Pullin an All-Nighter
Don't ya just hate it when your minds moving in a hundred different directions and you just can't sleep? That was last night for me. Usually my mind is content to merely idle along in neutral but for some reason (I have a good idea about the reason too) the damn thing was stuck in overdrive and try as I might, I just couldn't talk the sandman into doing his job. Lazy bum...
I tried almost all of my "can't sleep" techniques: roll over repeatedly, get a glass of water, walk around the house for a bit, check out g_s' blog. Nothing helped. So when I rolled over and watched the clock ding 1:30, I went to the second to last resort. A couple healthy drams of whiskey. This did help a bit. I was out until the bright and shiny hour of 4:30, at which point the Pendleton must have quit with the queen contest and let the roundup kick back up into full swing.
Suffice it to say today's going to be a mostly unproductive one, if I've got any say in the matter, which I doubt I will. These kind of days usually are the ones that require the most effort. Everything seems to go right when you're well rested, but when you're rummy, you can't catch a break and the hours stretch past dark.
So what are some of your "can't sleep" techniques? I might just have need for them again one day.
I tried almost all of my "can't sleep" techniques: roll over repeatedly, get a glass of water, walk around the house for a bit, check out g_s' blog. Nothing helped. So when I rolled over and watched the clock ding 1:30, I went to the second to last resort. A couple healthy drams of whiskey. This did help a bit. I was out until the bright and shiny hour of 4:30, at which point the Pendleton must have quit with the queen contest and let the roundup kick back up into full swing.
Suffice it to say today's going to be a mostly unproductive one, if I've got any say in the matter, which I doubt I will. These kind of days usually are the ones that require the most effort. Everything seems to go right when you're well rested, but when you're rummy, you can't catch a break and the hours stretch past dark.
So what are some of your "can't sleep" techniques? I might just have need for them again one day.
posted by LL at 7:50 AM
9 Comments:
For some reason, I have the most trouble sleeping on Sunday night going into Monday morning.
The most effective thing I have been able to do in order to sleep are:
1) think happy thoughts. (Sounds corny I know...) But they have to be unrelated to whatever it is that you are fretting/thinking about in order to work. Things like, imagining what it would look like to see the Earth from the window of the space station, or about lounging on a hammock in a sun dappled field next to a lazy river or lake. (The ocean is just too noisy.) A nice breeze, big fluffy clouds floating by, a few song birds... paradise.
-Or-
2) drugs.
Hope that helps!
Since I've been sick, I haven't been able to sleep either. Tuesday night I went to bed at 10:30 and at 4:30 I was still awake. I finally took Alka-Seltzer Cold and a hot toddy. It still took awhile to knock me out, but I slept the rest of the night.
Docs say if you focus on your breathing and force yourself to slow it down, it will help you sleep. That would just make me pass out, but it might help you.
"or about lounging on a hammock in a sun dappled field next to a lazy river or lake. (The ocean is just too noisy.) A nice breeze, big fluffy clouds floating by, a few song birds... paradise."
You've just described what I'm trying to get my mind off of. :P
"2) drugs."
So you're suggesting I fire up a bowl or two next time. I'm afraid that'd just make me hungry. :ewink:
"at 4:30 I was still awake. I finally took Alka-Seltzer Cold and a hot toddy. It still took awhile to knock me out, but I slept the rest of the night."
Rest of the night? That was what, 2 hours? I'd call that a nap. ;)
"Docs say if you focus on your breathing and force yourself to slow it down, it will help you sleep."
The problem I had was that my mind was working on a problem that it kept returning to. I tried to think of something different but my mind would run down that rabbit trail in about 30 seconds then jump back to the problem at hand. I finally just gave up and got up and typed it all down at 4:30 this morning. I still couldn't sleep, but at least my mind was at ease...
Now, it's nappy time!
Watch Blade Runner, Director's Cut. Still awake? Call g_s and ask him to tell you his latest batch of Joe Haikus. If that doesn't work then there's no hope and you crank-call g_s for the rest of the night. Because it would be funny. And why should you be the only one who can't sleep?
Find something really boring on tv. Oh wait, that keeps me up all night too.
word: yiuifmm
I'm like Nypinta — Sunday nights can be tough. I always read myself to sleep. But more often than not, I usually get through the day OK following a sleepless night. It's the next day that seems to get me.
Of course, there's always Nyquil…
"It's the next day that seems to get me."
I've noticed the same thing, actually.
"I'm like Nypinta — Sunday nights can be tough."
I think most of us experience this. I attribute it to that overwhelming sense of dread that your relaxing period is over and now you've got to go back into the stresses associated with work.
"You're all a bunch of haters."
Wha? Don't you at least appreciate the fact that we're reading your blog? Sheesh... talk about finding a thorn amongst the roses... :P
While some of these people may have good short term solutions, I think they've missed the main point. We all suffer from occasional lack of sleep for various reasons, but in the long run a few sleepless nights really won't affect us that much.
On the other hand, if chronic sleep loss is your problem, then these little "quick fix" solutions won't help you one iota. What you need to do is change your lifestyle... you know, common sense things that aren't actually that commonly adhered to: staying away from caffiene, getting enough exercise, eating your veggies, sticking to a regular sleeping routine (i.e. going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time throughout the week), nothing will help you more than having a general peace of mind and joy of life... of course, having a good sex life doesn't hurt either.
Hope that helps. (Of course I realise that it probably won't, but I look forward to your systematic approach at tearing apart every ridiculous statement I've made.)
~The Benster! (One must always sign one's name with an exclamation mark if one wishes to get anywhere in life.)
"but I look forward to your systematic approach at tearing apart every ridiculous statement I've made."
I would, if I could find a ridiculous statement in there... :P
Welcome to the End of the World.
P.S. It is just the occasional thing, I enjoy sleep far too much to have it be systematic...
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