Sandi Shilhanek | Insomnia
Last week I talked about reading while you’re sick, and this week I want to talk about what happens if insomnia hits. I really don’t want to sound like 
I’m a complainer or a hypochondriac, but I’m curious!I’m of an age where insomnia hits me on a fairly regular schedule. Some nights of course are better than others. Those are the nights I wake up squint at the clock (it’s across the room and without my glasses on I’m totally unable to see) and lie back down and immediately sleep comes back to me. Other nights I squint at the clock lie down again and it seems like 10 minutes later I’m still wide awake.
When I first started contributing to this blog and insomnia hit I opened up my laptop and made a whole list of topics I thought might be interesting. I felt like a real writer having to get up and put my inspirations down before they became something I just wished I had remembered. Like I’m sure many authors feel I’m wondering now if those topics are as good as I imagined them to be at 2 AM!I know that some of my fellow yahoo group members grab their books and book lights or e-readers that are backlit and sit up in bed and read when they can’t sleep. Do you do that? Are you like me and can’t stand to be in bed if you’re not sleeping and truly wanting to? I get up and go to the living room. There I can turn on a light and read, mess on my laptop, and or watch TV.
I do sign on to my IM because maybe someone is going to be suffering along with me, and want to chat until we finally think we’re able to catch a few more ZZZZ’s until the alarm goes off?So…how do you battle insomnia? Do you suffer from it? Do you have a great home remedy? Do you leave the bedroom and go on an unexpected cleaning frenzy (which I have been known to do) or do you curl up on the couch to read or watch TV? Inquiring minds need to know!
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Sandi
http://readers-n-ritas.org/
Labels: Insomnia, Sandi Shilhanek
posted by Fresh Fiction @ 1:00 AM
21 Comments:
I'm usually a night owl and even though I may turn computer off and head to bed at like 11:30, I'll lay in bed and read till like 1-3, but then I don't need to get up at a set time. There are nights when I go to sleep early but then wake early too. Like last night I turned off light at midnight but then woke at 6(got a book done before getting out of bed) About once a week I'll feel really tired and then I'll sleep from like midnight til like 9 in morning.
So if in bed but not sleeping, I'll turn on light and read(light won't disturb anyone because I live alone)
Sometimes I'll try warm milk with a smidge of sugar. I can't stand the taste of warm milk so if I make it you know I am desperate. Reading also will help relax me.
I know exactly what you are talking about when it come to insomnia. In fact I may be the Queen of Insomnia. I have days when I go without sleep, but this is also due to the fact that I have Fibromyalgia & Cronic Fatigue Syndrom.
So when i sleep for maybe a few hours and wake up, I know I will not be able to get back to sleep and I turn on the light and pickup my book.
Sometimes, I get up and go on my computer, but not to often.
I have always been a person who needs a good 6-8 hrs of sleep and this past three years, I started to wake up and not be able to get back to sleep, but then other symtoms, which at the time I put down simply due to stress started to show themselves and then boom, when the doctor and I put them all together, we found out the reason why I am not sleeping.
Thank god for good books, is all I can say about serviving this affliction. Because I would surely go out of my mind.
I go over all the things I'm supposed to do the next day and actually visualize doing them. Then if that doesn't send me back to sleep I'll get up and read...in the bathroom because it's a quiet place.
I know if I turn on my computer I'm up for the rest of the day no matter how little sleep I've had.
Over people who can will nap during the day. I don't get to do that anymore.
Sara Reyes
Well, I sleep during the day, being a vampire by nature and by work schedule. But this past week I have had to check out of work for all five days, I haven't been able to sleep at all. Well, let me rephrase that, I catch an hour here two or three there, just enough to make me more tired than I was when I went to sleep to begin with. I have MS and take a bus, so if I can not cross the busy street where my bus stop is on safely, then I don't go to work. Bad, really really bad. I have tried everything this week I could possible think of, from warm milk to sleeping pills to muscle relaxants, absolutely nothing worked.
