Insomnia Support Group
Insomnia is a symptom, rather than a disease, and is characterized by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or chronic (longer than three...
So I work from 7:00 A.M to 4:30 P.M Mon-Fri. Then I typically go to the gym because it's on my way home and that way I save gas, am working out while it's rush hour traffic/etc. I typically workout from no joke, like 4:50 or 5 untill 8 P.M or sometimes a little later. I lift weight and then play pick up basketball for hours. I don't workout to be healthy, I do it because I love it. Well I get home probably 8:15 maybe later and eat my largest meal of the day because my last meal was lunch at work and I have just been working out for 3+ hours. Then I try to go to bed from 10 P.M to 10:30 P.M so I'm not dead at 6:30 A.M in the morning.
So I don't know if the 2 sleep no no's(Working out close to bed and eating a huge meal before bed are causing me sleep problems or if it's something else. I haven't always lived on this schedule and still slept poorly so I don't even know if this is to blame my troubles. I also have this problem on the weekends cause I like to go fishing at night and staying late and typically I am starving by the time I get back.
Does anyone else struggle with living a sleep promoting lifestyle and/or have any advice? I just don't know what to do at this point cause I hate not sleeping well(and there's no guarantees this would even fix my sleep problem) but I would also hate to give up doing the things I love.
So I don't know if the 2 sleep no no's(Working out close to bed and eating a huge meal before bed are causing me sleep problems or if it's something else. I haven't always lived on this schedule and still slept poorly so I don't even know if this is to blame my troubles. I also have this problem on the weekends cause I like to go fishing at night and staying late and typically I am starving by the time I get back.
Does anyone else struggle with living a sleep promoting lifestyle and/or have any advice? I just don't know what to do at this point cause I hate not sleeping well(and there's no guarantees this would even fix my sleep problem) but I would also hate to give up doing the things I love.
Have a good snack at 4ish so you get sugar into your body and don't crash.
Eating a really heavy meal at night isn't that bad (i'm not a doctor, just giving an opinion out of common sense). If that works for you, then good, if not then try to change. If you are starving by the time you get back, then eat something when you are hungry/regular intervals. That's a no-brainer.
Talk to your doctor about your workout/eating habits. If you have insomnia, get a prescription, and you will sleep well.
. I also try to use the bathroom before bed(both number 1 and 2) because I believe that gets rid of some of the digestive processes going on during sleep thus allowing me to sleep deeper. Probably the most important factor to my success has been to get comfortable where I sleep.
I sleep in the basement on top of a particular blanket in nothing but my boxers(so no socks or shirt). I put a light sheet over me and a different blanket over me. Don't ask me why I'm so picky and maybe it's a coincidence but it seems like if the sheets and blankets aren't in that particular order or if i sleep with a shirt on or break my description, I DON'T sleep properly.
I could write an essay on the mental side of things that must go on during the day to make this successful but here's a general summary of a few major points you guys should tell yourself's. 1. Look at your life with your insomnia realistically and realize life goes on whether you slept or not. Whether you slept or not, you have things you HAVE to do like go to work everyday. You're gonna do those HAVE TO's no matter what so you might as well make the best of the situation and also do things you enjoy once your "HAVE TO's" are done.
2. Never get to high or to low about ANYTHING and stay focused on the present. If you get fired from your job there's still a billion different jobs out there, probably one you would enjoy more anyway and you friends and family can help you out with finances/housing/etc while you look for a new one. Conversely, if you get promoted up a position, don't get so high. With that comes more commitment, more responsibility, etc. Stay focused on the present so that you live up to the hype or expectations created from that positive thing. These are extreme examples of when you could get really high or low but it's important to follow this format with less extreme and more common events or things that happen.
3. Don't think too hard about everything or focus on negatives while being realistic and honest. When you get stuck doing a particular boring part of your job, don't lie and say its fun. Don't dwell on it either however. Just try to knock it out and move onto the next thing you need or want to do.
4. Try to make everything a learning experience for opportunity. It gives you self confidence when you remind yourself at night how that day you learned how to string a weed eater, use a particular program at work. Don't fear having to learn new stuff, view it as an opportunity.
5. Preparing for everything makes life easier. I value being a healthy person and that consists of eating healthy and working out It's a pain in the butt but every night before I go to bed, I pack my lunch and gym bag for work. That way I feel proud that I ended up eating healthy and not skipping a workout. It's hard getting in the habit of things and may seem like a pain but it helps you more than the negative things hat happen if you don't prepare. There are obviously more important examples of when it is necessary to prepare but the same process can be followed It might seem like more work to prepare for something but in the end it makes the job easier to get done.
Those are 5 aspects of mental life which seem like I'm constantly battling in my life although they may be different in yours, and like I said, I could write an essay on specific details of the mental aspects needed to be mastered in order to sleep well. I will continue to update you guys and hope you continue telling your struggles as well as any words of wisdom.