Insomnia!

[Cedars]

My poor diet is mostly due to having very little money.

 

I'm trying to look into getting a job somewhere that will feed me as well as pay me.

 

I feel too weak to take on a bigger work load, but I need money to eat. Eating sufficiantly might make things a lot easier. I hope.

 

Does anyone know anything about programs that feed people for free or very very cheap? I think I've heard of places like that.... places that operate out of donations recieved from the community. I could probably qualify.

 

 

 

I also didn't even consider depression until today. Now, I'm noticing it. I'm starting to identify situations where I get kind of depressed for minor changes that occur throughout the day. When I need to split up with a friend, I tend to get a little depressed and scared for a little bit afterwards.

 

I think I may very well be going through mild depression.

 

also,

Bipolarity kind of runs in my family. And it seems like everyone in my family has slight mental health problems. But maybe it's normal to percieve your own family like that.

 

What state/city are you in? Maybe someone here will know exactly where to call.

 

Here we have Community Food Shelf, and Helping Hand which give food to people who havent any. Sometimes its vouchers for stores, sometimes its bags of food. Social Services should be able to give you contact information for these places. Churches often have contact information for places such as this also.

 

Get yourself some vitamins also asap.

[HydrogenBond]

I usually don't get insomnia, but at time it does occur maybe about 5-10 % of the time. One of my tricks is to drink a couple of beers or wines and finish drinking about an hour before bed. By then the slight buzz is wearing off and I am getting tired and bored, ready to sleep. If the mind is still racing, sexual release is a good way to hit the sack. It appears that a fesh load of sperm has an arousal affect on the male body. If you get rid of it, with or without a lady friend, the body and mind falls out of arousal.

 

If you think about it, the female menstral cycle can cause wide changes of mood due to hormonal changes. The male has his own hormonal cycles connected to the production of sperm and the logisitical affects needed to spread the seed. This can be sublimated into active imagination, making sleeping difficult for some.

 

One of my tricks for getting back to sleep, if you wake in the middle of the night, is to not open your eyes fully. If I have to hit the head at 3AM, due to the beers, I go to the head with half closed eyes. When I return to bed, I am back off to the snoring races.

 

If these simple home remedies don't work consult a physician.

[leuv21]

i used to suffer from asthma that would not leave me whatever sports i did.

So i learned breathing from a yoga teacher, at first i was in a desperate situation but then gradually i found a comfort and i diminished my medication.

Seemed that i was working.. but just recently i am unable to get sleep whatever i try... i get those tire eyes but i am fit and breathe really well...

do you think that this has to do with the breathing meditation??

[Monomer]

i used to suffer from asthma that would not leave me whatever sports i did.

So i learned breathing from a yoga teacher, at first i was in a desperate situation but then gradually i found a comfort and i diminished my medication.

Seemed that i was working.. but just recently i am unable to get sleep whatever i try... i get those tire eyes but i am fit and breathe really well...

do you think that this has to do with the breathing meditation??

 

Yoga is apparently good for insomnia because it helps to relax the mind and body. Perhaps something else is responsible, like your diet. Look at what you're eating in the evening, and maybe find some yoga exercises that are more useful for insomnia.

[Chacmool]

It's almost 4am, and I haven't slept a wink yet. I been suffering from regular insomnia lately and I think it's starting to make me physically ill. I already have an ulcer and it's only getting worse, and I haven't been able to get rid of a severe bout of flu. Of course, this causes a vicious cycle because not feeling well leads to more insomnia.

 

I'll try and follow some of the advice in this thread, such as eating more food containing omega 3. Also, getting rid of a few sources of stress in my life will probably also be useful.

[Monomer]

Poor Chacmool! You're not having a great time at the moment

 

Definitely eliminate as much stress as possible. Try the yoga and get a massage aswell as improving your diet. Maybe give laughter therapy a go - anything to boost your spirits and health so you can cope. Take care of yourself, and don't let others get you down.

[Tormod]

I'll try and follow some of the advice in this thread, such as eating more food containing omega 3. Also, getting rid of a few sources of stress in my life will probably also be useful.

 

Your last sentence is probably the most important tip for yourself.

 

I'd also recommend trying to get out for walks before bedtime if possible. Even if only for 10-15 minutes, it helps to clear your mind and prepare for bed (I know it sounds like obvious advice - but it's too easy to forget!). It won't solve everything but it's a free and simple way to relax a little bit.

 

If recurring thoughts is your problem then maybe reading? Are you sitting up all night (not a good idea)?

