Why can't I sleep?

RollerBall · 2 Sep 2011 at 03:00

My sleeping pattern isn't even messed up. I've always suffered with sleeping patterns and I always assumed it was because I was a little git who liked to stay on the computer later than I should.

However, these past few days I've been trying to sort my sleeping pattern out before I head back to university.

Last night I went to bed at 1ish, got up at half 10. So ~8-8.30 hours sleep. Went to work for 8 hours, went out with some friends (no alcohol).

Tried to go to sleep again tonight at 1ish for work again tomorrow and nothing. I got back out of bed at 2. I'm wide awake, what the hell? This isn't the first time it's happened either. I literally cannot get to sleep if I try when I've had 8 hours the night before as a "normal sleeping habit". I'll then be up till ~3/4/5am as I just cannot sleep and my sleeping pattern gradually gets messed up from there.

I need eight hours sleep to function well (well enough to learn complex things in lectures) but if I have eight hours sleep I can't sleep again for like 20 hours >.>

RollerBall · 2 Sep 2011 at 03:27

DJmartin said:
I always found that trying to get back into the routine of school never works. I would just stay up as late as I could keep my eyes open the night before my first day. Go to sleep and get up early. Quite often I would wake up and feel wide awake despite sometimes having less than two hours sleep. It's a weird state of feeling wide awake but just a bit slow. I could get through the day fine, my brain isn't working at 100% but its the first day WGAF. By about 21:00 that day you are shattered and have a great sleep heading into the next day and just keep it going.

I've done that a couple of times to reset my sleeping pattern. I don't usually sleep though, just pull an all nighter.

One or two nights after that great nights sleep though I'm ****ed again. Led trying to sleep at a reasonable time and end up awake till stupid o clock.

RollerBall · 2 Sep 2011 at 11:35

So I finally got to sleep at about 4am. Woke up at 8am (wtf?) then had patchy sleep until half 10 when my alarm went off for work.

RollerBall · 2 Sep 2011 at 11:47

a1ex2001 said:
Don't obses about it, the more you think about it the less likely you are to sleep properly.

8hrs is an average not a rule it's different for everyone.

Going to bed at 1 and getting up at 10 is never going to be ideal the human sleep pattern is heavily effected by light try going to bed at 11 and getting up at 7 in a room with thin curtains your body naturally shuts down with the sun and starts again when it rises.

Stop drinking caffine altogether it is a nightmare for sleep patterns, also don't eat after 6-7pm again it's a nightmare for sleep patterns.

I don't consume any caffine at all. I do have a habit of eating after 6-7pm though. I find it can help though, some of the best sleeps I've had have been carb induced.