night's sleep if I don't drink too much alcohol, or ideally none at all. I also need to keep a window slightly open - stale air is not good. I suffer quite badly from allergies and recently got an air purifier. I wasn't expecting anything from it but it really has got rid of most of the sniffles (that & cutting down on red wine!).
I have a terrible problem wanting to sleep in the day though - particularly if I'm not working. Having a snooze is one of the most enjoyable things, but isn't too popular with the wife!

[bassato]

doing light sport on a regular base gives me best relief while sleeping. usually go to bed between 11 and 12, have some music with 15 min sleep timer (squeezebox, skweezyDS, sneaky) and fall asleep within minutes. mostly till seven - seems to be lucky me when reading this thread. however when having straining business topics pending i often wake at four, tossing and turning in bed for hours and when falling asleep again the alarm will be going only minutes later. very displeasing...

[marcusjb]

I can sympathise with insomnia sufferers, I have had extended bouts of it throughout my life. I am a night owl by nature (and a terrible morning person). My experiences match stunta's in that I used to be awake until 2am and struggle to get up before 9. These days, however, it is rare for me to go to sleep much after 11pm and I am usually awake (ish!) around 7.

I used to be a serious coffee drinker, and I do think caffeine plays a role in an ever downward spiral of drinking more coffee because you are tired in the day, sleeping less because of the caffeine and so on.

These days, I have one cup first thing in the morning, and on the whole, that is it. I very rarely have another cup. I might have a cup or two of tea, and maybe a diet coke, but gone are the days of 4-5 cups of coffee (with many of them being shop bought with 2-3 shots of espresso in).

I used to also eat my main meal very late (between 9 and 10), but nowadays, i usually have that around 8 and I think that makes a difference.

Excercise certainly helps as well. Nowadays I do quite a lot and, admittedly, some of what I do is extreme (long distance cycling, riding 400 miles at a weekend, which usually sorts out my sleep for a couple of weeks!). During the week, if I am unable to ride my bikes, I don't sleep as well.

I guess the biggest differences in my sleeping patterns these days are generally down to a more settled life on the whole. Been with my girlfriend for five years now, work is very different (we set up WYSAH 3 years ago and although the actual work can be very pressured, particularly at the moment as we are beyond busy with large projects, I find it all much less stressful in the far smaller setup than I used to work in where it is was easy to become very distant to the enjoyable stuff (messing about with cool tech in really nice properties) and bogged down in the boring stuff (staffing, finances etc.)).

I don't really have many answers, but caffeine, excercise and a good work/life balance seem to have helped me out no end.

[rowlandhills]

In my view, it's ideal to be both physically and mentally tired when going to bed. Physically is easier to manage by trying to get some exercise in every day (not that I always manage this myself!) preferably before about 9pm, as otherwise the "post exercise buzz" will keep you up!

I also always like to read before going to sleep, although with a good book this can be a trap itself. I've picked up a book at 1130 meaning to read for ten minute or so and found myself finishing it at 2am thinking "oops!)

If I had no other commitments, I would choose to go to sleep around 1 or 2 and wake around 9, but unfortunately on weekdays that won't get me to the office on time, and at weekends my kids won't let me sleep past about 7.30 - if I'm that lucky!

[Music Lover]

(2012-06-13 08:02)rowlandhills Wrote:  In my view, it's ideal to be both physically and mentally tired when going to bed.

I would put it physically tired and mentally RELAXED.
Worries (work, economy, family etc) going to destroy your sleep.

Our body is designed to walk and run for hours on a daily basis, so sitting behind a desk is REALLY bad, also for the brain. Our brain need input from the "real life" and not just word/excel files...

Any why drink coffee in the first place? To keep yourself awake in the office due to lack of sleep? Kind of strange strategy forcing the body to be alert using a drug that also destroy the sleep, so you are even more tired the next day needing more coffee in the office.

btw
Electromagnetic radiation is also bad but remember, the distance from the source is KEY so stop worrying about WIFI networks.
Instead you should remove electrical devices from your body that are CLOSE to it during many hours.
I have seen too many reading lamps just above the head with the wire on the wall passing just behind the bed/pillow on it's way down.
What is closest? The wire!!! Not the lamp. And you spend 8 hours in your bed right...

So instead of having the wire vertical, use nails and put it horizontal - away from the bed.
Or better, move the lamp.
Few people know that the wire transmit Electromagnetic radiation also with the lamp turned off as the on/off switch normally is positioned IN the lamp.