What activities do you do during sleepless nights?

[lynxville]

I go on Early Retirement Forums

 

[InParadise]

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.

 

[kcowan]

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.

 

[W2R]

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.

 

[Moscyn]

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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[HFWR]

I have fairly frequent bouts of insomnia, and still be tethered to the yoke, I usually try to flop around until I fall back asleep. After FIRE in a few more months, I'll just sleep when I can, and amuse myself somehow when I can't.

 

[Sunset]

I know if I start to read some technical article, I'll fall right back to sleep.

Generally I'll go to the 'can' so I know that is not the issue, then I'll put on those sleep shades so it's really dark, and lie there thinking about project to fix and soon I start dreaming.

 

[mickeyd]

1/2 Ambien as needed does the trick for me @ 3AM.