See other thread, wumpus. A lot of the stuff above is really treatment for the anxiety that’s surely keeping you awake. One Xanax and you’ll be a hundred feet down the well of sleep, catching up on that deficit.
I voluntarily have segmented sleep 2-3 days a week. I do this so that my GF and I can have time together. She works evenings and closes late, I get up to head to work early. On segmented sleep days I come home from work, perhaps work out or have a light dinner, then sleep until late evening, join her afterward for an hour or 3, then go back to bed until my normal wake time. I feel I’m more groggy and not 100% on the workdays following segmented sleep than I am on a normal sleep night. Or at least I think I do, but it could be that I’m just paying attention on those days because I think I MIGHT be different, but generally I’m the same every day. My GF and I switch up sleep patterns for each other, and I’m satisfied with how it works, for now. Of the two, the second sleep is heavy, while the first one takes a bit for me to calm down and zonk out.
It isn’t easy on you or your body, and it’s pretty hard to adjust to. I’m not sure I would recommend it unless it is absolutely the last attempt at getting more sleep.
At any rate, there are others who believe in it and support each other, more details here if you’re inclined to try it.
I have no choice but to live with segmented sleep. I have rheumatoid arthritis and it effects my back, especially if I am in the same position for extended periods. Because of this I get about 4 hours before my back stiffens up and the pain wakes me. I have to get up and walk around a bit and then use a heating pad for a bit to be able to go back to sleep. Im usually up for a couple of hours. My sleep runs basically from 11pm to 3 am and then 5am to 8am. Ive had this issue for almost a year now and I am pretty much used to it now. On the plus side, I fall asleep much faster than I used to so when I do go back for round 2, I am out pretty quickly.
Getting to sleep:
Light exposure before bed (especially in the blue spectrum) is a big deal, and it’s really hard to avoid. One thing I found that can help get around that is – and this is totally dorky-looking but I swear it helps – red glasses. Similar to the ones we used to use on submarines to save our night vision when on mid-watch and expecting to use the periscope or stand lookout while surfaced. Not only do they protect your night vision, they help you avoid confusing your body’s sleep cycle with all of the screens and lights that surround us during our waking hours. You can find decent ones on amazon, cheap. It’s definitely worth a try.
For snoring:
Have you tried sleeping on your side? I only snore when I’m on my back. I also have back pain when I sleep on my back, so it’s a win-win for me to sleep on my side.
I feel I’m the same. I can go from lying still to sleep extremely quickly, now. But I don’t know if that is due to the segmented sleep, or adjustment to sleeping in shorter increments and the knowledge I have to sleep, quickly.
Have you considered switching to an entirely segmented schedule? I’ve had a segmented sleep schedule for some 16+ years and it seems to be work fine. But I can’t imagine swapping back and forth between segmented and non-segmented sleep schedules on a regular basis.
Has anyone suggested weed yet? If you live in a “cool” state, it’s super-easy and pretty cheap to get. A couple of hits or a single edible oughta do it. Did it for me when I got strung out a few nights without much sleep. I think the typical recommendation is to stick with indica strains.
I live in a medicinally legal state and have my license, so yes I do use marijuana as a sleep aid. I prefer a high indica hybrid ( my current choice is 80/20 indica ) and it absolutely helps.
I have considered it, though it does change your life in a major way, which is what’s holding me back from doing that. Gone are Fri/Sat nights out and most regular events with the family, beyond afternoon dinners and whatnot. I think the hope here is that my GF will get a different schedule or job at some point and we can align a little better for sleeping.
I saw this article on CNN this morning and wonder if anyone has tried weighted blankets.
I recall pulling a heavy comforter over me when I couldn’t sleep. It seemed to help.
I wonder how hot you get in them.
I’ve used a weighted blanket for the past 6 months, and can never go back.
It is a little strange, but I used to have a real problem falling asleep, and I was a regular sleepwalker (nothing officially diagnosed).
Using the weighted blanket, and now I typically fall asleep within 15-20 minutes, and I stay asleep the whole night unless one of my kids wakes me up.
It took me about a week to get used to it, and I haven’t had many issues with heat, even in these summer months.
Heat is why god invented air conditioning.
(I sometimes feel environmentally guilt my for my summer habit of intentionally setting the A/C low enough to sleep with a heavy blanket, but yet I still do it.)
I do put the AC on extra cool just so I can use a blanket in summer, so a weighted blanket seems worth a try.
Are you using a blanket that is about 10% of your weight? I’m wondering if I should get a 12# or 15#. I weigh 112#. Is there a brand that you would recommend?
Yep - I did ~10% of my weight, so I did a 17lbs blanket.
Thanks.
I bought a weighted blanket, which seem to be quite popular nowadays, and do like it. I got a 10# one and have been sleeping better and waking up during the night much less often. I have not found that I get hot using it.
On nights when i need sleep, but won’t be able to get it… generally when in traveling for work, and will just wake you every hour thinking I’ve overslept… I’ve started taking unisom sleep aid…
Turns out, it’s just 50mg of Benadryl.
But the effect is good… A mild sedative that wears off in 8 hours. Non habit forming, etc.
Might effect others more than me, since antihistamines don’t really knock me out most times… but it helps me sleep more soundly than normal.
If you’re willing to pay the cost, the answer to difficulty sleeping ended up being an adjustable bed. On the advice of my doctor, I finally dropped bucks on an adjustable bed frame and mattress. I went with SelectaBed over a Sleep Number and added a Classic adjustable frame. The SelectaBed has a 3 baffle system so you can add or reduce firmness for you back, separately from you head and feet. After a week of using this set up, I went from 4-5 hours of broken sleep to 7 hours of solid sleep. I raise the head area up, increase the back firmness and put a slight raise in foot height. The bed is so comfortable. I no longer wake several times a night due to joint pain. Its not a cheap solution but for me it was the right one. I’ve had the bed a few months now and I have no complaints at all. I am still getting quality sleep for a change.