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Insomnia
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Tiresias
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Nov 28, 2011, 01:14 PM
 
Has any one ever experienced this?

Part of the problem is that I recently quit drinking. I feel more mentally alert than ever, which is great, but not at three o'clock in the morning.

Earlier, counting sheep, the sheep began to transform into household articles and pieces of furniture: an electric fan, a hatstand, an armchair.

Then the whole scene was wiped away by a wave whose crest was a mass of living bees. And a baby, whose face was a horrible mess of entrails and squid tentacles, floated past.

It was all very promising. I felt myself slipping away. I picked up my suitcase and began to descend some stone steps... but then I lost my footing, tripped, and woke up with a start.

Hello?

How do you deal with insomnia?
     
Waragainstsleep
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Nov 28, 2011, 02:08 PM
 
Try the following (listed in order of drasticness):

Milk;
Hot cocoa;
Masturbation;
Weed;
Watch Twilight movies.

If you find Twilight makes you feel nauseated instead of tired, try Prince of Persia, that sent me to sleep twice. Still haven't seen the end and can't remember a thing that happens in it.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Doofy
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Nov 28, 2011, 02:19 PM
 
- Cricket.
- A copy of "DNS and Bind" - I don't think I've got past page 20 without falling asleep yet.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Athens
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Nov 28, 2011, 03:03 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
Has any one ever experienced this?

Part of the problem is that I recently quit drinking. I feel more mentally alert than ever, which is great, but not at three o'clock in the morning.

Earlier, counting sheep, the sheep began to transform into household articles and pieces of furniture: an electric fan, a hatstand, an armchair.

Then the whole scene was wiped away by a wave whose crest was a mass of living bees. And a baby, whose face was a horrible mess of entrails and squid tentacles, floated past.

It was all very promising. I felt myself slipping away. I picked up my suitcase and began to descend some stone steps... but then I lost my footing, tripped, and woke up with a start.

Hello?

How do you deal with insomnia?
Yup, I am living it now. Between stress in my life, money issues and stress at work and my natural tendency to be a night owl I am the living example of harsh insomniac. So far nothing has worked for me so I am just living with it now. Sleeping pills helped for a bit but even they don't work on me any more. I suspect if I addressed all the issues I have going on in my life and a drastic change of my room and some other things in my house I could maybe fix my insomnia.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
tightsocks
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Nov 28, 2011, 07:21 PM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
and a drastic change of my room and some other things in my house I could maybe fix my insomnia.
What kind of changes?
     
Atheist
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Nov 28, 2011, 07:23 PM
 
Regular exercise. It does wonders for sleep.
     
Athens
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Nov 28, 2011, 09:20 PM
 
Removing all electronics. Currently got a Computer, Router, Modem, TV, Printer, Clock, Stereo, External hard drives in my room, all with little annoying blue or green lights. Live on a main road so light always comes through the blinds.

What would be ideal is a black out curtain to cut out all the light from outside, and having no electronics in my room outside of maybe a clock (red light clock)

The little light sources, the sounds of devices and fans and the electromagnetic fields all have a negative effect.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
boy8cookie
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Nov 28, 2011, 09:41 PM
 
Sounds like you just need to wear your tinfoil hat to sleep.
     
Doofy
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Nov 28, 2011, 10:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by boy8cookie View Post
Sounds like you just need to wear your tinfoil hat to sleep.
EMFs interfering with sleep is a well-known thing.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Athens
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Nov 28, 2011, 10:19 PM
 
Same with dirty power, the wall outlets themselves can be a serious source of discomfort. I can detect a difference in mood when im under a incandescent light vs a compact florescent for extended periods of time close up.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Nov 29, 2011, 12:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
Same with dirty power, the wall outlets themselves can be a serious source of discomfort. I can detect a difference in mood when im under a incandescent light vs a compact florescent for extended periods of time close up.
I doubt its actually EMF, my sister gets migraines from florescent lights. It's the frequency. With the older ballast's I could see them flickering sometimes, the new ones are better. At 60Hz you'd get burns before it started messing with your brain. The same at 2.4ghz, the absorption frequency of water, that cellphones and microwave ovens use.

Stress is my insomnia trigger, unfortunately physical fatigue doesn't work. Lying there for an hour or more does eventually.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 29, 2011, 11:26 AM
 
It's weird because for years I lived in a really noisy part of the city. There was noise all night long and I slept like a log.

Then I moved here where it's so quiet I get a ringing in my ears at night. It's actually so quiet that I can't go to sleep.
     
mattyb
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Nov 29, 2011, 11:39 AM
 
Let me propose a solution.

Buy an Xbox, but hook it up to a PC monitor since the other half usually owns the TV.

Buy Skyrim.

Buy alarm clock so that you don't end up playing it until 3am when you have to start work early.

Have pleasant dreams about Lydia and what she looks like under that armour.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 29, 2011, 11:48 AM
 
I wish I was into computer games. I really do.

