Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

shifuimam · May 24, 2009, 04:19 AM

What do YOU do when you can't sleep?

So far, the activities list has included:

Reading about Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love on Wikipedia
Checking MacNN
Waking up boyfriend for wild monkey sex
Having my cat sit on my face (not by request)
Wondering why it's 4:00 AM and I'm not that tired
Thinking about Friday's prime rib stroganoff

What about you? Does counting sheep really work?

Tiresias · May 24, 2009, 04:32 AM

Sweet dreams.

Cipher13 · May 24, 2009, 05:07 AM

Apparently I have an 'extreme' case of something called delayed sleep phase disorder. The only way I can even remotely keep it in check is to work a physically demanding job with long hours.

That, and maybe a couple of beers before bed.

Doofy · May 24, 2009, 05:30 AM

Originally Posted by Cipher13

Apparently I have an 'extreme' case of something called delayed sleep phase disorder.

I thought I had that. Turns out I have "non-24" instead. Basically, my clock's on a 26 hour day.

Spheric Harlot · May 24, 2009, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Having my cat sit on my face

:guffaw:

ghporter · May 24, 2009, 10:11 AM

Progressive relaxation, white noise/ocean sounds, exercise several hours before bed time (a good walk is enough, but a more vigorous workout is ok, just don't overdo), and if all else fails, about 100mg of melatonin. (I actually had melatonin prescribed for a sleeping problem once, and it really works for me.)

With melatonin, I don't notice that my cat is grooming the top of my head while I sleep...

shifuimam · May 24, 2009, 11:35 AM

Our youngest cat has recently developed a habit of sleeping on my pillow, which sometimes prompts her to attempt to groom my hair.

Problem is, I have long girl-hair - the end result is a lot of gagging and head-jerking as she tries to not die on my hairs.

Jawbone54 · May 24, 2009, 12:29 PM

Nothing works except medication, and I hate sleep meds. I've started just dealing with it and crash on the weekends. My favorite late-night activities include:

1. Seinfeld. Always.
2. Watching shows my wife isn't crazy about (Big Bang Theory, Simpsons, Futurama...)
3. Attempting to make my starting pitcher a Hall of Fame player in MLB 09: The Show.
4. Knocking out huge chunks in my reading queue.

Jawbone54 · May 24, 2009, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

Problem is, I have long girl-hair - the end result is a lot of gagging and head-jerking as she tries to not die on my hairs.

The mental image is fantastic.

Chuckit · May 24, 2009, 03:20 PM

I usually read a book or watch TV. Even if it's enjoyable, I find doing that for too long is kind of mind-numbing, so eventually my brain decides it would like to go to sleep now. Hopefully more than an hour before it's time to shower. Do not read Wikipedia, because you can spend all damn night clicking on cross-references without even knowing it.

Doofy · May 24, 2009, 03:32 PM

You could buy a copy of "DNS and Bind". I don't think I've ever gotten past page fifteen without falling asleep.

smacintush · May 24, 2009, 03:33 PM

I read somewhere that there are few places in the civilized world where insomnia is a problem like it is in the US. Our culture just nurtures an ever-rattling brain.

I don't usually have trouble sleeping, since I am always dead tired and could get into full drool mode at nearly any time. (the curse of a 12-hour, midnight swing shift) If I do have trouble, it is because my mind won't stop chattering. When this happens meditative techniques knock me right out.

shifuimam · May 24, 2009, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

The mental image is fantastic.

Oh yeah, and the sounds are really conducive to falling asleep.

It's better than our oldest cat, who has a tendency to lick you whenever she gets the chance. This can be cute (and exfoliating), but it's damn annoying when she tries to be a feline q-tip. The sound of licking and snuffling directly in your ear canal is just obnoxious.

Originally Posted by Chuckit

I usually read a book or watch TV. Even if it's enjoyable, I find doing that for too long is kind of mind-numbing, so eventually my brain decides it would like to go to sleep now. Hopefully more than an hour before it's time to shower. Do not read Wikipedia, because you can spend all damn night clicking on cross-references without even knowing it.

Yeah, guess how I ended up reading about Kurt Cobain's suicide conspiracy theories? I don't even remember what I was originally looking up. The night wrapped up with a Google image search on Courtney Love and marveling at how someone could collapse in on themselves so drastically in the public eye.

Originally Posted by smacintush

I read somewhere that there are few places in the civilized world where insomnia is a problem like it is in the US. Our culture just nurtures an ever-rattling brain.

Part of it is also due to medication I'm on. Insomnia is, unfortunately, one of the more common side effects. It went away for awhile, but it seems to be back in full force.

Andy8 · May 24, 2009, 08:13 PM

I am having acupuncture 3 times a week now and its helping my sleep tremendously.

brassplayersrock² · May 24, 2009, 08:24 PM

get a wii and wii fit. the yoga exercises before bed help me get relaxed enough to fall asleep relatively quickly.

starman · May 24, 2009, 08:25 PM

Stop thinking of so many projects....

