Sleep

The Northern Monkey

Anyone know of anything that'll knock me out? (besides a hammer )

I'm having trouble sleeping again. I used to be pretty much an insomniac a few years ago, not sleeping for a week and then sleeping for a full 24hrs or more. I ended up kinda growing out of it.

Seems to be coming back, Its not that I don't really feel tired, I just....can't sleep :?

I've been trying to force myself to sleep, ie getting in bed and staying there, but nothing happens... I just get bloody bored.

when I do "sleep" its more like resting. I'm not really asleep, I'm pretty aware of whats going on around the house etc. I was listening to the foxes until 5am this morning, watched a police helicopter searching the woods for the escaped convict around 3am and was casually reading MBUK in between .

Any ideas?
B

Teddzzy

Hi Mate.

I get like this sometimes, Co Op do "sleep aids" they have the same stuff in them that Nitol do, I take one about 40 mins before bed (when I need too) and they knock me right out.

Wake up in the morning and feel right as rain.

You're not stessed or anything are you?? Getting plenty of exercise?

The Northern Monkey

Kewl, tried nytol before but it never really worked for me.

Aye pretty stressed... finaly year in uni atm... shed loads of work.

Trying to get more active, haven't been riding as much as I want too recently due to shed loads of work

counterculture

try your local chinese medicine shop, i picked up a tea from one here that was for helping with anxiety/insomnia/stress, you feel a load being lifted without feeling completely monged out, it helps you drift off but it doesnt keep you asleep either. i dont know what its called as i cant read cantonese, but it came in a blue packet.

Surf-Matt

We have a 5 month old baby.

Please explain this strange thing you call "sleep..."

ride_whenever

If you're a finalist, go to the doctor, get some beta-blockers.

That'll help with the stress and let you sleep, a few of my friends swore by them for finals.

supersonic

I take beta blockers, I think they interfere with sleep if anything!

Try making a medicinal pillow from hops and lavender, like on that grow your own drugs prgramme that was on last night.

Melatonin can help, but I'd discuss that with a doc.

Kiblams

I was on beta-blockers from the age of 16-22 and during that time I had several bouts of sleepless nights. Mind you, I was an college and uni for most of that time...

supersonic

I've taken the things for 7 years now, was diagnosed with severe hypertension at just 24!

If I miss a dose, god, do you know about it, banging palpitations.

The Northern Monkey

Meh, I really hate taking medical stuff.... you'll never find me popping a pain killer.
The only thing that ever sends me crashing to sleep is alcohol. 6 pints of stella + pillow = passed out. (bit impractical atm )

However, i'm pretty much tee-total atm. My only weakness is chocolate.

Might head over the chinese remedy place and see if they've got some natural stuff...sounds promising

tried a nytol last night, kinda made me feel sleepy for about 2 hours, but I still couldn't manage to drift off.

I have slept in more lectures than I have in bed tho! maybe i just need to watch some tediously boring videos to send me off

Kiblams

supersonic wrote:

If I miss a dose, god, do you know about it, banging palpitations.

I know what you mean, I had a chest infection so had to come off them cold turkey! :shock: and walking anywhere for a few weeks afterwards became very uncomfortable in my chest indeed. I had them for anxiety and chronic migrainesand I realy wouldn't advise messing around them at all, especially for something as meager as sleeping problems.

Tempestas

I find an 8 hour solo ride makes me drift off nicely, just remember to have some food ready for as soon as you get in and have a quick shower before you eat. 15 minutes after finishing dinner I am asleep and cannot be woken.

BorisSpencer

Lettuce sandwich for supper. Not sure why but it has worked for me when I've had problems.

.blitz

bigbenj_08 wrote:

The only thing that ever sends me crashing to sleep is alcohol.

Same here - Stella, McEwans or any kind of red wine and I'm gone.

Something else that works is to mentally replay your last bike ride. Start from the first turn of the pedals and stick with it - every twist'n'turn, every climb, every descent. If you find your mind drifting, go back to the last bit you can remember and carry on. HTH.

Mancunianfightingcat

beer always knocks me out, but then I don't sleep properly after too much alcohol, I fidget about all night and wake up more tired. If I'm genuinely tired, one beer normally sends me right off!

You can't beat loads of exercise and a good feed though! That gets you proper sleep.!

Mastineo

ZOPICLONE, prescription only but works amazingly well. Gives you incredibly realistic dreams as well, which might not be a good thing.

Furkuk

If you drink coffee then stop, you will be amazed just what an effect it has on you

The Northern Monkey

Furkuk wrote:

If you drink coffee then stop, you will be amazed just what an effect it has on you

consider caffeine dropped from my diet

edit: and chocolate for that matter. Could be sugar :S
what other cheap "snacks" an i have instead?

Furkuk

What about Nutella on a digestive biscuit?

Popeh

If your having any naps throughout the day/early evening these don't help either.

I go through long periods of been unable to sleep, lie in bed till early hours of the morning and eventually turn my laptop on outa bordom .... as a result I end up napping through the day (once in a lecture).

It's weird, you go to bed feeling really heavy eyed and tired but once your there it just doesn't happen.

So all I can really suggest is avoid any naps before you go bed, avoid caffeine after late afternoon, do some work you need to be working on which will leave you feeling more relaxed about getting some done rather than spending your entire night thinking about what you need to do.

If your sleep cycle slips a few times it can take a while to get back into a routine.

BlackSpur

Melatonin is great stuff - I could never sleep on planes before I tried a small dose but I was out pretty damn fast! My dad who is a commercial pilot so has to sleep at all sorts of weird times, swears by it!

supersonic

I get insomnia, usually because my brain refuses to switch off! It usually is trying to design a full susser lol.

Anyway, trying to purge your thoughts and stop calculating stuff helped me. Let thoughts naturally eter your head - before long you'll be dreaming.

The Northern Monkey

Haha, i'm either thinking about bikes or cars..

ATM i'm trying to decide wether a clio 172 cup or a Golf GTI 1.8T would be best

I've been planning how much I have to save/earn so that I can get a nice car and a spesh fsr trail 2 when i've finished uni

supersonic

hehe, now the sun comes up earlier it gets really depressing at 6am!

Though my suss quest is almost solved - I thin Dave Weagle has is 'sussed', best design I have seen.

The Northern Monkey

Got a pic? :P

I was still up at 8am this morning as my flatmate was putting out the rubbish.I'd been sat watching the news for hours and getting insurance quotes from confused.com and direct line

Got some good deals too :P

reppohkcor

Tell the doctor your getting bad pressure headaches, mention amitriptiline to him/her, with any luck you'll get a prescription. That stuff'l get you dreamin' 8)

supersonic

Bloody hell, used to take that too! Well, its brother dothiepin. Was quite sedative!

reppohkcor

supersonic wrote:

Bloody hell, used to take that too! Well, its brother dothiepin. Was quite sedative!

I've tried stopping taking it, the doctor gave it to me because of my different/unknown symptomes, in other words they didn't know exactly what was wrong!

supersonic

Sounds very familiar! After a few months they realised I shouldn't have been on it at all with my BP problems!

reppohkcor

supersonic wrote:

Sounds very familiar! After a few months they realised I shouldn't have been on it at all with my BP problems!

Sorry i'm hijacking the thread! Indeed well i'm back to see the doc tomorrow morning, chest pains and wierd pulputations, everything is going wrong ever since i got a bad virus before christmas!

antfly

I would avoid Chinese medicine,you don`t know what`s in it and sometimes they use powerful dugs and people think it really works.Well yes it does,because they have put poweful prescription drugs in without telling anyone.