I feel tired ALL the time...lack of sleep...

[ogruskie]

Ever since summer, my sleeping schedule was a mess. I used to go to bed at 2am, and wake up at about 9am. 7 hours of sleep, but I still felt groggy and tired. Even if I went to bed early (9pm - 10pm), I wouldn't be able to fall asleep for HOURS. It was like insomnia.

I can't fall asleep regardless of the time I go to bed, unless its really late like in the A.M. time period. Even with intense exercise, I'm physically exhausted, yet my brain keeps thinking and thinking and thinking and its hard to fall asleep.

This whole month I've felt like ****. I'm slow and tired. Even with tons of water, I'm tired.

What do I do? I go to bed at 10pm every night, yet fall asleep around 12am. I wake up for school at 6:30am. Basically I get 6.5 hours of sleep each night. I'm pretty pissed.

 

[scorpion2103]

man i thought i was the only one that was experiencing this.
im basicly in your exact situation
it was so bad i took nyquil once just so i could fall asleep.
it seemed like nothing would stop me from being awake a full 24 hours

 

[ogruskie]

Not to mention that I go to school and I have a job. Its just overwhelming stress.

Also, I realized that sleeping too little has the same effect as sleeping too much.

 

[Julieta]

maybe you could try winding down before you actually try to go to sleep.

For example...dont watch TV (you shouldnt even have a TV in your room but if you're young i realize that is unrealistic) or listen to music or anything that could get you wired for an hour or so before you actually try to sleep. Instead, try taking a really hot bath with epsom and/or dead sea salts (okay I know you're probably a guy but someone can help you find these). Many pro athletes do this. Your muscles will recover faster and you will sleep better also.

Feng Shui your bedroom (basically make it relaxing) and make it really dark.

Don't have any Starbucks or sodas after 3PM.

If none of this stuff works and maybe even if it does, you could try talking to a counselor or something for some stress management techniques.

 

[ogruskie]

maybe you could try winding down before you actually try to go to sleep.

For example...dont watch TV (you shouldnt even have a TV in your room but if you're young i realize that is unrealistic) or listen to music or anything that could get you wired for an hour or so before you actually try to sleep. Instead, try taking a really hot bath with epsom and/or dead sea salts (okay I know you're probably a guy but someone can help you find these). Many pro athletes do this. Your muscles will recover faster and you will sleep better also.

Feng Shui your bedroom (basically make it relaxing) and make it really dark.

Don't have any Starbucks or sodas after 3PM.

If none of this stuff works and maybe even if it does, you could try talking to a counselor or something for some stress management techniques.

I've got a TV in my room but it doesn't work. I could probably try to stay away from the internet though...

Music is a touchy subject. I always listen to (somewhat) calm music before going to bed. You know, like Radiohead or Pink Floyd. Nothing heavy, just mellow stuff. And psychedelic music helps me fall asleep, although I can't fall asleep when I DON'T have music. In other words, I don't want to be depend on music in order to fall asleep.

I can fall asleep easy when I'm utterly physically exhausted. Playing tennis for 4 hours after a long 8 hour school day usually does the trick. However, I still need time for homework, so I can't afford to play tennis for 4 hours and be exhausted. Otherwise, several hours of sports does nothing. I need to be COMPLETELY overwhelmed, or not at all.

The bath sounds alright, but I'm extremely impatient and couldn't sit still in a bathtub for more than 5 minutes, to be honest. But I'll consider it...

 

[Mdubb23]

Wow dude, I'm right there with you. I'm 13, and I have about 4-5 hrs of hw a night. I'm lucky if I get to bed by 2 am. Then what--I have to wake up at 6:00 for school. No wonder I sleep till 1 on weekends.

 

[RestockingTues]

Ehh I just procrasturbate until dinner. I always stay up til midnight anyways.

 

[Voltron]

Are you kidding me? You feel bad with 6.5 hours of sleep? That's really weird, I usually only get 4 ish hours and I usually feel great, but I guess everyone is different. Anyway, I suppose I don't have anything really productive to add. Carry on...

 

[Hot Sauce]

I had/have the same problem as you. Some nights I just lie there and my brain won't stop thinking about anything and everything, and I can't get to sleep for hours. Here's what I find that helps.

1. Have a routine-a fixed time that you go to sleep and wake up.
2. If you're lying there and you can't stop thinking, try counting back from 100 down to zero in your head. You may have to do it several times.
3. Have a glass of milk before bed.
4. Read yourself to sleep.
5. Exercise helps to tire you out. Like you said, even with a full load of exercise on a certain day, it can still be hard getting to sleep. But exercise definitely makes it easier.

