Spring Break-Ish

[alexandraerin]

Folks, there has been and is going to continue to be updates for everything this week, but I've just realized it's Thursday (I mean that literally... I just checked the computer's clock to see if it was Tuesday or Wednesday) and I'm not going to hit the planned number of updates for the week. I should have been able to see this in advance and said so: my roommate's off work this week, my insomnia was in full force coming out of the weekend and I haven't been able to catch up on sleep by crashing during the day like I did last week because they've been working on the parking lot right outside and we've had painters in to clean up the results of the bathroom renovation and people in the hall... basically, it's spring cleaning time for the apartment complex.

Basically, I am so bone-tired mentally and physically but I can't sleep, for internal and external reasons. I should have declared this a vacation week and just tried to relax through it as best as I could. Gah. I said at some point (last summer, I think) that I'd do that once a quarter. I don't think I've ever managed to hold myself to it except semi-retroactively.

The writing I have done I think has turned out surprisingly pretty good, so I'm not going to take today and tomorrow off. My goal for the week is just to get as much as writing done as I can, make sure every story is represented since they've all got sponsors and people rooting for them, and then get my sleep sorted out on the weekend.

Melatonin has been suggested to me... as I recall, when I tried it before I didn't enjoy the side effects the next day, but I think if I take it Friday and Saturday night to ensure a night's sleep, that might work since what it's supposed to do is reset the circadian cycle. With that done, there's no reason why next week can't be like last week but without the updates drifting into Saturday.

Comments

[brenda-ea.livejournal.com]

I know you're on a tight budget, but have you seen a doctor about this? It seems that you aren't having much luck in trying to deal with it on your own.

[driandriana.livejournal.com]

I've been to a doctor about my insomnia, and unless you're willing to take sleeping pills, (i'm not, because they only mask the problem) the most they can do is tell you to cut caffine after 5:00 pm, make your bed a sleep only space, (the doctor assumed i wasn't sexually active) and to get up and read for half an hour if you can't fall asleep.

None of these things work for this particular bibliophile. I cut all caffine, didn't effect it one way or another.

In fact the one thing my doctor told me to stop, was the only thing that worked even occasionally, working out just before bed.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

That's pretty much where I am, and I've watched my mother go through the prescription sleeping pills and their side effects. I've cut caffeine intake down to literally nothing before and all that did was take away one tool for helping me manage my alertness when I'm awake.

(Get up and read for half an hour. If I get up and pick up a book, I'm not going back down.)

The "problem", as I see it, is that my brain is too active. I don't have an off-switch for that. I can take lavendar baths and drink chamomile tea (or take OTC sleep aids) and they make me feel all relaxed and then go lie down, and I'll start to feel drowsy, but there's my brain, still goin'-goin'-goin' and it keeps me awake straight through the drowse and right until the point when the body decides "Oh, guess we're not going to sleep after all."

As far as I can tell, I've always been that way. My parents tell me when I was a baby, they used to go in and check on me when they thought I was asleep and I'd just be lying there, looking at the ceiling. Not playing and not fussing. Just lying there.

I think the best thing I can do is embrace it, be awake when I'm awake and accept that there are going to be good times and bad times.

[akailaughingman.livejournal.com]

Other tricks:
try focusing on not thinking... I know it's a zen thing, but just picture yourself in a black void, just lying there. not thinking, just a peace.

also, try muscle relaxation... aggressively relaxing each muscle group (by letting your mind "heat" them until they are fully relaxed). It's something to concentrate on, which might help.

[akailaughingman.livejournal.com]

even if you are sexually active, you can still make the bed a sleep only (or cuddle only) place.
I've found i'm far less prone to waking up with my head down at the other end of the bed with a partner sleeping beside me.