I'd buy a comfortable armchair. I let myself get obese. I would become sessile. I'd spill food all over myself. Sometimes I'd get upset and pound the armrests with my grotesquely fat fists and or throw handfuls of Cheetos at the screen and then, oh, how I would laugh.

But I'm more of a book guy, sadly.
     
mattyb
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Nov 29, 2011, 11:50 AM
 
Thankyou Tiresias for teaching me a new word : sessile
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 29, 2011, 11:52 AM
 
Yeah. Sedentary just didn't seem to cut it.
     
boy8cookie
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Nov 29, 2011, 02:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
I wish I was into computer games. I really do.

I'd buy a comfortable armchair. I let myself get obese. I would become sessile. I'd spill food all over myself. Sometimes I'd get upset and pound the armrests with my grotesquely fat fists and or throw handfuls of Cheetos at the screen and then, oh, how I would laugh.

But I'm more of a book guy, sadly.
'cause all gamers are fat, amirite?!?
     
Twilly Spree
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Nov 29, 2011, 02:05 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
How do you deal with insomnia?
Turn off my computer.
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 29, 2011, 02:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by boy8cookie View Post
'cause all gamers are fat, amirite?!?
I tuned out after the xbox was referred to as "computer games". Is this the 1980s?
     
Doofy
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Nov 29, 2011, 02:15 PM
 
Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I tuned out after the xbox was referred to as "computer games". Is this the 1980s?
Of course it's not the 1980s. If it were the 1980s, you'd have a cooler haircut. And there'd be more spandex.
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 29, 2011, 04:07 PM
 
Just lie on the edge of the bed and you'll soon drop off.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 29, 2011, 08:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by boy8cookie View Post
'cause all gamers are fat, amirite?!?
No. But I would be.

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar View Post
I tuned out after the xbox was referred to as "computer games". Is this the 1980s?
Oh, I'm sorry.

What are the kids calling them these days? Video games?

     
Waragainstsleep
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Nov 30, 2011, 04:41 PM
 
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
The Final Dakar
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Nov 30, 2011, 04:42 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
What are the kids calling them these days?
The gaffes continue!
     
Spheric Harlot
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Nov 30, 2011, 04:44 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
Oh, I'm sorry.

What are the kids calling them these days? Video games?

The kids are calling them "iPods" or (ick) "iTouches".

The adults that game tend to call them "consoles", from what I gather.
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Nov 30, 2011, 07:21 PM
 
Thank you Spheric.

This updates my understanding that the physical unit was referred to as an "arcade cabinet" and the activity itself "space invaders."
     
Spheric Harlot
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Dec 1, 2011, 07:23 AM
 
Not IME.

Arcade games were/are a single game per box. I don't recall ever having referred to or heard anyone in ordinary usage refer to an actual arcade game by anything other than the game's name.
     
Face Ache
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Dec 1, 2011, 07:42 AM
 
Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot View Post
Arcade games were/are a single game per box. I don't recall ever having referred to or heard anyone in ordinary usage refer to an actual arcade game by anything other than the game's name.
We used to "play the spacies".

When I can't sleep I put the BBC news on with a timer.
     
Athens
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Dec 1, 2011, 03:27 PM
 
I just cant sleep. I finally fell asleep at 6am this morning only to have to wake up at 7:30 for work
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
tightsocks
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Dec 2, 2011, 12:12 AM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
I just cant sleep. I finally fell asleep at 6am this morning only to have to wake up at 7:30 for work
I wish I could offer you some good advice, but I just don't have any...

I suspect that many cases of insomnia are related to slight chemical imbalances that we do not recognize or understand.

Weren't you the one (too lazy to search for it) who was asking about using heroin/opiates at one point?
     
Athens
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Dec 2, 2011, 05:41 AM
 
nope
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Dec 2, 2011, 09:01 AM
 
Athens, how do you function after only one and a half hours sleep? Are you able to nap during the day?
     
Waragainstsleep
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Dec 2, 2011, 10:04 AM
 
I once got down to about 3-4 hours a night but I never thought of it as insomnia since it was more voluntary. I just didn't want to sleep. Used to catch up at weekends.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
Doofy
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Dec 2, 2011, 10:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
I just cant sleep. I finally fell asleep at 6am this morning only to have to wake up at 7:30 for work
Do what every other insomniac does - play FarmVille!
Been inclined to wander... off the beaten track.
That's where there's thunder... and the wind shouts back.
     
The Final Dakar
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Dec 2, 2011, 10:37 AM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
Athens, how do you function after only one and a half hours sleep? Are you able to nap during the day?
It's not pretty, but I've worked several Mondays on <2 hours sleep. I'm a step slow, my thoughts aren't clear, and I've had to fight off falling asleep in my chair in the mid-afternoon.
     
Leonard
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Dec 2, 2011, 12:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
But I'm more of a book guy, sadly.
- Find the longest, most boring story book you can and read a chapter of it before bed time.

- No TV, gaming, exercise, or electronics 1 hour before bed.

- Peruse a nice soft-porn mag before bed (Playboy) - that should help with those bad dreams.

