Why can't I sleep when I need it most?

Shurikane · Dim Panties As String Joined: 24 Sep 2002

On vacation, I go to bed at midnight, wake up at 8:00 or 9:00 and I'm OK.

Now that I have a job, I have to wake up at 7:00. I go to bed at 11:00 PM... but can't fall asleep until well past 2:00 in the morning.

Once I arrive at work, no amount of coffee is enough to make me stay awake.

Meanwhile, the guy who played his fresh new copy of GTA 4 until 4:00 AM comes in and happens to be the most energetic guy in the bunch even though he barely had 3 hours of sleep on his night.

What the hell is wrong with me? Confused

KiSin · Reality's Exiled Gender: Joined: 12 Oct 2004

I find I can function pretty normally when I get 1~2 hours and 6~8 hours of sleep, but anything inbetween that and nothing can keep me going. That is just me though. o.o

RivaOni · Full English! Age: 40 Gender: Joined: 24 Sep 2002

I'm pretty much the same as Kisin, also the earlier I fall asleep and later I wake up (say 11pm bed, 8am wake up) I actually feel worse than if I'd had less sleep than normal.

Tobias · *explodes* Age: 38 Gender: Joined: 17 Jan 2003

I know the feeling boy. Try exhausting yourself - go out for a run or something. I know when I was biking, I slept MUCH much better. I sleep well now, but not before i toss for a little while in bed. luckily, school's stress has tired me out as of late.

Shandriz · Your Death Shall be Swift Gender: Joined: 28 Sep 2003

Ehee. I need 8 hours at -least- to be a decent human being. I know it tends to take me an hour + to get to sleep, so I go to bed an hour and a half before I want to be asleep, so I can read for a bit to wind down before I need to start trying to get to sleep.

-Sometimes- I have that problem, though, where I wake up earlier when I go to bed later. It's very strange. I've always thought, though, that it was just my body thinking that if I'm going to bed that late, I obviously don't need sleep, so I might as well wake up earlier.

Ming · DOOM! Gender: Joined: 13 Jan 2003

Shuri...you mentioned "now that I have a job".

How long have you had this job? If the answer is "not that long" it's probably just that your body hasn't adjusted to a new schedule yet. Before I had the job I do now I was working as a waiter, so I'd come home from work sometime between 11:00-12:00, not go to bed until around 2:00, then get up around 9:00-10:00. When I started my 9-5 job, it took me a while to get adjusted to going to bed significantly earlier than I was used to, and now I start getting tired around 10:30-11:00, which is good when I have to get up at 7:00 as well.

My other suggestion is to not lie in bed for 3 hours trying to fall asleep. It used to sometimes take me a long time to fall asleep, and it's extremely frustrating, as you probably already know. Especially when you have to do something early the next day. You just lay there counting down the hours you have left until you have to get up. My suggestion is, if you notice you haven't fallen asleep within maybe 30 minutes, and you don't feel tired at all, get up and do something non-strenuous to clear your mind of being frustrated. Check e-mail, read an article, fold some laundry, etc. Anything to focus off of going to sleep for a little while. Afterward, try going back to bed. You should feel less frustrated and your mind should be clear again so you should have less difficulty.

FawkesFyre · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 5:31 pm Post subject:

Inline with Ming's comments...don''t force yourself to sleep if you're not tired, you'll just sleep worse. I tend to stay up to some really weird hours because of this but I can still manage to get up at close to the same time.

Honestly, if you have a good alarm clock, try starting out by staying up to your usual 12 and get up at the earlier time. It will tire your body out to where it will want to go to bed earlier.

You just have to let your body natually adjust to how much sleep you need.

Akuko · Chosen of Bast Age: 45 Gender: Joined: 03 Mar 2006

Oprah had a guest on her show (I watched Oprah one day while off from work) named Dr. Oz. He actually said that you should try to go to sleep within 15-30 minutes of actually being in bed and if you cannot do that then you need to get up and do something relaxing or mind numbing (like Ming said) and then try to go to sleep. And you should go to sleep the same time every night, even on weekends because then your inner clock will recognize your sleep pattern and make it stick.

It worked for me and should work for you, eventually.

Terin · Huzzah! Gender: Joined: 27 Oct 2003

remember when you would try to sleep on xmas eve as a kid and couldn't? same thing. Smile

it's psychological. get some melatonin or sleeping pills.*

Try exercising. If you aren't worn out mentally you'll fafll asleep if you'r physically exhausted.
-T

*Terin's advice is not meant to be taken literally. If accidentally ingested or entered into the body through the form of a sepository, please contact your local poison control center. Drugs aren't the answer.