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Friday, January 10, 2014

Insomnia


photo credit: HikingArtist.com via photopin cc



I'm so annoyed at myself right now. I passed out like before 9 pm last night. I was exhausted. Then I woke up at 1 am and can't sleep. I'm gonna have to be at work in a couple hours and I probably will get crabby if people get on my case, which is seems inevitable, lol. Feels like I was under a full moon this whole week. 

I'm gonna need to get a humidifier because the air is just too dry. My nose has been stuffy and my throat has been feeling super dry at night, which also caused me not to sleep well. 

I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out early later tonight and the same thing is going happen again...I can no longer deny that I have insomnia and truth is I don't know how to go about that. 

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that prevents you to fall asleep or stay asleep. It's either a physical or psychological. There's a few good reasons why you should get your beauty sleep, as the term suggest, because lack of it hurts your appearance, your health, and your quality of life. 
  • Your skin regenerate itself while you sleep.
  • Your body need sleep to recharge. Lack of sleep makes you tired, increases your appetite, and causes you to gain weight!
  • Sleep deprivation makes you more irritable and stressed
  • Getting enough sleep keeps your mind sharp and yourself more alert during the day
  • Lack of sleep may give you more wrinkles, dark circles, baggy eyes...well you get the drift. When we don't sleep well, we don't feel good, and when we don't feel good, it shows on our face.
  • Sleep problems are linked to depression, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health issues.
After reading this list, I guess I'm ready to accept and admit my condition hits pretty much all the bullets. The problem was I didn't want to admit to myself I had another problem...lol. Who does anyways? It's depressing to even think of the possibility of it or add another one to the list. Truth is you can't fix your problem if you don't acknowledge them. So that's the first step. Stop being in denial.

Insomnia is probably one of those things many of us ignore and don't think it's that important. I know I am one of them but if you really stop and think about it. It can be serious. 

Story of my life...Many years ago, I came home really tired from work. I can't remember how long I slept the night before but I was driving home from work and going 65 on the freeway. I fell asleep behind the wheel and my car went off the road and into the median. Luckily, it didn't fall into a ditch, hit another car, or flip, but when I abruptly woke up by the bumpiness, I was able to steer my car back into the freeway and avoiding an accident. I was scared to death thinking I could've died right there and my small children would've been motherless. 

I've had trouble with my sleep habit for about a year and a half now if not more. This was never an issue before and I remember many moons ago, my mom used to always nag me for sleeping too much. She said to me "one day when you get to my age, you won't be able to sleep too." I would sarcastically reply "I guess I better get all the sleep that I can while I still can."  

I don't want to see a doctor and I don't want to be on sleeping pills. I could be wrong but I think that's what they do and I'd prefer to avoid that. I'm beginning to realize that my lack of proper sleep is hindering my quality of life and health more than I realized. 

I'm thinking about how the lack of sleep is hurting me personally. What is causing it and what should I do to make it better? My lack of sleep started about after the end of a relationship. I was hurt, I felt betrayed, and I went to bed feeling this way for a long time so I didn't sleep much. Afterward, I don't know if a habit just developed from there. Other things that could affect my sleep is my job. Around the same time, I got promoted, so I took on more responsibilities. There's definitely more pressure and more demanding. I haven't lost my mind yet but I get a lot of those little annoyance that seems to build up by the end of the day. Some days are just chaotic. I get nothing done and more problems added to the plate. I come home, I'm beat, and I'm thinking geez, I don't get paid enough to deal with all this nonsense. But overall, that's what I love about my job. All this craziness can be overwhelming at times but it keeps me challenged and I like being challenged. 

At night, I seem to only sleep for 4-5 hours and I'd wake up. I have the hardest time getting back to sleep when that happens. So here's my problem. I'm a thinker and I usually have a lot of things running through my mind, small things and big things, for no rhyme or reasons sometimes. The only time I stop thinking is when my brain is exhausted and it doesn't tire easily either. I wished my body was as active as my mind. 
I guess my mom was right. You really do think more and become more restless as you get older. I never thought it would do this to me. 

I've started putting on the pounds with the lack of sleep too. I also avoid taking naps if I can help it. It really messes me up. Naps keep me awake all night so forget it. But still...I need to figure this out and it probably will involve changing some habits and ways of thinking. I don't know...

What helps you sleep? 


9 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you're having so much trouble sleeping :( I struggle with it too. I've found that setting up a bedtime routine really helps. I force myself to go to bed at the same time every day, even if I'm still awake or if I have to make myself stay up a little longer until it's time to go to bed. No earlier and no later. I have a routine before bed of a warm shower, eating a certain snack, etc. and I think that helps as well because it alerts your body and brain that it's time for sleeping. A few minutes of yoga also helps me unwind. On the weekends I try to stick to this routine too and not sleep way in, because it just makes it harder to reset the next day.

    I try not to eat or drink a lot right before bed but I do like to have a small snack. Almond milk and cherries or a little toast with peanut butter are good ones for me. I keep some of my new fashion/beauty magazines by the bed so that I can read before bed to unwind--no TV or tablet, since the screen wakes me up, and no books that will hook me and keep me up reading past bed!

    As for staying asleep...I find that if the room is too warm I wake up, so I try to keep my bedroom cooler. A little white noise, from a white noise machine or a radio station turned down low in the background, also helps me sleep through any outside noise from neighbors or traffic.

