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Old 02-04-2014, 12:26 PM   #61
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Originally Posted by sengsational View Post
I used to listen to this audio (and of course follow the instructions). I still practice this, but don't really use the audio any more. Most of the time when I listen at night, I don't make it to the end of the recording. Or if I do, I roll over an nod off quickly.
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Originally Posted by Koogie View Post
""what-activities-do-you-do-during-sleepless-nights""

Just the usual last night. Woke up in a cold sweat at 5 am and lay there for 2 hours mentally recounting every financial, business and personal mistake I've made for the last 10 years... you know, for kicks. (

man i hate insomnia.
Have you tried listening to the audio sengsational posted? Seriously, it put me out like a light. You might give it a try. Good luck.
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Old 02-04-2014, 11:53 PM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Koogie View Post
""what-activities-do-you-do-during-sleepless-nights""

Just the usual last night. Woke up in a cold sweat at 5 am and lay there for 2 hours mentally recounting every financial, business and personal mistake I've made for the last 10 years... you know, for kicks. (

man i hate insomnia.
everything always seems worse between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
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Old 02-05-2014, 01:01 AM   #63
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To answer the OP's question, right now it's 1.50am my time and I can't sleep - so I check the news online, read research papers, come on this website to check the latest posts or Boglehead's. sometimes I watch a movie from Netflix.
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Old 02-05-2014, 07:15 AM   #64
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Archive.org has so many hits on this subject...
How about "A Trip to the Beach?"
https://archive.org/details/atriptothebeach
I went to the beach at 4am. Very peaceful!
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Old 02-05-2014, 10:30 AM   #65
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Originally Posted by Calico View Post
Have you tried listening to the audio sengsational posted? Seriously, it put me out like a light. You might give it a try. Good luck.
Thanks. I'll try that. And yes, everything does seem much worse at that time of night and the self recrimination is a bad way to pass the time !

I've had recurring bouts of insomnia all my life. I don't think they're related solely to stress though as I've had them since childhood. And I was one chilled out, happy little kid...
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Old 02-05-2014, 10:36 AM   #66
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I have lots of sleep issues - trouble getting to sleep, waking in the middle of the night, RLS - but once I'm FIREd I won't care.
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Old 02-05-2014, 11:39 AM   #67
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I play Hay Day for a while then listen to an audio book from the library with a timer so if I fall asleep I can find my place again. Currently I am listening to "The Grand Design".
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What I wouldn't give for a good nights sleep
Old 02-26-2014, 02:43 PM   #68
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What I wouldn't give for a good nights sleep

Basically, I don't think I have been sleeping consistently well since 1978.
I read about the mask people use, but what do they do when they have to P?
Had a fifty year reunion last summer and the guys got into a discussion about having to get up during the night. Three times seemed to be the average.
I am wearing a sleep monitor now and get from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours deep sleep and an hour or so of light sleep a night.
Has anyone come up with a miracle cure?
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Old 02-26-2014, 04:12 PM   #69
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Basically, I don't think I have been sleeping consistently well since 1978.
I read about the mask people use, but what do they do when they have to P?
Had a fifty year reunion last summer and the guys got into a discussion about having to get up during the night. Three times seemed to be the average.
I am wearing a sleep monitor now and get from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours deep sleep and an hour or so of light sleep a night.
Has anyone come up with a miracle cure?
I noticed that when I was clearing land, cutting down trees, and stacking logs last summer, I slept better. I've still got plenty left if you want to come on over and give it a try.
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Old 02-26-2014, 05:02 PM   #70
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Hermit it was so thoughtful of you to offer. But I wish it was just a matter of not getting enough physical activity. By the way, if you g get tire or finished with you work , I have 46 Virgin acres that could use a good man.
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Old 02-26-2014, 05:25 PM   #71
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Hermit it was so thoughtful of you to offer. But I wish it was just a matter of not getting enough physical activity. By the way, if you g get tire or finished with you work , I have 46 Virgin acres that could use a good man.
Thanks for the offer, but I think I will have my hands full building my house and volunteering at the nearby kid's camp.

On a more serious note. I hope you find a way to get better sleep. While working mostly night shifts for the last 10 years, 4.5 to 5.5 hours consistently would have sounded great to me. Since RE I have been doing about that most nights interspersed with nights when I get 6 or 7. I just figure it is part of getting older.
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Old 02-26-2014, 07:56 PM   #72
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Thanks for the offer, but I think I will have my hands full building my house and volunteering at the nearby kid's camp.

On a more serious note. I hope you find a way to get better sleep. While working mostly night shifts for the last 10 years, 4.5 to 5.5 hours consistently would have sounded great to me. Since RE I have been doing about that most nights interspersed with nights when I get 6 or 7. I just figure it is part of getting older.

