What do you do when you can't sleep?

Rroff said:
One of my sisters was like that (probably still is) - 9:15pm on the dot out like a light, 5am wakes up ready to go like flicking a switch.
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Must admit I rarely do the night with unbroken sleep but if I find myself awake at 2am instead of going through day to day life admin in my head I think about block universe theory and stuff like that, seems to do the trick
 
My quality of sleep seems to be linked to my stomach. I've been eating less calories for almost 2 years now and generally if I've had less than 3,000 cals, I will wake around 12 and maybe again at 3am and will usually have a biscuit to help me get back to sleep. If I have a cheat meal in the evening, loads of cals, I will usually sleep right through to the morning. I don't know how people can do intermittent fasting, but I guess some people can sleep hungry?
 
I usually endure 3 or 4 nights a week of broken sleep between ~10pm and ~640am, usually split into two parts of ~3 hours a piece (according to fitbit). in the nightbreak I usually read this forum or wikipedia for an hour and often find a greater chance of a lucid dream in the second half!
 
I never quite understand why people post that they can't sleep on fb or other platforms, at the time they can't sleep, when being on the phone doesn't really help.

Having time away from any screen is important to me. I've always left my phone in my bag downstairs after 9pm. There's nothing that urgent that warrants having it on at night.. Bed at set times, and if you can't sleep then don't beat yourself up about it, accept your body doesn't need it. Go downstairs, make a drink, read a book and go back to bed after an hour.. Works for me.
 
AndyCr15 said:
My quality of sleep seems to be linked to my stomach. I've been eating less calories for almost 2 years now and generally if I've had less than 3,000 cals, I will wake around 12 and maybe again at 3am and will usually have a biscuit to help me get back to sleep. If I have a cheat meal in the evening, loads of cals, I will usually sleep right through to the morning. I don't know how people can do intermittent fasting, but I guess some people can sleep hungry?
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A biscuit often puts me to sleep as well actually. Part of the problem is that if I think about eating something, I'll think about it until I eat it, and that'll stop me sleeping
 
If I cannot sleep (<1hr in bed) I get out of bed and watch something unexciting on TV until I feel tired, then I go to bed again.

This method is very effective at getting you to sleep as it "resets" your sleep routine and cuts out the ******** of laying in bed wide awake.
 
manic111 said:
I've got to be up for work in 4 hours and haven't slept a wink. There's nothing going on in my life at the moment that should be stressing me out right now - work's good, relationship's good, etc etc - but I've been tossing and turning all night. Is anyone else suffering from insomnia, and how do you deal with it?
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Being stressed out keeps you awake in my experience feeling relaxed and good about things then sleep isn't usually a problem. Exercise mental or physical makes a difference normally its because you're not being challenged or tired out that keeps you awake and there is such as thing as too much sleep.
 
AndyCr15 said:
My quality of sleep seems to be linked to my stomach. I've been eating less calories for almost 2 years now and generally if I've had less than 3,000 cals, I will wake around 12 and maybe again at 3am and will usually have a biscuit to help me get back to sleep. If I have a cheat meal in the evening, loads of cals, I will usually sleep right through to the morning. I don't know how people can do intermittent fasting, but I guess some people can sleep hungry?
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I've heard this is quite common with people with calorie deficits.

Paradoxically, eating and drinking too close to bedtime can also disrupt sleep.

I've intermittently fasted for three years now (typically 16:8 but often 18:6), and trust me, you can still smash 3,000 calories within that restricted window.
 
Honestly it is mostly down to electronic device usage, I used to roll my eyes at this but I find the worst night sleep I have is if I get in to bed and then look at my phone. Something which a lot of people do regularly out of habit. It's really difficult to break that cycle and I still haven't managed it on every day but if you spend an hour looking at your phone in the dark it will completely screw up your forthcoming sleep. Also alcohol is a huge problem for rested sleep, and I also think it gets harder as you get older. I used to be able to have a few beers and nod off however now if I have any alcohol it gives me a second wind of energy and I won't sleep until the early hours and even then it won't be restful. Those weirdo's blogging this crap are correct, they do have an effect.
 
wingman said:
I've heard this is quite common with people with calorie deficits.
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But I don't think 3,000 is particularly a deficit, I just think (and perhaps it's a pyschological/mental issue) I tend to be hungry after 2 or 3 hours, almost no matter how much I've eaten, unless, I've eaten a real large amount.

wingman said:
trust me, you can still smash 3,000 calories within that restricted window.
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Definitely. But as I say above, there's still a very good chance I would feel hungry 3 hours later :)
 
By far the biggest single factor in my quality of sleep is the amount of alcohol I've drunk the evening before.

Abstain = brilliant night sleep. Anything else is a sliding scale to insomnia.
 
moon man said:
Must admit I rarely do the night with unbroken sleep but if I find myself awake at 2am instead of going through day to day life admin in my head I think about block universe theory and stuff like that, seems to do the trick
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I do much the same. Tho i prefer pondering black holes.
 
What I find when I can't sleep is my mind will wander and I start thinking about the day or the next day or whatever. I find when this happens if I count 1 with every breath in and 2 with every breath out and just concentrate on that, it can stop my mind wandering. If I start to wander again, just bring back the breathing exercise. It doesn't always work but it beats the hell out of taking drugs which will screw up my next day with a fuzzy head.
 
Someone mentioned CBD oil for insomnia so I thought it be worth a shot, bit pricey though. Anyway got the bottle and it said take 4 drops before bed or whatever, did this for a week and it did nothing.

Gave up and drank the whole bottle(don't do this tastes disgusting) and still nothing.
 
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