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...
Hey guys my name is Erik and i've always had trouble sleeping. I am 18 years old right now and am having more trouble than ever sleeping. I literally probably sleep decent only once or twice a week, with neither of those days being "perfect". There's a wide variety of problems that seem to occur when I attempt to go to sleep.
The most common one is thinking about things and I can't just relax and fall asleep. My next most common experience is that I'm tired or whatever but am just laying awake in bed(this time not thinking about anything). But then there is times I just flat out don't feel tired even though it's night time. I wouldn't care about this and would just go to sleep whenever if I didn't have to go to school in the mornings and that type of thing but unfortunately that's not the way the world works. Then there's nights when my legs really want to stretch. They sometimes feel super tight and just have a sensation to move.
I feel like I'm turning into the creature of the night...I generally speaking don't fall asleep untill the wee hours of the morning and only get a few hours of sleep. I just don't understand why I can't fall asleep at a normal time...the thing is that I never try staying up late so it's not like i've gotten into a habit of it. I literally sometimes feel like my peak energy wise is at the night time. It feels like I could run a marathon or whatever a lot of times. I just don't get it.
So I was wondering what to do in the following scenerios assuming I can get a consistant bed time and wake up time.
A) During the first week or 2 this will probably be a struggle and I might find myself not falling asleep...On my days off should I wake up at my desired time and just try to make it by those days just being really tired? Or is it okay too sleep in or whatever on those days?
B) What should I do in general if I cna't fall asleep within 15 minutes of my attempt?
C) Any other information regarding sleeping, sleeping tips, etc would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
The most common one is thinking about things and I can't just relax and fall asleep. My next most common experience is that I'm tired or whatever but am just laying awake in bed(this time not thinking about anything). But then there is times I just flat out don't feel tired even though it's night time. I wouldn't care about this and would just go to sleep whenever if I didn't have to go to school in the mornings and that type of thing but unfortunately that's not the way the world works. Then there's nights when my legs really want to stretch. They sometimes feel super tight and just have a sensation to move.
I feel like I'm turning into the creature of the night...I generally speaking don't fall asleep untill the wee hours of the morning and only get a few hours of sleep. I just don't understand why I can't fall asleep at a normal time...the thing is that I never try staying up late so it's not like i've gotten into a habit of it. I literally sometimes feel like my peak energy wise is at the night time. It feels like I could run a marathon or whatever a lot of times. I just don't get it.
So I was wondering what to do in the following scenerios assuming I can get a consistant bed time and wake up time.
A) During the first week or 2 this will probably be a struggle and I might find myself not falling asleep...On my days off should I wake up at my desired time and just try to make it by those days just being really tired? Or is it okay too sleep in or whatever on those days?
B) What should I do in general if I cna't fall asleep within 15 minutes of my attempt?
C) Any other information regarding sleeping, sleeping tips, etc would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
First, at your age, circadian rhythm (the cycles of day and night) issues often pop up. From about age 14 through 30 it's common for the internal biological clock, which largely controls sleep, to get out of synch with the natural circadian rhythm.
There is an easy and straightforward way to counter this: get up at the same time every day, consistently as much as possible without exception. Including weekends. That's also my response to question A.
Yes, it may seem hard to get up at first. But your biological clock will soon adjust to your schedule (a process known as entrainment) and it will become easier. As this happens, you will soon start sleeping better through the night.
Second, you sound like a night owl. Nothing wrong with that. Some people are morning larks, other night owls. Just something to be aware of because you no doubt will benefit from a disciplined sleep/wake schedule.
You will also benefit from a sleep-supportive lifestyle. This includes such important items as exposure to daylight first thing in the morning, daily vigorous exercise, mental stimulation, cultivating a positive social support network, and avoiding caffeine or caffeine-containing foods for several hours before bedtime. (That could be one reason why you don't feel tired at bed time).
Basically, tire yourself out physically and mentally every day, and you will tend to sleep better at night.
Regarding the sensation of super-tight legs needing to move. That could be an underlying medical condition known as restless legs syndrome. Do you feel this every day, or have you noticed you feel it more on days you don't get exercise?
If it's exercise-related, then there's your answer. If not, consider making an appointment with your doctor for a checkup to rule this out. Or treat it.
If you are lying in bed not sleeping and definitely up, most experts say get up and do something relaxing in low light until you feel tired. Then try it again. Eventually you will sleep. But you can also try deep breathing and muscle relaxation in bed to help induce drowsiness. Drowsiness leads to sleep. There a a number of good sources to learn effective techniques for relaxation in bed. It helps.
Finally, be confident there are proven ways to help yourself sleep. Take it one step at a time. Relax, let go the worry, and sleep tends to improve.
Good luck!
Do you ever do any stretching exercises?
You might try some gentle leg stretching within an hour or so of your normal bedtime. That might help loosen up the tight legs. Consider this part of a routine cool-down before bed to help prepare your mind and body for sleep. Nothing strenuous or stressful during this cool-down time.
It's just totally bizarre. Last night I even made a consciencious (no clue how to spell sorry) effort to fall asleep. I took a hot bath an hour before bed, I listened to waterfall and river noises on youtube, I drank hot tea and the result? No sleep untill 6 a.m.
I'm not sure what is going on in me. I'm not sure why my body is so thrown off or whatever. When I initially tried to go to bed my I could hear the tv in my dads room and in about 5 or so minutes I ended up leaving my room and slept in another room so it'd be quiter.
As far as exercise goes, like I said I play basketball 2 or so times per week ( not just shooting around), and lift about 5 times per week. During basketball days I stretch my legs several times per day.
Well I'm about to go workout. It's going to be a extreme challenge because of how fatigued I feel. Thanks for the replys
My suggestion would be to try to go to bed and get up consistently at the same time every day as much as possible. At your age, 8 or 9 hours of sleep is normal. I think this is what you should try to schedule consistently, and be disciplined about it.
In my view, you should still get up and out of bed at your consistent morning time, even if you feel horribly sleep deprived. For most of us, that horrible feeling soon fades as we get up and get going. It's not the greatest, but we can still function. If/when that happens, rest assured you will sleep much better that night. That's how our sleep systems work. Sleep in one day, pay the price that night.
Of course you should not drive or put yourself (or anyone else) at risk if you feel overwhelmingly sleepy during the day. Not worth the risk. But otherwise you can trust you are building up a sleep debt that will be repaid that night. You can in effect help re-set your sleep system in this way.
Keep us posted on what your doc says.