    I hope you'll be able to get into a better sleep pattern so you'll feel better! Not sleeping sucks the life right out of you.

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    1. You seem to have developed a good routine. You just made me realize I need one too. There are certain things in my life that are routine, such as the time I have to get up to get ready for work, the time I go to work, and the time I am done with work. Afterward, it's pretty much do what you need or want to do. I try to make supper as soon as I get home but some days I'm more tired than others so supper time varies. Afterward, I either try to work on my blog or just browse online. If I'm really tired, I might pass out right after supper. I always wake up after 4 or 5 hours of sleep. I have no clue why I do that almost every night. I get up to use the bathroom and then I end up wide awake afterward. I'll need to think of what I would like try to get into a good sleeping routine.

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  2. I've been having the exact same problem lately. I fall asleep in seconds but then a few hours later HELLO I'm up and for good. For that I don't know what to do. However, on those nights where I seem to just be rolling in the blankets for hours without being able to keep my eyes closed, the weirdest thing helps me sleep. And it is weird for those who don't experience it, or those new to it, it's called ASMR. If you get some kind of tingly relaxing sensation if you go to the hairdresser for instance, or when someone whispers, or the noise of pages turning, or the sight of someone being meticulous on something they are working on... these are all common triggers. You can type it in Youtube to see if you have any trigger that works on you. Personaly a video of nail polish bottle noises or subtle plastic bag crinkles puts me to sleep in minutes. Yes. Sounds weird. Doesn't work on every one. Hope it helps you or anyone that would read that comment. : )

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    1. I don't fall asleep unless I feel tired. I think I probably need to learn how to shut my mind sometimes because it just gets distracted easily. Or like you mentioned, find something relaxing that can put me back into sleeping mode.

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  3. I've been suffering from Insomnia for a while now. I did some research on my own symptoms, and apparently it's because I have too many things going on at the same time and I am really stressed out. I fall asleep at 11pm and then wake up at 2am COMPLETELY RESTED! In the beginning I tried really hard to fall asleep again, but now I just turn on the light and read a book. :) In my case, this is a lot better than staring at the ceiling and thinking about life because then I just get even more stressed out. Hopefully, we all get a bit of a break from life soon, and everything returns back to normal. :)

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    1. I do feel rested after 4 or 5 hours but if I don't go back to sleep and continue to stay up, I am completely wiped out when I get home from work. I mean I literally pass out and there's nothing I can do about it. I will do some research and try to see what else is going with me or what I'm doing wrong. :)

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  4. I have a sleeping disorder called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Basically my biological clock is set different than the "normal" cycle society favors. If left to my own devices I will sleep from 8am to 6pm, however that is my personal schedule and everyone is different. Most people who have it are born that way, but others have it appear in the teen years or middle age or brought on by extreme stress. I've been this way my whole life, and my youngest dd has it too. So basically every day I force myself to sleep "in the middle of the day". Sometimes it works better than others. So I've had a lot of experience with sleeping problems.

    One thing that can help is to "reset".. basically you stay up all night and then sleep only at the time you choose is correct. Obviously this works best on two days you do not have to do anything or go anywhere since you will be a zombie for most of it. If you can take more than two days you can walk the reset around the clock.. go to sleep a few hours earlier than your goal and force yourself to stay awake one extra hour each day until you reach your goal. It's a little easier. Once you get reset you have to stay on schedule, no matter what. Everyone does not need 8 hours of sleep.. some less and some more. You have to get your sleep debt filled and then figure out your natural sleep cycle. Start long (9-12 hours) to account for the sleep debt and you will naturally wake early if you are "done". Once you see a pattern you can set your schedule.

    Make sure you have good sleep habits. Room on the cool side, nice and dark, either no noise or white noise whichever works better, no lounging in bed- bed is for sleep only, no caffeine late in the day or too much at all during the day. Set an alarm for both sleep and wake times and stick to it no matter what. If you wake early get up and be productive, don't stress about it, stress will only make it worse. Set a schedule for pre-sleep.. reading for a set amount of time can be relaxing, bath, skin care routine, meditation, etc. and stick to it. Try eating a light meal right before bed, preferably one heavy in protien (nuts/cheese/meat, like a half sandwich for example), it helps me. Watch your light intake.. blue/full spectrum light can seriously mess up your sleep clock. Download F.lux and install it on your phone/tablet/computers. I run my TV through my computer so it works on that too. Change your bedroom bulbs to red bulbs. You can try melatonin.. it helps a lot of people. Personally it gives me night terrors. Also consider St. John's Wort, it really helps me because it regulates my mood and I deal better with stress which therefore improves my sleep.

    I hope even one thing here helps. I know the personal hell that is sleep deprivation. There is a reason it is used as a torture technique.. it works.

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    1. First, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to comment and give me some really good advice. You and Martha convinced me that it is very important that I set a routine and stick with it. I think I can be happy with 6 or 7 hours of sleep. The most important thing would be not getting my mind too distracted so that I can ease it into a sleeping mode. Some days are fine and some days I really feel like a zombie. Thank you so much for your suggestions.

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  5. Sleep is an essential component of the human body, being deprived of it may result in unfavorable conditions physically, mentally, and emotionally. I admire your effort in telling people that insomnia shouldn't be taken lightly. How are you now? If your sleeping problems persist, you can consult with trusted professionals.

    Enda Sharp @ TMJ Sleep Centre

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