I usually get 6 hours sleep but sometimes I lay in bed a couple more hours. I wonder if we overthink it. If you are not tired or groggy during the day and not in need of nap, I believe it must be enough. A few years back I made a mistake reading something that said you need 7-8 hours solid sleep to be healthy. Well I mentioned it to my doctor about only sleeping 6 hours and next thing you know I got an Ambian script in my hand. That did nothing for me as I never had a problem going to sleep to begin with. The OTC stuff would knock me out for 8 hours solid. I wouldn't even get up to urinate, but I felt groggy til lunch, so that was no benefit. I just accepted I must be getting enough sleep because I am never tired and do not take naps, even though I have plenty of free time to take them if I desired.
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Old 02-26-2014, 08:00 PM   #73
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I usually get 6 hours sleep but sometimes I lay in bed a couple more hours. I wonder if we overthink it. If you are not tired or groggy during the day and not in need of nap, I believe it must be enough. A few years back I made a mistake reading something that said you need 7-8 hours solid sleep to be healthy. Well I mentioned it to my doctor about only sleeping 6 hours and next thing you know I got an Ambian script in my hand. That did nothing for me as I never had a problem going to sleep to begin with. The OTC stuff would knock me out for 8 hours solid. I wouldn't even get up to urinate, but I felt groggy til lunch, so that was no benefit. I just accepted I must be getting enough sleep because I am never tired and do not take naps, even though I have plenty of free time to take them if I desired.
I think you are correct Mulligan. If you only sleep for six hours, but you are not tired or groggy the next day, then I believe your body is telling you that you only need six hours, and all is well. If you choose to lie awake for a few hours that is probably fine, although not necessary. It means you have extra hours in the day to enjoy your ER and take on some new hobbies. That's not so bad!
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Old 02-27-2014, 02:23 AM   #74
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Post here when I can't sleep as evidenced by the time.

It doesn't happen often so I don't obsess about it. Usually I'm up at 6 or 7 but two days ago I didn't wake up until 9.

One of the luxuries of retirement.
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Old 02-27-2014, 06:54 AM   #75
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I think you are correct Mulligan. If you only sleep for six hours, but you are not tired or groggy the next day, then I believe your body is telling you that you only need six hours, and all is well. If you choose to lie awake for a few hours that is probably fine, although not necessary. It means you have extra hours in the day to enjoy your ER and take on some new hobbies. That's not so bad!
Me too. 6, occasionally 7, hours is a full night's sleep for me. I'm refreshed and NOT groggy during the day. Of course, when I can't get those 6 hours of sleep during my insomnia periods, that's another story.
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Old 03-03-2014, 06:04 AM   #76
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Old 03-03-2014, 07:21 AM   #77
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I had trouble all my life with sleeping and so do my siblings (can this be genetic?). However, the first year after I retired, I really enjoyed the beauty of sleep as there was a sudden release from stress. As I added more activities into my retired life, my mind gets busy and can't rest at night. Sometimes I do take naps esp after hot showers and that helps to keep fresh along the day despite deprived sleep.
I too come from a family that is plagued with sleep issues that date from childhood. It is hard to shut my brain down, and if I managed to fall asleep, I often bolted awake in the middle of the night. Really paying attention to family behavior I concluded that we had serotonin issues. I used to take 5-HTP, a serotonin precursor that can cross the blood brain barrier, which worked for a while until it didn't. This is a supplement that can result in really vivid night terrors if serotonin is not your problem, so tread carefully. Since I never experienced these night terrors, I took it as a confirmation that a deficit in serotonin was my issue.

I no longer take 5-HTP given I seem to have built a tolerance to it. In the past month I've started taking 400mg Sam-E, which has been wonderful for me. In addition to it's help with sleep, it is also supposed to help with inflammation, and indeed has helped with my albeit very mild arthritis. It's been a rediculously cold winter.

Good luck with solving this issue. A decent amount of sleep every night is critical for good health.
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Old 03-03-2014, 11:45 AM   #78
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After 5 hours, I often awake having to relieve myself. Then if I lay awake for over 30 minutes, I get up and watch recorded business programs on TV (also Bill Maher). I find that they get be back to sleep enough to gain the extra hours. I am never sleepy during my waking hours.
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Old 03-03-2014, 12:21 PM   #79
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I awakened early this morning after about 5 hours' restless sleep, due to the pain of having thrown my back out. I got on the forum, watched the morning news, and drank a whole lot of coffee. I cooked a meal for later, cleaned my small kitchen appliances, and drank a whole lot more coffee.

Much later in the morning I finally caved in and took the recommended dosage of Aleve. It kicked in, and I was out like a light despite the coffee. I would still be sleeping if I had not been awakened by a spam phone call.

So, I guess that is what I do when I can't sleep.
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Old 08-27-2015, 10:26 AM   #80
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After more than a year, I find myself re-reading this thread as I have laid on the bed for 2 hours unsuccessfully trying to sleep. This week has been like that for no special reason at all. I've forgotten I started this thread and reading the thread again makes me realize that I've been in this situation so many times and I should just use these extra hours due to my inability to fall asleep to amuse myself and just hope that this phase will pass soon.


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