Good luck.

 

[Hot Sauce]

Wow dude, I'm right there with you. I'm 13, and I have about 4-5 hrs of hw a night. I'm lucky if I get to bed by 2 am. Then what--I have to wake up at 6:00 for school. No wonder I sleep till 1 on weekends.

What!? 4-5 hours of homework at age 13?

 

[ogruskie]

I had/have the same problem as you. Some nights I just lie there and my brain won't stop thinking about anything and everything, and I can't get to sleep for hours. Here's what I find that helps.

1. Have a routine-a fixed time that you go to sleep and wake up.
2. If you're lying there and you can't stop thinking, try counting back from 100 down to zero in your head. You may have to do it several times.
3. Have a glass of milk before bed.
4. Read yourself to sleep.
5. Exercise helps to tire you out. Like you said, even with a full load of exercise on a certain day, it can still be hard getting to sleep. But exercise definitely makes it easier.

Good luck.

Yes, I'll try all those. Thanks.

I usually read before going to bed, but it gives me nightmares. My mind takes a simple fun story and turns it into something terrible.

Sometimes I drink an herbal tea with honey, and it calms me down.

 

[snoopy]

Some suggestions:

Don't lay in your bed until it's time to go to bed. If you're going to read, or watch tv do it in a chair.

Get some exercise during the week.

Eat clean. Cut back on the sugars and caffeine especially late at night. Don't eat too soon before bed.

Stick to a routine. Go to bed and get up at similar times each day. Even if you can't go to sleep just lay there until you do. Try not to oversleep to much as well. I know that when I oversleep, like on the rare occasion when I sleep till 12pm, I have a hard time getting to bed that night.

It's easier said than done, but try and relieve some of your stresses. Do some fun and relaxing things to take you mind off your worries. Make some plans for the future, have something fun to look forward to.

 

[0range]

To OP,

I have had the same thing for years (although the severity of insomnia is in cycles...) I tried to go to my doc for help, and he sent me to do this psych test to see if I'm bipolar.

 

[cerbe]

Watch what you eat.
Take some vitamines and iron.
lack of iron makes you sleepy and tired.

 

[Mdubb23]

What!? 4-5 hours of homework at age 13?

I know, it's crazy. I have sophomore math (Trigonometry) and that is 2 and a half hours, plus the hour and a half of every other class.

 

[Mdubb23]

What!? 4-5 hours of homework at age 13?

I know, it's crazy. I have sophomore math (Trigonometry) and that is 2 and a half hours, plus the hour and a half of every other class.

 

[SteveI]

Some suggestions:

Don't lay in your bed until it's time to go to bed. If you're going to read, or watch tv do it in a chair.

Get some exercise during the week.

Eat clean. Cut back on the sugars and caffeine especially late at night. Don't eat too soon before bed.

Stick to a routine. Go to bed and get up at similar times each day. Even if you can't go to sleep just lay there until you do. Try not to oversleep to much as well. I know that when I oversleep, like on the rare occasion when I sleep till 12pm, I have a hard time getting to bed that night.

It's easier said than done, but try and relieve some of your stresses. Do some fun and relaxing things to take you mind off your worries. Make some plans for the future, have something fun to look forward to.

snoopy nailed it..

The stress is keeping you awake.. his ideas are solid, based on research.
Sleep is very important. If this problem continues, I would seek professional help. BTW meditation helps.. Good luck.

Steve

 

[40lovebaby]

Snoopy and others had some good advice (I'd expect good advice from Snoopy anyway - gotta love that dog!)

I think the rule of thumb is don't eat after 7:00 pm. Only water, and even taper that off around 8 or so so you don't have to pee all night.

Excercize is great, but give yourself more than an hour after you finish to bed time, or your adrenaline will still be kicked in.

Curb down tv and internet so that you aren't doing either for at least 1/2 hour before bed time.

Now, it doesn't mean you can do this every night, but you should be targeting more than half your nights to get good sleep - it's the back to back nights that really kill the body.

Now, for the times when you're lying awake in bed. Get in the habit of using imagery and breathing techniques to relax the body. Rather than letting your mind think about your life and even the stress of not sleeping, imagine each one of your most stressful things in your life as parts of a rope, which you cut and put in individual empty boxes, you'll then set the boxes one by one in the water of a huge lake and watch them float away. The entire time you do this, breathe through your nose - inhale for count of 4, exhale for a count of 4.

