Can't sleep

Finished work at 4am (should have finished at 2.30 am) after a rather nasty job. Arrest for a sexual offence.

Here I am still awake, I seem to need time to wind down after work. Just can't "switch off" these days. I sit up, emailing myself at work with what I need to make sure I do when I get back to work....crazy

I only take my Stilnox as a last resort but it seems to be regularly upwards of 3-4 times a week now whereas it used to only be twice a week now and again.

Anyone else have similar problems? How do you deal with it?

Think I will go and self medicate with a few glasses of red.

:sleep

Finished work at 4am (should have finished at 2.30 am) after a rather nasty job. Arrest for a sexual offence.

 

Here I am still awake, I seem to need time to wind down after work. Just can't "switch off" these days. I sit up, emailing myself at work with what I need to make sure I do when I get back to work....crazy

 

I only take my Stilnox as a last resort but it seems to be regularly upwards of 3-4 times a week now whereas it used to only be twice a week now and again.

 

Anyone else have similar problems? How do you deal with it?

 

Think I will go and self medicate with a few glasses of red.

 

:sleep

Thats the way to do it.

See a doctor about it just incase there is an underlying medical cause. Also set a sleep routine and when possible stick to it. I used to do 12 hour night shifts (sometimes 16 hours) and always found it hard winding down, until I set routines.

And also the usual eat well, get fit & active stuff. :)

The biggest contributor to not being able to fall asleep (that I find) is an overactive mind.

Based on your job and the hours you're doing its not suprising that your mind doesn't know when to stop.

As cheesy as it sounds, when I can't sleep because my mind keeps wandering, thinking about the day just passed or all of the stuff I've got to do tomorrow, I conciously focus on something singular and uninteresting.

For example, a bookshelf, a clock radio, etc. The idea is to visualise and also 'say' the name of that in your head, repeatedly... also focusing on breathing slowly. If your mind is too busy you'll find it wandering "Hmm, bookshelf=book, book=that book I havent read=I should do that tomorrow", you need to force yourself back out of it and focus back on the intial object.

Again, it sounds cheesy (or crazy) but Ive read and heard about the technique several times and it definately works for me if I've got too much on my mind. You're basically distracting your brain from all of the things that just keep wandering onto other subjects, and by picking something unremarkable and repeating it (whilst slowing you're breathing), you're boring yourself to sleep :)

Try it a few times before you dismiss it.

Its a bit hard for your body clock to adjust when you are doing shift work and hours constantly changing - there is no cure apart from medication.

You will need the required amount of sleep every day anywhere from 4 - 8 hrs otherwise your motor functions and or ability to think clearly are impared.

Booze is a good as it relaxes you after a strenuous period - not in extreme proportions either otherwise you'll become intoxicated, which induce other problems/symptoms.

I am not a fan of diazapam or derivitives as you can come dependent on these.

I hope you work out a way to balance everything and enjoy what you do.

Work

Exercise

Rest

Play

W.E.R.P

cheers

i've been through similar issues, i've also been on stilnox (amongst others)and it gets really hard when you stop taking them.

i've got a couple of little techniques, one is to go to bed at the same time every night (if you can) and wind down by watching something light hearted on tv (comedy is always good)

then i focus on something i'd love to happen in the future, and visualise that in my mind, playing through the entire scenario. within about 10 minutes i'm asleep. i use the same scenario for weeks or months on end.... eventually your body knows that it's a signal to sleep.

failing that, i start deep breathing and count every breath, by the time i get to 80 i'm usually pretty close to being asleep.

hope that helps, and hey, a glass of red or two wouldnt hurt either :D

have a wank or two :unsure

seriously get some 'be sleepy' herbal teas. Work a treat.

As cheesy as it sounds, when I can't sleep because my mind keeps wandering, thinking about the day just passed or all of the stuff I've got to do tomorrow, I conciously focus on something singular and uninteresting.

For example, a bookshelf, a clock radio, etc. The idea is to visualise and also 'say' the name of that in your head, repeatedly... also focusing on breathing slowly. If your mind is too busy you'll find it wandering "Hmm, bookshelf=book, book=that book I havent read=I should do that tomorrow", you need to force yourself back out of it and focus back on the intial object.

Again, it sounds cheesy (or crazy) but Ive read and heard about the technique several times and it definately works for me if I've got too much on my mind. You're basically distracting your brain from all of the things that just keep wandering onto other subjects, and by picking something unremarkable and repeating it (whilst slowing you're breathing), you're boring yourself to sleep :)

Try it a few times before you dismiss it.

Agree with this totally.....I do this without even realising I have been doing it and have no dramas falling asleep!! So give it a go, and who cares if it sounds cheesy, who is going to know!!:sleep

you could always ask the wife g/f to tell you how her day was :unsure

why spoil a perfect relationship?

:badgrin

My uncle was/is RSM in the Army (not sure his status at the moment).

I think after being to somalia and the like, on risky missions and seeing what he has seen. I don't think he gets to much sleep even now years after the event.

have a wank or two :unsure

I've actually heard that works really well. I havent tried it though, of course.

Exercise definitely helped. I did Muay Thai 9-12 hours a week for about 7 years and it helped a lot (I went from 2 hours a night to 4 hours a night of sleep). But then work overtook my life, I stopped the excercise and I was back to sleepless nights again. IT isn't a great career for the sleepless, as you spend all day on your arse doing nothing terribly physical. Then you come home and can't sleep, and typically end up back in front of a screen of some sort.

 

More recently I've had three kids and my health has gone down the crapper, and now I've gone to the other extreme: I'm perpetually exhausted and can't get enough sleep (not to mention always nauseous and in pain, but that's another story). I'd give my left leg to go back to being the healthy insomniac I used to be 5 years ago. At least then getting up at 4:00am every morning with the little ones wouldn't take every ounce of energy I have.

Having kiddies makes anyone tired. I used to do boxing training of some sort 5 days a week, now I'm lucky to get down there once a fortnight :(. Taking the dog for a walk/run at odd hours keeps me sane.