- Repeat a phrase or something over and over again to yourself. People often find they're own voice calming (and hypnotic or trance inducing). ex:
my head is heavy,
my arms are heavy,
my body is heavy,
my legs are heavy.


- Some recommend a warm bath, hot milk, etc.

- If all that fails, do what I do and take a sleeping pill or tranquilizer.

Oh, and most importantly, try to go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time. The body likes habit, and not change.
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Athens
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Dec 2, 2011, 04:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Tiresias View Post
Athens, how do you function after only one and a half hours sleep? Are you able to nap during the day?
If I get less then 3 hours of sleep, I usually end up with a afternoon crash for a couple hours which is what I ended up doing yesterday after work. Im so used to 3-5 hours of sleep its just normal now.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Dec 2, 2011, 04:13 PM
 
The addition of the detail that you nap in the afternoon erodes my sympathy for your condition. Doing that messed up my nights sleep and now you've adjusted to the 2 short sleep periods though I could tell you if it was healthy or not.
     
Athens
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Dec 2, 2011, 04:40 PM
 
Originally Posted by BLAZE_MkIV View Post
The addition of the detail that you nap in the afternoon erodes my sympathy for your condition. Doing that messed up my nights sleep and now you've adjusted to the 2 short sleep periods though I could tell you if it was healthy or not.
um, one nap yesterday, um one nap 3 weeks ago, um one nap 2 weeks before that.... I only end up napping when I get less then 2 hours of sleep which isn't a nightly occurrence.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
BLAZE_MkIV
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Dec 2, 2011, 04:45 PM
 
You getting enough exposure to day/sun? Like how people in alaska have sun laps when they go for months without a day. Regardless you should probably see a professional about this.
     
mary thornton
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Dec 2, 2011, 07:36 PM
 

My insomnia started years ago with a bad back. about 20 years ago. I would be up at 3am walking around the town, because I couldn't lie down or sit. I've had lots of treatment, and Its still sore. Alcohol helps, but its not a great idea, because you need shedloads of it, and then wham, suddenly you're alcoholic, even if you don't want to admit it, and also it makes your brain deteriorate. Sleeping pills are great, but over here, you have to grovel and beg for them, and get given a lecture each time from your GP, before he or she will begrudgingly give you 28, and tell you to make them last at least two months. So the temptation is to have a sleeping pill one night, which will usually give me about 3-4 hours reasonable sleep, sometimes five, and a bottle of wine the next, which will give me the same. However the wine is not such a good idea, so the option is just to sleep every other night, which is quite often what happens to me. I have tried to explain that I have no objection to being addicted to sleeping aids. Surely it is better than being addicted to ..say alcohol. At least I would get sleep, and feel fresher and sharper the next day.
     
jonn804
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Dec 2, 2011, 10:56 PM
 
Just one word.... Ambien.
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tightsocks
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Dec 2, 2011, 11:17 PM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
nope
Yeah, you were looking for something 'natural' like opium to help you cope...
     
Athens
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Dec 3, 2011, 12:45 AM
 
um nope you are thinking of some one else.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
tightsocks
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Dec 3, 2011, 01:16 AM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
um nope you are thinking of some one else.
http://forums.macnn.com/89/macnn-lou...a/#post4053969
     
Tiresias  (op)
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Dec 3, 2011, 05:52 AM
 
Checkmate.
     
Athens
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Dec 3, 2011, 06:57 AM
 
Weren't you the one (too lazy to search for it) who was asking about using heroin/opiates at one point?
Originally Posted by tightsocks View Post
Yeah, you were looking for something 'natural' like opium to help you cope...
Perc's are NOT heroin and it was for ADHD which at the time I was on because of a pain issue and they had a nice side effect of lessening the effects of ADHD. I was never looking for "drugs" to cope. I don't even smoke up let alone heroin. And totally unrelated to Insomnia, so why bring it up here?
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
Spheric Harlot
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Dec 3, 2011, 11:22 AM
 
Originally Posted by Athens View Post
Perc's are NOT heroin and it was for ADHD which at the time I was on because of a pain issue and they had a nice side effect of lessening the effects of ADHD. I was never looking for "drugs" to cope. I don't even smoke up let alone heroin. And totally unrelated to Insomnia, so why bring it up here?
You were, however, asking about opioids, so how does it NOT make sense that this reminded someone of the other one?
     
Athens
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Dec 3, 2011, 05:44 PM
 
The thread was about asking my doctor to keep me on percs for ADHD control, he makes it sounds like I was out looking for heroin to cope with my life. And its totally unrelated to the insomnia thread and I have no idea how some one can mix them together. He is just a troll and a thread derailer.
Blandine Bureau 1940 - 2011
Missed 2012 by 3 days, RIP Grandma :-(
     
reader50
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Dec 4, 2011, 12:12 AM
 
To get it back on track, after all the talk about memory foam, I researched it. Then ordered a topper. We'll see if it's marketing hype or the real deal.
     
   
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