If I'm having sleep problems and feeling ambitious then I'll go to the gym. If I'm having sleep problems and I'm lazy then I'll take half an Advil PM.
Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
31–40 of 77 posts
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#32Running or swimming for >30 minutes in the evening helps, if you can relax your mind doing so. For example, go running in a forest or a park, not in the streets where you need to watch traffic. Try to concentrate on your running or swimming technique.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#33I've tried melatonin, cutting out alcohol, f.lux, not looking at a screen for an hour before bed, but the one thing that has had the most influence on my sleep (for the better) is cutting out caffeine after 4pm. (relevant study: http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29198 )
All of the above + regular exercise.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#34Are you working, or staring at a bright screen, right up to bedtime? That seems to make sleep harder for me.
A few things I've found that help me: - Exercise. I work out 8-12 hours/week. Being physically tired makes sleep easier. - Eat dinner >2 hours before bed and avoid late snacks. - No alcohol (I do have an occasional drink, but it always impacts my sleep) - No TV in bedroom. I either read for 30-60 minutes or talk to my wife until we doze off.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#35I actually find that using my phone while in bed increases my tiredness. I'm not sure if it's related to when I was really young and I would read books before sleeping or not, but it's interesting since a majority of people say the opposite effect is more common.
Maybe try reading before sleeping- or something that can take your mind off the day's activities (that's probably what winds up happening with me).
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#36Is anyone else going to admit sex in public?
Err ... to proactively eliminate parsing errors:
Is anyone other than me going to suggest sex as a strategy on this public internet forum?
Unless your workplace is much more interesting than mine it is a change of pace from day to day work, I guess it counts as light exercise, its fun and stress reducing unless you're doin it wrong.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#37Nowadays I've taken to creating a to-do list before setting out to code and I always make sure to add a couple of tasks that are somewhat simple and I'm sure I can usually complete before bedtime. That way, even when I haven't run through the entire list, I feel like I've gotten something done and the day has not been completely useless. It usually takes some of the edge off any worries I have.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#38I've never slept more than 3 nights in a row in the past 6 years as a developer.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#39I actually find that the only thing that reliably puts me to sleep when my mind is buzzing is sex or the solo alternative.
Re: Ask HN: Do you struggle to sleep after coding all day?
#40I've tried melatonin, cutting out alcohol, f.lux, not looking at a screen for an hour before bed, but the one thing that has had the most influence on my sleep (for the better) is cutting out caffeine after 4pm. (relevant study: http://www.aasmnet.org/jcsm/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=29198 )
melatonin supplements only go so far.
f.lux is indeed awesome.
4pm seems a bit late for me but he has a good point.
Also exercise helps a lot ! unfortunately, it also requires the most effort.