Railroader · May 24, 2009, 08:47 PM

Originally Posted by Doofy

I thought I had that. Turns out I have "non-24" instead. Basically, my clock's on a 26 hour day.

You have a free-running circadian rhythm. It is not set on a 24 hour clock. I am about a 25.5 hour a day person.

Department of Psychiatry - The Human Circadian System

Doofy · May 24, 2009, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Railroader

You have a free-running circadian rhythm. It is not set on a 24 hour clock. I am about a 25.5 hour a day person.

Department of Psychiatry - The Human Circadian System

Yup.
Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Shaddim · May 24, 2009, 10:11 PM

If I don't take my nap, I'd live on a 22 hour cycle (18 hrs up, 4 hrs asleep). As it is, I sleep about 4-5 hours /night and take a 1-2 hour nap during the day, this almost always works out to exactly 6 hours of sleep total). With this schedule I feel alert and refreshed, if I mess with it my body goes completely out of sync and I'm miserable. At first my doctor was very concerned, and ran a battery of tests, including sleep tests at the Univ. of Tenn.. After 18 years of probing and prodding, they've come to the conclusion that my cycle is normal (for me).

Gavin · May 24, 2009, 11:42 PM

My sleep cycles all over the place. I seem to wake up an hour later every day no matter what.

ghporter · May 25, 2009, 09:05 AM

I have a pretty constant 24 hour-ish cycle, but I have this problem of waking up a little bit before the alarm goes off-no matter what time it's set for. We have to get up at an ungodly hour most of the time anyway, so this 15 minutes or so of lost sleep bugs me...

Laminar · May 25, 2009, 09:11 AM

I can be dead tired at 2PM at work, but come midnight I'm fully, 100% awake. I've developed...methods...for falling asleep.

Tiresias · May 25, 2009, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by Laminar

I've developed...methods...for falling asleep.

You take the matter in hand?

Laminar · May 25, 2009, 10:47 AM

One could say that.

besson3c · May 25, 2009, 12:25 PM

Have you tried masterbating shif?

shifuimam · May 25, 2009, 12:29 PM

It's masturbating, and we're going to keep my personal sexual habits out of this discussion.

Jawbone54 · May 25, 2009, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by besson3c

Have you tried masterbating shif?

phantomdragonz · May 26, 2009, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by Laminar

I can be dead tired at 2PM at work, but come midnight I'm fully, 100% awake. I've developed...methods...for falling asleep.

my guess is you dont have a good lunch... eat better and you might not have that issue... although I am no expert...

-Zach

Gavin · May 26, 2009, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

It's masturbating, and we're going to keep my personal sexual habits out of this discussion.

How can you expect perfect strangers to give you useless advice without complete openness about every aspect of your life?

Face Ache · May 26, 2009, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by shifuimam

It's masturbating

Note to besson3c: shifuimam prefers masturbating with "u".

besson3c · May 26, 2009, 02:21 PM

I prefer masturbating with my hand.

SSharon · May 26, 2009, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

My favorite late-night activities include:

2. Watching shows my wife isn't crazy about (Big Bang Theory, Simpsons, Futurama...)

I have really gotten into the Big Bang Theory recently and god only knows why but my wife has watched every single episode with me. Even more impressive is that she lets me explain the jokes.

Jawbone54 · May 26, 2009, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

I have really gotten into the Big Bang Theory recently and god only knows why but my wife has watched every single episode with me. Even more impressive is that she lets me explain the jokes.

You're lucky. My wife hates it, but agrees that in some ways I remind her of Leonard (except much taller and much dumber).

Laminar · 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by SSharon

I have really gotten into the Big Bang Theory recently and god only knows why but my wife has watched every single episode with me. Even more impressive is that she lets me explain the jokes.

My fiancée loves it. Apparently she has a thing for awkward nerdy guys. Luckily for me.

Railroader · May 26, 2009, 08:04 PM

My wife got bored with it. But she'll watch a Scrubs rerun in a heartbeat. I am often referred to as Brown Bear by a friend who is very much a JD.

Jawbone54 · May 26, 2009, 10:46 PM

I don't believe there is a single scene from Scrubs that I didn't wince at in disgust.

Cold Warrior · May 26, 2009, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Jawbone54

I don't believe there is a single scene from Scrubs that I didn't wince at in disgust.

Do you have something against nurses?

@pplejaxkz · May 26, 2009, 11:21 PM

There was a time were I couldn't fall asleep until 7am everyday for about 5 months. They finally gave me Ambien CR to knock me out. I don't take it as often anymore but those days were brutal. It's depressing to see all the regular TV shows go off the air and then the infomercials come on.