Sleeping suggestions & Nightmares

[Duskwaith]

go for a run? Is it your mind thats awake or is it your body?

Ive heard imaging your walking up a mountain is used to hep insomniacs drfit of to sleep

 

[EmzOLV]

go for a run? Is it your mind thats awake or is it your body?

Ive heard imaging your walking up a mountain is used to hep insomniacs drfit of to sleep

I LOVE the mountain idea. I'm going to try this one tonight. It's mostly my mind. I feel like my mind is racing with thoughts, whilst my body is going "please, just shut the **** up"


It took me ages to re-find this thread.
As an update, I've managed to gain an hour back, which is great news. So about 4(ish) solid hours of sleep which is great

 

[Blunderman]

It's mostly my mind. I feel like my mind is racing with thoughts, whilst my body is going "please, just shut the **** up"

There should be a medical term for this. Something like Mind Storm Syndrome, or Hyperactive Brain Syndrome. It's exactly the problem why I can't sleep myself. Interesting to see someone else with the same difficulty.

It feels as though since you're too busy during the day while actually doing things your mind just has to sit in the background and wait, and by the time you're done for the night it just has to spend hours telling you all the thoughts it had during the day, like it's a really needy friend desperate for your attention. No matter how many times you say "do you mind?" out loud it just goes on and on.

 

[EmzOLV]

There should be a medical term for this. Something like Mind Storm Syndrome, or Hyperactive Brain Syndrome. It's exactly the problem why I can't sleep myself. Interesting to see someone else with the same difficulty.

It feels as though since you're too busy during the day while actually doing things your mind just has to sit in the background and wait, and by the time you're done for the night it just has to spend hours telling you all the thoughts it had during the day, like it's a really needy friend desperate for your attention. No matter how many times you say "do you mind?" out loud it just goes on and on.

That's just like it!

I mean, I have a pretty boring, mundane temporary job at the moment, before starting my new proper job in January. And it's not mentally stimulating at all. All it is to me, is a series of easy data processes and a little bit of customer service, which isn't difficult. But as soon as it hits 'hometime', everything kicks off. I have numerous mates who are moving/have moved/have boyfriend troubles/have three boyfriends/depressed/ill/family troubles/drugs and if I don't spend time listening to them and trying to at least provide my own advice to add to their crockpot of advice then I feel I'm not being a good enough friend for them. But it leaves me so wired because there's just so much to think about.

And then of course, there's any anxieties I may have. I was worrying for hours last night about getting my costume in time for this party on Saturday and when I was going to get paid and whether it would be in time and whether it would arrive and whether it would look good or if I'd feel stupid and it just went on and on and I couldn't focus on anything else.

This is either extremely accurate, or I'm misunderstanding what you have described

 

[John the Gamer]

I go to bed between 10:30pm and 11:30pm. I usually get up again around 6:30/7:00am. if you can't sleep, try reading a book first, and don't do any exciting things before sleep. it usually helps to lay down, close yout eyes and daydream. try, for instance, to imagine yourself as being a major protagonist in a fovorite book, movie or game that you know. tends to work for me. also doing something that relaxes you can help (sex, masturbation, etc). Try to avoid drugs (including sleeping pills, etc) because they can mess up your biological clock. another tip: if you have a clock, preferably one that makes noise, focus on that sound. it's hypnotising, sort of.

 

[Blunderman]

That's just like it!

I mean, I have a pretty boring, mundane temporary job at the moment, before starting my new proper job in January. And it's not mentally stimulating at all. All it is to me, is a series of easy data processes and a little bit of customer service, which isn't difficult. But as soon as it hits 'hometime', everything kicks off. I have numerous mates who are moving/have moved/have boyfriend troubles/have three boyfriends/depressed/ill/family troubles/drugs and if I don't spend time listening to them and trying to at least provide my own advice to add to their crockpot of advice then I feel I'm not being a good enough friend for them. But it leaves me so wired because there's just so much to think about.

And then of course, there's any anxieties I may have. I was worrying for hours last night about getting my costume in time for this party on Saturday and when I was going to get paid and whether it would be in time and whether it would arrive and whether it would look good or if I'd feel stupid and it just went on and on and I couldn't focus on anything else.

This is either extremely accurate, or I'm misunderstanding what you have described

No, you got it right. Our lives are definitely different (less people drama in mine and more existentialism-related worries and performance anxiety) but in practice it's just the same: an impressively strong inability to just top thinking coupled with a particular kind of mental fatigue, as it were.

I mean, I do really like my brain, it gets the job done but occasionally it'd be nice to give it a break, not to mention myself.

 

[tharglet]

As for the nightmares, I'm no help, because I enjoy having nightmares as much as normal dreams.

Same, lol. On a fairly regular basis I can dream things that would disturb other people, but it doesn't bother me lol.

 

[Jaranja]

2) What on earth is causing these nightmares?! Does anyone else get them so randomly?

Thanks in advance

When I was in my Psychology class, during the lectures on sleep, the professor mentioned that nightmares have been shown to be more prominent and occur more frequently when you're not getting a decent amount of REM sleep.

Don't know if it's true, but it made sense then and it makes sense now.

Maybe fixing the sleeping problem will help with the nightmares.

Can you explain how?

