Weekend Update Needs More Sleep

[jon_chaisson]

Bleh. It doesn't happen too often, but every now and again my brain just decides it doesn't want to stop running at full tilt and I end up having a craptastic night's sleep. It'll take me over an hour or so to initially fall asleep, only to wake up an hour or so later. Turn over, fall asleep...wake up forty-five minutes later, turn over. Rinse, lather, repeat. Sometimes some thought will pop into my head--sometimes something innocuous, sometimes something I'm stressing over during the day--and it'll hit some feedback loop and I'll keep thinking about it until I force myself to stop. I've had this happen plenty of times before in years past, to the point where I decided to use it as one of Caren's character traits in the Bridgetown Trilogy.

Do I need medication for this? I don't think so because it's not consistent, and I really don't want to go that route anyway (I have no problem with medicating such things per se, just that I'm stubborn and want to figure this out naturally). I've tried melatonin, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. It's not a constant thing...it just happens every now and again. For all I know, it could be that I'm going sleep well before I'm actually sleepy, or that I'm having caffeine too close to bedtime, or that I just happened to have a few too many coffees during the day. It could also be leftover and misplaced work stress manifesting itself where the conscious mind is least active. Or, as I've noticed, it could be leftover energy from days when I'm firing on all cylinders creatively and getting quite a bit done. Could be any of these.

I'm not concerned about it...it's just a pain in the ass sometimes, especially when I pay for it by getting little to no sleep.

And of course, I'm drinking my morning coffee right now, in hopes that'll wake up.

Comments

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

While medication ~could~ help, the problem, if it is one, is obviously not enough trouble to be worth the possible complications that could arise from resorting to medication...

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

That's what I was thinking. I'd rather not go through that if I don't have to.

[chaoticmoth.livejournal.com]

"Definitely cut caffeine off by noon-2:00pm at the latest if you want a chance at a decent night's sleep, and no alcohol at least two hours before going to sleep, if not longer. Work on cutting both out of your diet altogether."

You just received a synopsis of what a neurologist (specializing in sleep problems) will tell you you should do in regards to diet. :)

The wake up every hour sucks, but if it is not a regular thing you probably don't need medication and need to focus on de-stressing. One of the things I have done when it is really bad and I can't turn my brain off is to go write it down as a "to-do" item. That way I know I won't forget about it and it gives my brain permission to relax.

[mebib.livejournal.com]

I have also had occasional sleeping trouble like that. Believe it or not, my doctor recommended Benedryl. It has worked really well for me!