What did I do? I turned on a light and read, I got up came to the living room heated up a cup of bullion and turned on the computer, the tv... I would start to sleep in my recliner, get back to bed and be instantly wide awake again. I have finished one book in less than two days and am almost done with another that should havce taken me almost a week to finish.... but is taking less than two days. Sigh.....
Melissa
I'm more of a night than a day person. I have problems sleeping when my mind gets too full. I lay there for what seems like hours and my mind just runs wild with all kinds of things. I have pills my doc gave but, I don't like to take them if I have a lot to do that next day and I always have a lot to do. LOL
I've been told by a friend that a spoon of peanut butter right before bed will help you sleep. I haven't tried this yet myself.
Over the summer I suddenly turned into a night owl. Or Insomniac. I've always thought that I have insomnia because I've always had trouble sleeping at times but this summer it's been worse. I get a lot of reading done during the nights I can't sleep.
I try to read or go on the computer, but I have to be really quiet or my husband will wake up. I have a booklight that I use.
Hummmm, peanutbutter...... would that be on bread or a spoon?? LOL I may have to give that one a try. :) Thank you.
Usually I don't have trouble sleeping but when I do I always stay in bed with my eyes shut trying to get back to sleep!! Rarely do I have trouble getting to sleep, it is when I am up in the night for a bathroom break, crawl back into bed & then I toss & turn, toss & turn! Why? Have no idea. I live alone, I'm retired so I could turn on the light to read but then I will be really wide awake and really not go back to sleep!! For those that get on the computer whatever works for you but to me that is saying "okay, I'm up for the day!. It just wouldn't work for me. When I was still working it was a matter of needing to get some sleep so I could function at work. I'm grateful that I don't often suffer from not being able to sleep.
I've always had sleep problems. It can take me hours to fall asleep and I constantly wake through the night. Over the years I've learned the best way to deal with it is to stop many activities by 9 or 10 PM. No computer, food, cleaning or any other activity that can stimulate my brain. Reading and TV are okay providing I relax while doing so.
I've also learned that until I'm practically falling asleep sitting up, that I won't fall asleep laying down. And lastly I can not fall asleep to quiet...as my brain doesn't shut down. So I listen to the same TV series every night, which puts me to sleep like a lullaby.
Once I'm asleep, I may wake up during the night, but am always asleep within 30 seconds. In fact once I'm tired enough, I can fall asleep in record time and stay that way.
I don't generally have insomnia, but I love love reading in bed. So on the rare occasions I wake up with no hope of getting back to sleep, I just turn on the light and read away. DH won't be bothered at all
Lately insomnia is hitting me more often. I've been just laying in bed turning from side to side wishing for sleep. Menopause is a b*tch.
I think from now on I've get up to read or clean...I need to do both!
If I'm up in the middle of the night, it's usually because I have work to do... so I get up and work. I don't watch TV or read. I just try to get some things done and get organized. Then I go back to sleep.
Sandi I usually go to bed late at night and I have to take a pill for my panic attacks before I go to bed,and I usual sleep thru the night with that. On the night I don't I usually find something to watch on television and watch until I get tried again then I go back to sleep.
I like that idea of peanut butter. Is that on a spoon or sandwich. If it's a sandwich I may try that. If it's a spoon then I will still try it. Thanks for the idea.
I think I will try this today when I get ready to lay down... and I will let everyone know. :)
The Peanut butter trick.
Please do. I would be interested in knowing that. If it works I can tell my mom who has the same problem sometimes at night.
Okay, I had a spoon of peanut butter before I went to bed this afternoon, and had a good hard two hours of sleep and was able to come to work tonight. So, I don't know, maybe there is something there. LOL
Ok thanks for the info. I will try myself and let you all know later
Unfortunately I just suffer through it. I've heard grabbing a book helps. I need to try that next time. Hope it gets better.
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