 

[Fetzenfisch]

Audiobooks and -plays worked for me. Not too loud, when you start too feel sleepy reduce the volume a little more. Nothing too exciting too, entertaining but without noise. Terry Pratchett was perfect for me here.

 

[Sewblon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_disorder This might be it, I have the same problem.

 

[EmzOLV]

No, you got it right. Our lives are definitely different (less people drama in mine and more existentialism-related worries and performance anxiety) but in practice it's just the same: an impressively strong inability to just top thinking coupled with a particular kind of mental fatigue, as it were.

I mean, I do really like my brain, it gets the job done but occasionally it'd be nice to give it a break, not to mention myself.

Phew, I got it right! I guess the process you described appears to be very similar in us, even if we concentrate on different issues. I know other people in this thread have mentioned stress as a possible reason for lack of sleep, but perhaps its not stress in the stereotypical form but just in the pure amount of anxiety I seem to be putting myself under. This seems to make some sense! Thank you

And to everyone who likes their nightmares, good for you I'm a bit bored of watching people get violent with each other however!

Edit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_disorder This might be it, I have the same problem.

This is extremely interesting, thank you! I have a funny feeling that although this describes symptoms I'm showing, I'm not helping myself with all this extra stress and pressure with constantly thinking about stuff as well. But good read! Never knew there were so many different sleeping disorders!

 

[DJDarque]

2) What on earth is causing these nightmares?! Does anyone else get them so randomly?

Thanks in advance

When I was in my Psychology class, during the lectures on sleep, the professor mentioned that nightmares have been shown to be more prominent and occur more frequently when you're not getting a decent amount of REM sleep.

Don't know if it's true, but it made sense then and it makes sense now.

Maybe fixing the sleeping problem will help with the nightmares.

Can you explain how?

I wish I could, really, but I have terrible memory and it was over a year ago.

All I can remember, if I'm even remembering correctly, is that it has something to do with how your mind reacts to a deprivation of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, or even other health problems. After a few minutes of (admittedly half-assed) research, I found this article. http://ezinearticles.com/?Nightmares-Associated-With-Adrenal-Fatigue&id=1923801 So I guess they can be caused by other problems too.

 

[tharglet]

but in practice it's just the same: an impressively strong inability to just top thinking coupled with a particular kind of mental fatigue, as it were.

I can be like that - constantly thinking things through over and over again.
To help, I think up stories in my head, often related to some other story I've seen/heard/read/played. They probably come out as really awful and/or cliche, but doing so lets me go to sleep, as it occupies my mind with much more relaxing things than the neurotic thinking of what I'm going to reply to a thread, or what I'm going to say or do tomorrow.

The stories I think up can last either a few mins (if I don't like where it's headed) or a few weeks (doing a bit at a time) and rarely come to a proper conclusion (usually some other idea trumps the old one)

 

[Jaranja]

2) What on earth is causing these nightmares?! Does anyone else get them so randomly?

Thanks in advance

When I was in my Psychology class, during the lectures on sleep, the professor mentioned that nightmares have been shown to be more prominent and occur more frequently when you're not getting a decent amount of REM sleep.

Don't know if it's true, but it made sense then and it makes sense now.

Maybe fixing the sleeping problem will help with the nightmares.

Can you explain how?

I wish I could, really, but I have terrible memory and it was over a year ago.

All I can remember, if I'm even remembering correctly, is that it has something to do with how your mind reacts to a deprivation of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, or even other health problems. After a few minutes of (admittedly half-assed) research, I found this article. http://ezinearticles.com/?Nightmares-Associated-With-Adrenal-Fatigue&id=1923801 So I guess they can be caused by other problems too.

REM sleep is when dreams and nightmares happen. A lack of REM sleep should decrease the chance of nightmares (because there's less time to) but increase the chance of hallucinations and mental fatigue (sleep deprivation).

 

[DJDarque]

2) What on earth is causing these nightmares?! Does anyone else get them so randomly?

Thanks in advance

When I was in my Psychology class, during the lectures on sleep, the professor mentioned that nightmares have been shown to be more prominent and occur more frequently when you're not getting a decent amount of REM sleep.

Don't know if it's true, but it made sense then and it makes sense now.

Maybe fixing the sleeping problem will help with the nightmares.

Can you explain how?

I wish I could, really, but I have terrible memory and it was over a year ago.

All I can remember, if I'm even remembering correctly, is that it has something to do with how your mind reacts to a deprivation of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, or even other health problems. After a few minutes of (admittedly half-assed) research, I found this article. http://ezinearticles.com/?Nightmares-Associated-With-Adrenal-Fatigue&id=1923801 So I guess they can be caused by other problems too.

REM sleep is when dreams and nightmares happen. A lack of REM sleep should decrease the chance of nightmares (because there's less time to) but increase the chance of hallucinations and mental fatigue (sleep deprivation).

Oh well, I said I very well could be wrong. It was quite a while ago.

 

[EmzOLV]

I figured I would just do the quickest update to let those who were wondering know, that I have managed to get some sort of grasp onto a better sleep pattern

It's mostly thanks to staying out two nights in a row and only getting an hours sleep, and then the clocks going back an hour in the UK.

Now I'm getting a much better nights sleep I may even get 8 hours