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I tried to hack my insomnia
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Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#72During a stressful part of my life recently I struggled with getting to sleep. I just couldn't stop thinking about shit that was going on. until one night I fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV, and it occurred to me that I could just modify this behaviour to bed. So I put a handful of old Star Trek episodes on my phone. Each night I put me earphones on (so as not to disturb my wife), turn on an episode of Sta…
> I think the familiarity of Star Trek (which I watched a lot as a kid) gives me a subconsious sense of security.
This. I have high anxiety and sleeping is difficult when you brain is trying to send you into a panic about all the shit you have to deal with. So I use two things, weed and TV.
I smoke some heavy indica just before bed and within an hour or two I have trouble keeping my eyes open. Though some nights it gets pretty bad so I put on MST3K or ST-TNG. It's like hanging out with old friends, especially MST3K. It's comfy with the volume on very low, screen dimmed maximum and a sleeping mask. Basically, you do your best to drown out the world and your mind.
Though the big help with weed is I don't get that extreme groggy almost vertigo feeling in the morning either. It's almost like being drunk without the intoxication or nausea. Like you are awake but your body didn't get the memo. Though I'm looking to move to making my own edibles as smoking is unhealthy in the long run.
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#73Insomnia is a fake idea invented to promote the industrial work cycle. If you go to sleep when you're so tired, as opposed to when the societal clock says you should, you won't have any trouble sleeping.
Will you talk to my boss and get her to start letting me come in and go home whenever I want every day?
I tried telling her that my body doesn't run on the same schedule as the rest of society, but all she did was laugh in my face.
Thanks in advance, doc.
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#74I'm in a particularly stressful time in my life (just moved, intense new job) where I've been struggling to sleep. There will be some nights where I simply don't sleep at all; just lay awake in bed all night. Of course I'm aware of all the health/safety/productivity issues associated with no sleep, and the anxiety of not sleeping just furthers my inability to fall asleep. This is what I've been attempting to do to he…
Counterpoint: I started having the worst insomnia ever after I started lifting. I feel like my adrenaline level is higher now. I love lifting, and it has a lot of benefits, but for me, better sleep is not one of them. I also noticed it made my restless leg syndrome worse. Stretching and getting back on magnesium seems to have helped that, but my sleep quality and duration is still shit.
Tip: since you're on magnesium, try magnesium glycinate if that's not already the kind you take. Glycine helps you sleep, especially if taken at night.
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#75Earlier quoted context omitted.
also magnesium supplements - I had some nervous system/restless leg issues and finally diagnosed as deficient in it, cured insomnia that was ongoing for months - just wanted to throw this out there
Thanks for the heads up. I do have restless legs and insomnia, let's try that magnesium. Is there a recommended dosage?
I take 800mg Magnesium Glycinate to sleep. Works really well and I wake up with no fog.
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#76During a stressful part of my life recently I struggled with getting to sleep. I just couldn't stop thinking about shit that was going on. until one night I fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV, and it occurred to me that I could just modify this behaviour to bed. So I put a handful of old Star Trek episodes on my phone. Each night I put me earphones on (so as not to disturb my wife), turn on an episode of Sta…
>At first the earphones were annoying, but after a week you dont even notice them.
I use the same technique. I purchased a sleep mask with mini built in speakers from Amazon, and it's been great:
https://www.amazon.com/Headphones-Bluetooth-WATOTGAFER-Adjus...
No cords and can even sleep comfortably on my side.
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#77Earlier quoted context omitted.
I unscientifically believe that we shouldn't use an alarm clock or any kind of trigger to wake up. My rational is: if your body has enough sleep, it'll wake up on its own. On the flip side: it's actually very hard to sleep when your body doesn't need sleep. On another flip side: it's easy to stay awake even though your body needs sleep. With this, we should all sleep in a completely dark (blocked) room with no sound…
The problem with that idea is that it completely misses the fact that most of us have to get up at a specific time in order to get to work or school or whatever else we have to do. I tried the no-trigger approach for a while, when I was between jobs and didn't have anything to do otherwise. What I found out is that my natural schedule, without manual intervention, has me going to bed at approximately 2am and waking u…
Wild idea: maybe some people's sleep cycles are just inherently incompatible with society and the arbitrary schedules and obligations that a particular society and context has landed on.
And I don't say that with any joy...
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#78During a stressful part of my life recently I struggled with getting to sleep. I just couldn't stop thinking about shit that was going on. until one night I fell asleep on the couch in front of the TV, and it occurred to me that I could just modify this behaviour to bed. So I put a handful of old Star Trek episodes on my phone. Each night I put me earphones on (so as not to disturb my wife), turn on an episode of Sta…
Thats funny; I used to do this with Tom Baker Dr. Who and ... Discovery Channel Wings (I guess I grew up near an air force base?). Seems based on comments to be a common thing; lullaby for grownup nerds!
Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#79Re: I tried to hack my insomnia
#80Everyone is different, but for me strength training wakes me up, while cardio helps me sleep. What surprises me sometimes is how much cardio I need for good sleep. In one particularly high pressure week, I had to row (erg) 7-10km per a day to sleep well.