12:05 12:43 12:51 1:11 1:25 1:37 1:39 1:57 2:14 2:20 2:31 3:17 3:43 3:59 4:00 4:06 4:21
and so on
Now the $37 dollar question... I have a sleep elixer. Do I take it, and begin the slow decline in which days flip into nights? Do I get up in the cold dawn? Do I countinue to lay here, pondering the one dream: a friendly clout from behind that exploded in sparks of purple-blue pain and ended in a pool of vomit and gravel pressed into my forehead?
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4 comments:
I could get a prescription for Ambien in 5 minutes but I'm holding off.
Recently the strict adherence to routine has been working out for me (I'm like a toddler). But when those nights strike, I try aspirin first, and then if REALLY necessary, a Tylenol P.M.
I also find melatonin works on me as long as I don't take it more than once every couple of weeks.
I actually hide the bottle of Tylenol PM as I know I was at the point where I was even reaching for the melatonin every night (this was during law school). I'm really glad it only qualified as a supplement. The sleep issues really reached their worst point a few years ago and have been gently subsiding now.
Are you memory foamed yet? It helps.
I've had insomnia since puberty. Many nights are spent thusly. Are you a backsleeper? I'm side or ventral, would that be weird?
Anyhow, I'm on the Ambien train. Pity it's so expensive, it's like 3 bucks a pill, and habit forming. If I hadn't already had it thrice this week I would have taken it last night. As it was, I took half of one at 6:45 and promptly slept until noon. I definitely need the workout routine. I remember a time when I rode so much that I'd forgo dinner for bed at 8:30.
Me too on the insomnia-since-puberty. My mother has it as well.
The habit-forming is what keeps me so leery of Ambien, though my doctor did recommend it during law school. Even taking the Tylenol PM guilts me the hell out because I know I was totally freaking attached to my melatonin, and like I said, it's a fucking supplement!
I am a back sleeper, but in general I think it provides better support and sensation for a feeling of ease.
The 2 big behavioral changes that really really helped were
a) Exercise (earlier the better) and
b) Almost complete elimination of coffee. I allow myself a Misto from Starfrocks every week but otherwise I only drink 1 cup of black tea in the morning, and a cup of honey-ginseng green in the afternoon (and always before 3).
I know they claim tea has more caffeine but I swear to Gods I have felt so insanely healthy since I cut out both coffee...and alcohol, as well, actually. Even the odd glass of wine was depressing me, and it definitely made me sluggish the next day.
Other routine things that seem to help?
*A Calcium-Magnesium pill right before night-night (I don't really read Ask Moxie, but the one time I did, this was mentioned and it helps me. I think Magnesium is supposed to relax the muscles)
*Hot shower before going to bed, even if I've showered after my workout.
*TMI, but sleeping nakey.
*Soothing ambient noise. I swear, I am addicted to my fan the way streethos are addicted to crack. I get completely insomniac-ed when I travel and don't have an ambient fan or ac noise in the background.
Pretty sad all in all, right? Still, considering my overall ox-like health, the few issues I have (insomnia, anemia etc.) are small potatoes.
Incidentally, I really sympathise...there was a point during law school where over 4 days, I only managed to sleep 2 hours in total.
I've had odd bouts since then-like when I stayed up from Saturday till Wednesday without sleep to take the IL bar and subsequently messed up my sleeping patterns for the following 10 days...but overall it has gotten a lot better since I started focusing on routine. Then I read some parenting blogs about how they use routine to get toddlers to sleep and started laughing ruefully.
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