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Insomnia

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gillianleeza
Story Moderator
Share your thoughts here. Remedies tried, what do you do in the middle of the night when you're not sleeping. Poems, pictures or any writings about insomnia. Really anything at all.
Unknown User
Two friends and I tend to go on midnight drives. The cool night air in the winding forest roads works wonders.
Unknown User
My insomnia manifests itself when I wake in the wee hours of the night and can't get back to sleep. What I don't do is almost as important as what I do.

I do not look at the clock to find out what time it is. If I know the time I start to fret about not getting back to sleep because there are only X hours until I have to get up. That's pretty much a guarantee of not getting back to sleep.

I don't use my phone or computer or go on-line.

It drives me crazy, lying awake, wanting to turn over, worrying about disturbing my husband who is, of course, deeply asleep. Often I leave and go to the bed in the spare room, where I can toss and turn as much as I want. That often means I don't toss and turn, because I can do so without disturbing anyone. Crazy, innit?

If I feel like it, and can switch on my iPod without seeing what time it is, I might listen to a podcast, something talky and bookish, not something agitated and controversial. Like listening to a bedtime story, people's voices can be soporific and help me drift off to sleep - sometimes!

Mind game exercises - I invent mindgame exercises, the lamer the better. Like making an alphabetical list of all the girls names I can think of, as many names as possible for each letter.

I've memorised the numerical placement of each letter of the alphabet and translate words into numbers in my mind. Then I add the numbers up. Yes, I really do. I said they were lame things to do. They're making you sleepy just reading about them, right?

I take some Rescue Remedy, if insomnia comes along with anxiety attacks, which it sometimes does.

This is one of my musing pieces, which deals with waking in the night:

The Intruder

That's all I can think of right now.
gillianleeza
Story Moderator
I find I can't stay in bed once I wake up. I get so restless and end up waking my husband so I just get up and go do something. After work naps are a big problem for me too. I fall asleep sometimes when I get home and then can't sleep and it goes around in a vicious circle. I just keep trying things, hopefully eventually something will work.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Dreamcatcher
Forum Facilitator
I wake up quite often during the night. I have a pattern I follow. I get up and check windows and doors to make sure everything is ok. I drink half a glass of ice cold milk. Then try to fight my way back asleep.

In the paranormal world, which I am a part of, there is a theory that the hours between midnight and 3am are "dead time".. it is when spirits are most active and it is our sensitivity to such that wakes us. This theory is derived by some as it is surmised that 3am is the time Christ died. My own belief paranormally speaking, is that spirits are constantly active, but it is our REM sleep when we are most vulnerable to contact.

Be all of this that may.. I offer my half a glass of milk as a consideration..
Guest
Lurker
Quote by Dreamcatcher
My own belief paranormally speaking, is that spirits are constantly active, but it is our REM sleep when we are most vulnerable to contact.

Be all of this that may.. I offer my half a glass of milk as a consideration..


Dreamcatcher, do you consider it contact or attack? I've often wondered that, especially when I wake up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. Usually I'm panicked at those times.

Of course, there are also the times when my brain just refuses to shut up and let me go to sleep in the first place. When that happens I might get up and read, or write. If I'm feeling particularly vindictive toward the voices in my head, I'll talk to them. I freely admit that I'm pretty boring, so that often works to put me to sleep.
Tiger
Active Ink Slinger
I used to think I had insomnia. Now I think the idea that everyone should follow identical times day in and day out is crazy.
Now I sleep when I am tired, and awake when I am not.
gillianleeza
Story Moderator
I've learned some things work some nights but not for others. I just try to manage as best I can.

The milk wouldn't work for me. I don't like the stuff and I am lactose intolerant.

I have had some success with melatonin but that only seems to help with the falling asleep part. It does nothing to keep me asleep. Which is what I should be doing now, sleeping. Hopefully soon.
Unknown User
Same thing for me as far as milk goes, I can't drink it and don't have it in the house.

I forgot about melantonin. I've tried it in various forms, tablets, drops, spray, and the most effective was the spray. Sometimes, not always.
LauraDanielle
Active Ink Slinger
In the sleep room at work, we keep it a constant temperature for the children. We try to make it as relaxing as possible. No loud noises or bright colours, everything is very neutral and soft. We play music for the children, kept at a low sound. We tend to play Baby Mozart or sounds of nature; beach noises, rain forests, waterfalls etc. A favourite song is Puff the magic dragon. We also have some very good techniques for getting the children off to sleep. Some like it if you run a finger up and down their arms or back; it relaxes them. Others just like it if you hold a hand, so they know you're near.

Tiger
Active Ink Slinger
Two things I have learned that have helped me:

1) I put on the sports channel, since it never makes me anxious but relaxes me, and make sure I am in a chair that will let me sleep.
2) This one really works for me: I put on something loud and harsh like grunge
Tiger
Active Ink Slinger
Two things I have learned that have helped me:

1) I put on the sports channel, since it never makes me anxious but relaxes me, and make sure I am in a chair that will let me sleep.
2) This one really works for me: I put on something loud and harsh like grunge
Tiger
Active Ink Slinger
Two things I have learned that have helped me:

1) I put on the sports channel, since it never makes me anxious but relaxes me, and make sure I am in a chair that will let me sleep.
2) This one really works for me: I put on something "loud" and "harsh" like grunge WHEN I AM ANXIOUS, and it seems to replaced the anxious distortion I would dream. I sleep pretty well doing that! By loud I mean just loud enough to hold your attention.
Guest
Lurker
Oh what's that? Brain wants to give me a headache with my insomnia? Go right ahead. Ain't like I have work tomorrow or anything. I say with heavy sarcasm

Update: I'm also hungry now
gillianleeza
Story Moderator
Something I wrote when I couldn't sleep, of course. It was awhile ago but insomnia still plagues me. At least some nights I am productive.

http://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/dreaming-awake.aspx
Guest
Lurker
I have had it since I was a kid. That's why I'm a night owl.
Guest
Lurker
My insomnia is intermittent! I'll go for two weeks and I'm fine! Then one night out of the blue at 2am my eyes open and I'm wide awake for the next four nights then repeat at random intervals until frustration sets in...
Regnadkcin
Advanced Wordsmith
Last night I slept tge sleep of the exhausted. The previous three nights were horrible and I just couldn’t function. Here I am, up early again.
gillianleeza
Story Moderator
I have been sleeping better but that may be because everyone has been trading a flu bug back and forth in my house and I am exhausted by the end of the day.

Just a little poem for the sleepless among us.

http://www.storiesspace.com/stories/poetry/dreaming-awake.aspx

I think I may be awake tonight for some reason. Perhaps that nap I snuck in has something to do with it.
Mendalla
Crazy old ape
My sleep is all over the map anymore. Sometimes I sleep well (I'm traditionally a 10:30-6:30 sleeper), sometimes fitfully (a lot of this recently; sleep for a while, have a weird or bad dream, wake up, go back to sleep, wake up having to use the loo, go back to sleep, another dream ... you get the idea), sometimes I'll be awake for an hour or two, usually in the wee hours.

Halloween looms and my annual story is here. Is it a trick? Or a treat? Let me know.

Grace of Bigelow Street | Stories Space
DenimAngel
👑Magic Cookie FAIRY 🍪
Insomnia is a pain in the butt ...
I have tried everything ...I found lavender essential oil with a little lotion rubbed on my feet helps a lot .
Now I'm at the point I just sleep when I'm tired
Not working full time is a good thing sometimes

My Competition Story : 💜 Milly's Adventure https://www.storiesspace.com/stories/childrens/millys-adventure-2