For the past week now I have not been getting any sleep whatsoever. I happened to pull an all-nighter one night (as I've done this many times before) and it all went down hill from there. I always stayed awake until the sun rose, but once the afternoon approached, I was pretty much knocked out. I do not want to sleep my days away, for they have caused me to lose a lot of activity time and a lot of energy. I'm not wanting to do much of anything anymore. The reason I came here and posted a thread about this is because I know there are writers out there who suffer from no sleep (due to staying up all night writing), and I want to know what some of you do in order to get your sleep back on its regular scheduale. Note: My lose of sleep is not due to writing, etc. It is strictly due to the fact that I just cannot sleep. Any suggestions or ideas I can do or follow? Thanks, aimi_aiko.
See a doctor. Get medication. Lack of sleep gets serious fast. You can live longer without food than you can without sleep. See a doctor. Seriously.
I agree with aaron89. Insomnia is a serious medical problem and prolonged lack of sleep can kill you. Even habitually not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc with your body and brain cause you to function with less mental processing power and slower reflexes than a person well over the legal limit of intoxication. It really is serious, Aimi. You should get checked out...
I'm going to agree with Aron here as well. I'm a clinical insomniac and am on medication. It won't fix the problem, but it'll make achieving sleep a lot more possible. At my worst I was only getting about 4 hours of sleep for every two days I was awake. Now i average about four or five daily, which is still below the minimum, but has improved my sanity a whole lot.
Well aside from seeing a doctor. You need to create a routine and train your body that it's time to sleep. No electronics (t.v., music, etc.) an hour before bed. Make sure you're eating and drinking properly (healthy foods). No caffeine about four hours before bed. Exercise can help tire you out as well and can be helpful.
Have you tried anything to help you? Before the expense of seeing a doctor, I'd try a few things, ranging from chamomile tea on the mild end to over-the-counter products like Tylenol PM or Sominex. If this is a rare occurrence, then once you get to sleep for a night or two you may be back to normal. If you find this to be an ongoing issue that you struggle with long-term, then I'd consult a physician.
^As an alternative to Tylenol PM or Sominex, you could also get some Melatonin. When I went to the doctor about my sleep issues, that's what he had me take.
It sounds like something may be inhibiting your ability to sleep, so I would suggest seeing a doctor as well --I take sleeping medicine as well, and it is miserable when you cant sleep no matter how much you want to. Some things that can help though, is, if you have the luxury, make your bedroom only for sleeping. Remove "fun" things and distractions, like televisions, laptops, books, and notebooks if you write by hand. Designate another space for them. Even if your body wont allow you to sleep, at least your mind will learn that this space is a place for relaxation. Remove as many light sources as you can. The only source of light I have at night is my alarm clock, and I turn it on its face every night so the glow is lessened. Keep your room clean and as far as interior design is concerned keep it simple and calming. A messy room can lead to messy thoughts for me, and I know I'm not alone in that. And it is hard to allow your mind to calm down when you have lime green walls and a bright red comforter, for example. And although colors like lavender or a soft, sea green are calming, I try to keep my colors dark too. The darker the room, the better. Don't drink caffeine in the afternoons or evenings. (And if you are a lightweight like me, who can start shaking after two cans of Pepsi, avoid it completely.) Have a glass of milk or tea an hour or so before you go to bed; the feeling of a full stomach can put some people to sleep (like how a big meal puts people to sleep after Thanksgiving, hahah ). Avoid distractions / exciting things within the last waking hour; this can include books. Don't read the climax of an adventure novel fifteen minutes before bed, for example. Sticking to that kind of thing is hard. We all have lives. For example, I only have an ethernet cable in my bedroom, so I have to have my laptop as a distraction in my bedroom, and sometimes you have to pull an all nighter to get a job done, and it isn't always feasible to spring for new paint on the walls, especially if you are renting, like I am. They are just ideas to shoot for. Pick as many as you can and are convenient for you. Good luck! Being unable to sleep for days at a time is truly a nightmare...
Pretty much have this issue too. Can't seem to sleep because it feels like I haven't accomplished enough for the day. May have something to do with writing lol..
I have this problem too. Merc gives great advice -- you usually have to calm your mind before sleeping, which it's difficult for me to do. When I can't sleep, I clear my head, think no thoughts or else count backwards from 100, and steady my breathing. Going to a doctor is also a good idea, obviously, because you could get meds that will help. I hope you can sleep -- one of the worst things in the world is insomnia. :/
Yeh it's really annoying...I was told a good way to calm yourself before sleep is to switch of any electronics and read until you feel sleepy. Apparently the eye movement while reading makes you drowsy. Guess it doesn't help that I see sleep as time spent better doing somethin productive....even though I love sleeping and once I'm in my bed I never get out lol! I guess you also start thinking about 10000 different things once your head hits the pillow? I know for a fact I'll probably be awake now for another 2 hours which will make it 4am here...
I caught up on a little bit of sleep this morning. I feel better today than I had any other day this week. Another reason why I think I can't sleep is because of how long I stay up. My usual "staying up" time is until between 3AM-5AM. I believe another cause is because I'm on my laptop way to much, which also causes me to want to stay up and do facebook, WF, etc. all night. I believe I'm going to take some of your common advice about reading before bed. I am reading the House of Night series (which I've been really hooked on) and I'm sure that may help me. Thanks again for all the help and advice.
Glad you feel better. Yeah, staying up late really messes up your sleep clock, I know. I stay up until 2 AM usually, and it makes me tired sometimes.
I have a disorder called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. I go to bed everyday at exactly 4am. So I know what the sleeping thing can do. I have pulled all nighters because, we have somewhere to go at 8am. And I know I know, that I will sleep till noon otherwise. So I have to stay up.
Oh lol...I do the exact same thing. If I have to wake up early the next day then I just don't bother sleeping at all...it's terrible :/ I read up on DSPS and I'm starting to think I have that too..
You are either feeling anxiety or depression. Something may have happened recently that disables you from putting your mind to rest. If the problem persists, I suggest perhaps counseling, or medication. I have had depression since I was six, which has attributed to severe insomnia. But this is due to trauma. It may be the same for you, although for your sake I hope not
