How d handle a day when you didnt sleep well

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Raven2evil
Raven2evil Posts: 73 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I have a very easy to mess up sleep schedule and sometimes it's very hard for me to fall asleep. Often I end up where it's not even worth it for me to sleep because I need to get up in 2 or less hours. I used to meet this with 2-3 monster energy drinks. I'm trying to find a healthy alternative to that. So are there any suggestions for those nights I don't sleep enough or at all?

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  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    even two hours of sleep are beneficial.

    don't over do it with the caffeine. there was a guy i work with that had a half dozen of those one morning and had to be sent to the hospital because his heart went into v-fib or something. he was like a 25 year old guy too.

    i'm wondering why you don't get enough sleep. do you stay up late, do you watch tv while you're trying to fall asleep? both of those are pretty bad.

    i find that the best way to fall asleep is to read (usually fiction). i swear i start reading and 20-30 minutes i'm passing out with the book in my hand.
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    I have never been a good sleeper. I find it hard to get to sleep and if I am woken up in the night thats it I can not get back to sleep.
    I just get on with it, no caffine drinks, no pills.
  • Raven2evil
    Raven2evil Posts: 73 Member
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    I don't have trouble staying asleep just falling asleep. I have adhd and usually my mind wanders everywhere once I decide to try to lay still. I don't like sleep anyway I feel it's time I could be spending doing something productive or fun. Sometimes I can force my mind to shut up and I can sleep, sometimes ill stair at the ceiling for hours, sometimes I give up and go do something else until I can't possibly stay up any more. And yeah you're not supposed to drink more than 3 a day. I have but I had built up a pretty good tolerance when I did that and it's only been done once. Not something ill ever do again.
  • craigheon
    craigheon Posts: 167 Member
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    Those energy drinks are HORRIBLE for you. It's nothing but pretty much pure sugar. That will NOT help on your journey to becoming healthier / lighter. I would recommend seeing your doctor about this. Perhaps he can prescribe you something like Lunesta or another type of sleep aid.

    As far as getting through the day, I use a product from Optimum Nutrition called AmiN.O. Energy. It only has 10 calories, no sugar, and you mix it with water. This has replaced coffee for me. I use the Orange Chiller flavor. It does have caffeine, and you can adjust how many scoops for how much energy you need. The only drawback I've found is it only comes in a 30 serving container... which for me lasts about 2 weeks.
  • victoriannsays
    victoriannsays Posts: 568 Member
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    I'm a nurse. I work nights and I do long shifts. I drink 2-3 hot teas throughout the night to keep me focused. No caffeine within 5 hours of planned sleep time. To adjust initially I did guided meditation videos to help me relax and sleep. Stay away from the energy drinks. But sometimes there are days where I get really crappy sleep. I take naps. Make it a rest day. If having trouble sleeping is a chronic issue for you.. It's something to discuss with your md, not mfp
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I feel for you . . . when I have an antsy evening I drink chamomile tea and as a backup I also have Lavender Pillow Mist - both make me go right to sleep.

    I used to use energy drinks and if I had one after 3:00 I would know it at bedtime, I am glad you are seeking other options for dealing with your sleep/energy issue.

    Have you tried reading in the evening or some other restful activity? Maybe having a bedtime ritual will be like basically training your mind to enter rest mode, thus allowing you to go to sleep in a reasonable amount of time - I hope that makes sense.

    Sleep deprivation is real serious, it is something that you really want to address.

    Good luck!
  • MikaMojito
    MikaMojito Posts: 680 Member
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    Sometimes I can't sleep and then I drink a medicinal tea made of peppermint, yarrow, licorice root and camomile. Knocks me out competely. There are very rare cases when it isn't enough. Then I add a glass or two of red wine but that's only 3 or 4 times a year.

    Maybe it would help if you did something relaxing before bed? Yoga or a hot bath?
  • Longbowgilly
    Longbowgilly Posts: 262 Member
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    I have never been a good sleeper. I find it hard to get to sleep and if I am woken up in the night thats it I can not get back to sleep.
    I just get on with it, no caffine drinks, no pills.

    I am the same, I sleep for around 2-3 hours a night in total, my sleep is always broken :sad:
  • jaclync324
    jaclync324 Posts: 37 Member
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    Myth-busters did an episode on sleep and they proved that even laying in bed and relaxing is beneficial. I think a lot of the problems with insomnia is the anxiety. You are constantly looking at the clock and saying, if I fall asleep now, I will get X amount of sleep. What could be helpful is laying in bed, even though you are awake and relaxing knowing it is benefiting your body and not worry too much about X amount of hours.

    With that being said, I have 2 children. One is 15 months old and a very bad sleeper. I haven't had a full 8 hours in god knows when. You get used to it. For me, the best thing to do is not sit down. Keep moving and pushing forward. Once I sit down it is all over.
  • bradXdale
    bradXdale Posts: 399
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    Myth-busters did an episode on sleep and they proved that even laying in bed and relaxing is beneficial. I think a lot of the problems with insomnia is the anxiety. You are constantly looking at the clock and saying, if I fall asleep now, I will get X amount of sleep. What could be helpful is laying in bed, even though you are awake and relaxing knowing it is benefiting your body and not worry too much about X amount of hours.

    This.

    Also if you have the insurance and or money to afford one GO AND GET A SLEEP STUDY.

    You will be surprised at what bad sleep can cause vs. good sleep.

    I went and found out I have OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea). Also you do not have to be overweight to have sleep apnea (some people have it because of deviated noses, etc).

    I used to not be able to fall asleep, stay asleep, would have to piss every 2 hours, nightmares...anything you could think of to disturb sleep I probably experienced it.
  • StraubreyR
    StraubreyR Posts: 631 Member
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    I have issues falling asleep due to a mind that won't quit as well. Here is what I found that seems to work for me. Audio books. I try to concentrate on what the person is saying, and it stops my mind from spinning. I fall asleep within about 15-20 minutes I think. All I know is it's rare for me to make it to the end of a chapter!

    I also have to keep a pretty strict sleep schedule, with no computer for about two hours prior to bed time.
  • kaylatee0
    kaylatee0 Posts: 65 Member
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    This happens to me often, usually Sunday nights when my brain is thinking about what needs to get done at work. yesterday was a holiday for us so I went through this last night, only got 2 hours of sleep.

    I find the best way to manage it is to let my body return back to it's cycle as naturally as possible, basically don't do anything differently (except for be extra tired and grumpy)

    The next night comes fast enough, and I always fall asleep just fine.

    Drinking a whole bunch of energy drinks or more coffee than usual when you're not used to it just confuses your body and makes the next night just as miserable.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    I don't have trouble staying asleep just falling asleep. I have adhd and usually my mind wanders everywhere once I decide to try to lay still. I don't like sleep anyway I feel it's time I could be spending doing something productive or fun. Sometimes I can force my mind to shut up and I can sleep, sometimes ill stair at the ceiling for hours, sometimes I give up and go do something else until I can't possibly stay up any more. And yeah you're not supposed to drink more than 3 a day. I have but I had built up a pretty good tolerance when I did that and it's only been done once. Not something ill ever do again.

    then i don't see the problem. you don't like sleep, so why are you asking for help in regards to sleeping? just power through the day.
  • train_01
    train_01 Posts: 135 Member
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    As counter-intuitive as it may seem, I find the best wake up when I didn't sleep well is to go to the gym. It gives me a good start, even when I'm tired. I have also learned I cannot have any caffiene after noon or I won't sleep.

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