You can let the not sleeping stress go because studies show this type of meditation actually rejuvinates your body more than sleep. I would make this a habit for the first 15 minutes of going to bed, and just continue to do this if you still don't fall asleep. I know how silly it sounds, but not only does it work for sleep, it will make your mind sharper as well and reduce stress, which is probably the cause of your problem.

Remember, we each need a different amount of sleep as well - some are good on 4 hours, some take 9.

Good luck - I feel for you, and hope this advice helps.

 

[dozu]

if your mind is racing when you try to sleep, try listen to some radio station (talk, sports, whatever)... this way your mind is focused on interpreting the incoming information, instead of running off on wild thoughts..

This usually works well and I can fall asleep within 5 minutes listening to some boring radio.... sometimes even if I can't go to sleep, it feels less frustrating, as your mind is no longer focusing on 'trying to go to sleep'.

this works better than counting sheeps.

 

[albino smurf]

I had similair probs and cut out caffeine after noon. Helped a lot. I also make sure I do enough stuff during the day to be tired. If I sit around and don't I am antsy and cna't sleep at night too. Wear yourself out.

 

[user92626]

Some suggestions:

Don't lay in your bed until it's time to go to bed.



Even if you can't go to sleep just lay there until you do.

I'm confused, snoopy. Which one should I follow?

 

[snoopy]

I'm confused, snoopy. Which one should I follow?

Let's say your bedtime is 11:30. So if you are going to read, watch tv, etc, don't do it laying down. When 11:30 comes, lay in bed and don't get out of bed until you go to sleep.

For you worriers who find yourselves thinking a lot, it might help to keep a journal. Write down what's on your mind and get it all out. You probably shouldn't do this too soon before going to bed though.

 

[Hot Sauce]

When 11:30 comes, lay in bed and don't get out of bed until you go to sleep.

From personal experience, I don't agree with this. I don't think the OP does either. He's saying that he's lying there for hours and he can't get to sleep because he's constantly thinking.

I think that if you KNOW that you're not going to be able to get to sleep, and you're not even gradually getting tired by lying there, then you should get up, and do something else. Perhaps read a book (while sitting, like you said), or do jumping jacks, or anything. After maybe 15 minutes of said activity, go back to bed and try again.

 

[ogruskie]

Woah, quite a bit of information here. Thanks for the help guys. I'm definitely applying some of these techniques tonight. I'll report on it tomorrow, I guess.

 

[snoopy]

From personal experience, I don't agree with this. I don't think the OP does either. He's saying that he's lying there for hours and he can't get to sleep because he's constantly thinking.

I think that if you KNOW that you're not going to be able to get to sleep, and you're not even gradually getting tired by lying there, then you should get up, and do something else. Perhaps read a book (while sitting, like you said), or do jumping jacks, or anything. After maybe 15 minutes of said activity, go back to bed and try again.

I disagree bc you have to develop the mindset that when it's time to go to bed, it's time for nothing else but getting to sleep. When you lay down, that's it, there's no getting up (except for the bathroom of course, lol).

 

[superman1]

A good tip is to stay away from any TV or computer screen for 30 minutes before you go to bed. Something about that blue light shining in your face prevents your mind from preparing for sleep. I don't abide by this, but I would if I had problems going to sleep.

Drink some milk before you sleep - it has tryptophan.

And the challenge is really just to visualize something relaxing while you're falling asleep. If you catch yourself going over the day in your mind, going over a thousand thoughts at once, stop yourself and try to meditate. I sometimes just pretend I'm lying in the sand on a beach and just try to imagine the ocean.

 

[Hot Sauce]

I disagree bc you have to develop the mindset that when it's time to go to bed, it's time for nothing else but getting to sleep. When you lay down, that's it, there's no getting up (except for the bathroom of course, lol).

Agree to disagree .

From personal experience, I find that it's kind of a losing battle when you try to force yourself to sleep, when your brain wants to keep you awake and thinking. So I find doing something else for a bit helps to clear the mind and put it at ease. People are different though, so it would be beneficial to try everything, and see what works best.

 

[RestockingTues]

Is there any tryptophan in soy milk? I'm not too fond of the idea of sucking nipple juice...

 

[SteveI]

Is there any tryptophan in soy milk? I'm not too fond of the idea of sucking nipple juice...

Eat some turkey..

Steve