I can't seem to sleep anymore... (in Off-topic)

Right now it's 4:50 AM. For the past week or so, I haven't been able to get to bed before 3 AM. Tonight it's even worse. I can't sleep at all. I feel tired and ready for bed, but wide awake at the same time. This isn't just another "Oh man, I'm totally lovin this new game! I'm going to stay up all night and play it!" episodes. No, I'm completely bored. I have nothing to do. I'd like to go to sleep, even though I hate sleeping.

I guess I have a fear of sleeping really. I'm not really so sure what I fear about it. Sometimes I don't really fear it at all, and other times I just want to avoid sleep as much as possible. I think what I fear is just the unknown. I don't know what happens in my sleep. I have absolutely zero control over what happens to me, or goes through my mind, what I dream about... I rarely ever remember dreams, but most of the time if I do happen to remember one, it was a nightmare. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweat and I have absolutely no recollection of why I'm so frightened.

It's possible that I'm turning into an insomniac. Or I have a major case of sleepophobia, if that's even a word. Maybe a combination of the two. If anyone has any sort of advice, I could really use it.

Sorry to waste your time with this thread, too. I'd gladly refund the time it took you to read this by not talking at all in chat for two minutes upon request. However, this request is only good once. Use it wisely.

This coming from the alpha male? I laugh at you.

Go to sleep.

Since you're talking in Greek, the correct neologism would be hypnophobia.

try reading a book, or read an encyclopedy

Although I normally don't promote sleep aids, when you feel tired, and WANT to go to sleep, sometimes they're the best thing to use. Lots of over the counter mild ones, I personally have used Unisom in the past. Just don't rely on them, save them for the times where you're having significant problems, or you have something important the following day.

If it's something that happens a lot (more than a month, or more than a week every month), get to the doctor. Sleeping problems can sometimes be symptoms of something else that can be treated.

if you partake of the caffeine or the nicotine, lay off of them for a bit and see if you can sleep better, or any other stimulants for that matter.

No naps, no caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol near sleeping times, dark and quiet.

If all of those combined don't work, get to a sleep clinic.

Though I know sometimes I just don't feel like sleeping because of whatever reason. If you're actually developing a fear of it, I don't know what to say.. maybe you just haven't slept enough recently?

and watching this before beddy bye time can never hurt!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YubzvkNh77w

Try having breakfast later. No, I'm not joking. Take a look at this article in Scientific American:

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=self-experimenter-free-from-insomnia

I attended an efficiency seminar a couple weeks ago. Of all things, they emphasized sleep the most in promoting better efficiency in whatever you do while awake. Here's what they said.

1. Lay off the caffeine.
2. Never read in bed.
3. Never watch TV in bed.
(Activities done in bed train the mind to become more alert, not to prepare for sleep.)
4. Try to go to bed at the same time each evening.
5. "Sleep in" by going to bed earlier the night before, instead of sleeping later in the morning.
6. If properly trained, the average person falls asleep in 3-11 minutes.

You have to train, or in this case re-train, yourself to respond to the right sleep cues. Consistency is your friend in this case. Best of luck.

I went to one of those seminars once...

... my coworker kept waking me up so that I could hear about the wondrous benefits of sleep. The irony was lost on him entirely.

With regards to Rave's dilemma:
Warm milk perhaps?
Or a turkey dinner (tryptophan FTW!)

Alright thanks for all your help guys. It'll be hard to lay off caffeine because there are so many products that have them. I'm not addicted or anything...

By the way godwolf, you are truly pathetic.

Actually, I believe the word you're looking for is apathetic :).

Too many products with caffeine?

I feel your pain, because I used to have sleeping problems in high school. They've largely stopped since I started eating better and quitting coffee/soda. Try getting exercise every day, too, since that wears your body out physically which really helps when you want to get to bed.

I'm pathetic, eh?

At least I sleep at night. And when I don't, at least I don't claim superiority over others :P

I meant no offense with my first comment. I just found it funny how only a week or so of being at peace with yourself, you started being unable to sleep.

I've always had trouble sleeping, it has just become a recent issue.

You remind me of Cartman from South Park... And I don't say that in a good way...

Oh and by the way, I never claimed superiority over anyone. If that's how you chose to interpret my words, then... Well, I don't know what to tell ya there.

Lol.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

I can't say I know of any way to help you regarding your fear of sleep. However, there is one thing I do when I have trouble sleeping...And I hope it can help.

When you get tired, go to bed. Even if you are not feeling tired, just go. (Like , when you KNOW you SHOULD be sleeping.) Then, if an hour later you can't get to sleep, get up. Don't just stay in your bed waiting for sleep. (That's the important part. Rolling around does no good most of the time.) Get up, and do something. Anything. A walk is best, but really, even watching a tv show is all right. Do something "day-like".

My trick is to "trick" (lol) my brain into thinking I just started another day. Then, an half-hour later, I go to bed, and it's just as if I had stayed up a day extra. I almost always fall asleep a couple minutes later, without having any time to think of anything. So, no time to reflect on the nature of sleep, and what happens in it :P

I guess that wasn't as clear as I wanted it to be, but hey, like I said, I hope it helps :)

(As an added note, and a completely off-topic one, I actually LIKE nightmares. They're wonderful adventures most of the time. At least for me.. I've always loved the adrenaline rush I get from them when I wake up, confused but feeling...like I feel something. Even if it's fear, it comforts me and reassures me of my humanity. Or whatever, I'm writing an entire editorial again!)

Good luck dude.

I'd just like to say that I have similar sleeping problems.

"Alright thanks for all your help guys. It'll be hard to lay off caffeine because there are so many products that have them."

are you getting most of your sustenance from convenient stores or vending machines?

Dudemus: Safeway.

Bruno: I'll definitely give that a shot, as well as try everything else people have mentioned to me. Again, I thank everyone for their help. =)