Sleeping problems

[HappyMind]

I know someone who has sleeping problems.
He never can sleep before around 02:30-04:30 and the next day he have very much trouble with waking up and going out of bed, with all the problems included such as going too late to work (happens very often).

Now if he smokes some weed/hash (he also prefers hash like me) then he can sleep ok, but the nexy day he's feeling really down, even if he smokes just a little bit. So that's also not a very good option for him.

Sleeping pill's are not an option, he can sleep with them, but then he gets very bad nightmares.

What to do now?

 

[MindAstronaut]

Sport, some exercise makes your body tired.

 

[HappyMind]

The doctor says that he has a syndrome (the biological clock isn't like it should be).
Don't know now what the syndrome is, but i can ask that if you want to know.
I don't think that just sporting is the way to beat this.

 

[Guest]

what about those hormones released by the pineal gland, like melatonin ?

 

[Stighar]

I have a friend with just the same problem, she can't sleep until about 4:00 at night.
No matter what she does, I think she doesn't take sleeping pills because they can't be used for a long period of time, due to addiction, and it doesn't help the problem at it's root. I've suggested not sleeping for a night, to get her rythm straight, but that doesn't help as well.

Personally I have the problem that I get very tired when I get home from work, then sleep for about two hours, but then I can't get to sleep at the time I have to. I've noticed that if I read for a while, I always get sleepy.

 

[user_1919]

Trying calming your body and mind before bed. Go for a run an hour or two before bed, and come home, shower and then meditate for 15 minutes or so. Then go to sleep. If that doesn't work, I don't know what does.

 

[Maru]

they can't be used for a long period of time, due to addiction,

Sleeping pills can be taken for a while but they indeed drive to addiction (I know it quite well).
What's better, feeling tired all the day or beeing addicted ?
And beeing addict to hash or to pills is quite similar except that pills are less harmfull and have less secondary effets. To not speak about alcohol which is worse than hash and pills.
Reasonable people could take some pills during the week and stop for the WE, don't know if such people exist tough

Melatonin can help a bit for a limited time.
No doctor could tell me what are the possible bad effects of sleeping pills when taken for a while (at therapeutical doses).

But I know people who prefer bad sleeping and feeling constantly tired rather than beeing 'addicted'...

Go for a run an hour or two before bed, and come home, shower and then meditate for 15 minutes or so.

I know from direct experience and all sleep specialists will say you to avoid sport too soon before sleeping. Sport indeed relax the mind and the body but it also gives some good energy... to stay awake and do things until late !

 

[Brugmansia]

^ That's because sports, especially endurance performances and esthetical sports do release dopamine and endorphines afterwards. And dopamine raises wakefulness as well. Endorphines stimulates relaxtion and satisfaction. You won't feel an impulse to sleep since your mind tends to enjoy that state till it wears off.

 

[Forkbender]

Sport in the morning before breakfast.
Meditate in the evening.
Don't be so stressed. Usually it is stress or excitement that keeps you awake. Now you can't be excited every day, so you bet it will be stress. Don't be stressed about not being able to sleep.

In the drug-solution-section you can find kratom, but this can be addictive. It might help to relax for a couple of days to get some sleep and then you should have a normal rythm again (if you take into account the no-stress).

Take life easy, otherwise it will be too hard. :wink:

 

[Guest]

let's not forget that if this person has some kind of anormality, he/she can have plenty of exercise that it won't do anything. do we cure flu's with exercise and meditation ?
illnesses have to be cured somehow, let it be by homeopathy, chemicals....

 

[Forkbender]

The body is a self-harmonizing object, that can be disharmonized by structural thoughtprocesses and actions (habits). This disharmonization (disease) can be cured by relaxation, changing habits, meditation or medication. However, the process which makes the body disharmonized cannot be changed by medication unless it is taken regularly. It is better to cure yourself through conscious awareness. Ask yourself: why am I sick? What habits might have caused it? Which fears are stuck in my body? etc. Most of these problems are psychological, not a fundamental change in the body's hormonal make-up. I cure a flu with a little light exercise (some basic chi kung poses), however, I haven't been ill in a long time. We in the Western world tend to think that illnesses can only be cured by external agents (doctors/medicine). This can indeed reduce the symptoms, but the body must itself heal the cause.

 

[Pazusu]

Melatonin can help a bit for a limited time.
No doctor could tell me what are the possible bad effects of sleeping pills when taken for a while (at therapeutical doses).

But I know people who prefer bad sleeping and feeling constantly tired rather than beeing 'addicted'...

There are no bad side-effects with Melatonin. Now that I have a young daughter of 2 months, I noticed I'm not really tired at 1 or 2 o'clock, but half in a coma just before I have to get up (5 in the morning). With melatonin you get your deepest sleep earlier and that's better.

I've read it too that people are addicted to Melatonin. But I think it's nonsense. It is a substance you find in tomatoes. So you could eat a tomato to before bed time. Well, actually I don't know how much Melatonin is in one tomato. But Melatonin is actually a food supplement, not really a drug.

Just let one little pill melt under your tongue an hour before bedtime.
And don't do busy things after that, like running around, doing dishes, watching TV. Give your mind a chance to calm down and enjoy the rest and your dreams or the happy nothingness.

I notice a little difference once my head reaches the pillow. You feel a little calmer than usual. But not under influence/inalert/drugged.

 

[phatass]

check out "delayed sleep phase disorder" on wikipedia... it might well be of use...

p.s. "Insomnia" as such, i believe is not curable, it can be treated but not cured, however, the underlying psychological problem that may be causing the insomnia can be treated, and cured, hence curing the insomnia....

 

[tryptonaut]

I am really relieved I am not the only person with that problem... I can hardly sleep before very (too...) late at night, and every morning it's pure agony to get up - even I only have to get up at 8, which really isn't that early...

I have had this problem of not being able to fall asleep well since I was a kid - I have even been sent to to a course of autogenic training for kids when I was like 10 (which I think might have started my psychonautic career, thanks mom! )

I'm also having the problem of getting up too late and being late or almost late for work every day. It's a fight for the minute every morning, and every day I wish I would've gotten up just 15 minutes earlier. It's not fun because I don't like being late - and even I can afford to be a little late without being fired, some colleagues think I'm being disrespectful (which I am not, I really fight every morning not to be late!)

Today I think that maybe my being so "unconscious" in the morning and hardly being able to get up might also be because of my snoring. All my girlfriends so far complained about me snoring pretty badly and I think maybe it makes my sleep less relaxing than it should be. I am apparently snoring even when I haven't had any alcohol or drugs, no matter in what position, side, back, front, doesn't matter.

 

[HappyMind]

what about those hormones released by the pineal gland, like melatonin ?

That's the drug what gives him very bad nightmares.

check out "delayed sleep phase disorder" on wikipedia... it might well be of use...

p.s. "Insomnia" as such, i believe is not curable, it can be treated but not cured, however, the underlying psychological problem that may be causing the insomnia can be treated, and cured, hence curing the insomnia....

That's what he have.
He have this problem all his life, so it's not because a lack of relaxation or because of not-sporting or because a lot of stress.