[jungjedi]

ive had similiar issues ,been an insomniac for all my life.but,as a result of the tricyclic antidepressants i take of schizophrenia,im going to bed at 9 or 10.this is really a novelty for me.ive tried tranqilizers in the past.and they didnt work.I tell you,it makes a big diffence in holding a job.like you,I have lost jobs from lack of sleep as well as havieng trouble at school.

[Snocrash]

I can't say I've had anything close to the insomnia experiences mentioned in this thread but I've noticed there are 3 things that will always keep me up at night...

 

- consuming caffeine up to 3 hours prior

- eating a big meal right before bed

- or the main one - having something on my mind

 

The 1st two are easy to avoid and the last one is usually solved by counting sheep -- literally :doh:

 

It may sound stupid but the trick is to clear your mind of any thoughts. By focusing on something repetitive... like counting breathes or counting sheep or visualizing numbers as they increment... it will block out your other thoughts and eventually your mind gets so bored it falls asleep.

 

Visualizing numbers for example would work like this:

 

- imagine the number 1 in 3D

- zoom in on it and move it around

- try to see the number as clearly as possible

- once you're satisfied with its clarity move on to number 2

- rinse and repeat

 

Also pick one method and stick with it... if you're visualizing numbers and it doesn't work don't automatically try counting breathes instead... otherwise your mind starts getting cluttered with thoughts again -- you're trying to avoid this. If after a week it doesn't work then you can try a different method.

 

Anyway... it seems silly but it works for me... hopefully it'll help someone else too

 

There are other methods too... like body visualizations... if you're interested just let me know and I'll post about it.

[Monomer]

It may sound stupid but the trick is to clear your mind of any thoughts. By focusing on something repetitive... like counting breathes or counting sheep or visualizing numbers as they increment... it will block out your other thoughts and eventually your mind gets so bored it falls asleep.

 

Counting has worked for me in the past. The advice I was given was to count from 1-100 and then 100-1. If you're still awake then count from 1-100 in twos (2,4,6,8...) and back to 1 again. Then count from 1-100 in threes (3,6,9,12...) and keep increasing this until you fall asleep.

 

 

Visualizing numbers for example would work like this:...

 

That's interesting. It reminds me of more sleeping advice which was to go through the colours of the rainbow and firstly imagine you're completely submersed in the colour red. Imagine seeing, feeling and being the colour red, and then move on to orange, yellow etc. I found it very relaxing.

[Boerseun]

Sheesh... counting stuff never worked for me. It'll go like this:

 

1...2...3...4...5... hey, I remember something with the number five on it that was blue..6...7... my lunchbox in primary school was blue, wasn't it? ...8...9...primary school... 10...11...I wonder what happened to Jenny, that cute girl from 6th grade? Haven't seen her since. They used to stay up in Pretoria, not? Pretoria... gotta see client there on Wednesday, in Hatfield. Hatfield!!! Haha, we had some good times there years ago! ...and so on and so forth, and that'll be the last of my counting.

 

I simply CANNOT clear my mind to be able to count. It sucks. Even the numbers distract me!

[Fatstep]

I too have always been an insomniac, but I have never truly suffered any negative effects from it(because I'm young?), yet. I generally tend to be sleepy during my first period of school, if any, but after about 45 minutes I'm fully awake. I rarely get over 3 hours of sleep, and often go on binges lasting 4-5 days without any sleep. I've tried Ambiens(Normal and CR) and Lunesta, neither work for me. I've found throughout my life that no drugs affect me like they do others at the same dosages, and I weigh ~200lbs atm. I have always been able to cope with not sleeping by excercising up to 3 hours(generally running), and by eating spinach, why I do not know.

[Chacmool]

*sigh* I was up again until 4am this morning. And it is now 12:30 and I still don't feel sleepy at all.

 

I've come across a website with 41 tips to combat insomnia. Some of them are rather unconventional, but I'm willing to try anything. So right now I'm going to have some catnip (!) tea, then go to bed where I will wiggle my toes while lying on my back, close my ears for 15 minutes, and then imagine multi-coloured animals until I (hopefully) fall asleep.

[Queso]

breathe deep, breathe slow

slow your heart rate

and dive.

 

if you can't sleep, do something else. reading puts orb to sleep. as well as a midnight toke.

 

[Chacmool]

Thanks for the advice! I'll add breathing to my list of things to try.

 

I've just had the catnip tea, and it actually has a surprisingly pleasant taste. But I didn't foresee the fact that I would be driving my cats into a frenzy in the middle of the night! Oops.

[Queso]

the breath is the key to deeper states of consciousness. glad I could be of service.

[Monomer]

Note: If someone with the power to do so could delete this post I'd appreciate it. I don't seem to be able to do it and I don't really need duplicate posts here. Thanks.

 

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep:

 

In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness.

 

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests.

 

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep