Sleep problems

I’m having problems with sleep. Not really the lack of it, but perhaps the quality of it. Generally get 8 hours sleep, but often its out of whack. Such as getting home at 4am and then waking up at 11. I guess this sets you up for a kind of jet lag situation. I also have situations where I wake up an hour before I “should” such that if I were to get up I would have less than the 8 hours sleep, but it would have been easier to get up at that time than an hour later of sleeping in.

I remember another poster saying that you should just get up when it feels natural rather than use alarm clocks, but I would probably miss work on a number of occasions if this were the case. Is the key to get into a routine? Or is this more likely to be diet / exercise related… or am I just getting old?

A previous colleague of mine used to be able to easily get away with only 4 hours sleep at night, and I’ve even heard stories about some guy in the US who basically just rests for an hour every day but doesn’t truly sleep.

I don’t really know if diet/ exercise and routine are really the answer. My husband exercises daily, eats very well, and has a routine, but still has had a lot of trouble sleeping in Taiwan. Nightmares, sleeplessness, etc. Has been to a few doctors here and the answer always lies in sleeping pills. It’s the only thing that can get him through.

When he told some friends about it, they surprisingly had the same problem too (3 of our close friends) and it turns out that they are all on sleeping pills, too.

Strangely, none of them had this problem prior to Taiwan. So, I wonder if it has something to do with the daily stresses of living here that affect sleep at night.

The poor quality of sleep is a very common problem for waiguoren in Taiwan. I guess it’s caused by stress, the crap air, noise, and hot weather. I find I sleep better if I go to bed drunk.

Tyc00n -
1st - quit staying out till 0400.
Next, make sure your nutritional itake includes calcium supplements - perferable in conjuction with Vit D & Magnesium so you’re body can utilize it properly.
Chammomile tea at night will help you get calmed down amd make sleep easier.
Also…weird as it sounds…make sure you wash your pillow cases very regularly. Dust mites and lot of other mites that live on the human body can cause sleep problems.
Meditation on a regular basis will help your body get familiar with a relaxed state.
Good luck…sleep is good. :sunglasses:

And watch out for caffeine. Some people are EXTREMELY sensitive to is (e.g. me), to the point where any caffeine intake after lunch can affect sleep that night.

I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since 1993. Which is when I gave up the spliff-and-half-bottle-of-whiskey nightcap. I have yet to find a better alternative. Well actually, shagging a girl you’ve just met all day in a 5-star hotel results in a fabulous night’s sleep, but that again is not a realistic solution. Slobber. Drool. 'Scuse me. :silenced:

my sleep habits or patterns have never been good. I used to have the “nightcap” as well and it worked for knocking me out but I would wake up 4-6 hours later. Exercise helps me get that tired feeling in my body which sometimes helps.

My problem now is that I don’t have a job to get up for so My body has enjoyed some nice sleeping in. Now I’m feeling great on a solid 7-9 hours of sleep a night most nights which is great. The problem is that I fall asleep when the sun’s coming up and wake up in the middle of the day. So the sleep’s good, but the hours are not.

I’ve been a bit lazy, though. I’m just going to NOT sleep one of these days and set a bedtime at a normal time the next day and go to sleep then. Get up with an alarm clock. in the morning.

I think a good sleep schedule and habits require some training for some people. I know that if I’m not diligent I fall to pieces.

I don’t recommend sleeping pills.

well i’m don’t think sleeping pills are a good solution… someone suggested its all the electrical appliances

I think getting into a regular schedule is a good idea…i.e. sleeping at a set time, going to take a dump at a set time, eating three meals a day at the set time, etc…if you have a schedule, after a while, your body sorta realizes it is time for whatever to happen during a certain period of the day and just does it…I mean, I get sleepy around midnight…and naturally wake up at 8AM or so before the alarm goes off…I drink a cup of water, and then I do my regular morning dump for the day…my body sorta gets into the rhythm…if I am busy for a week, and my schedule is all messed up…it is easy for my body to readjust to that rhythm again…

the humidity this time of year hinders my sleep… dry out your room then turn on the AC for an hour before bed, works like a charm

I’ve had a severe insomnia problem for ages. Any advice would be welcome, especially if it has worked for somebody.

  1. Caffeine intake within say 4 hours of bedtime?
  2. Excessive stress and concerns?
  3. Regular routine and sleep time?
  4. Noise? Earplugs and or move to a quiter location.
  5. Light? Curtains and or eyepad. (I use one when the moonlight is a problem)

One other thing that can help for sure are to participate in a strenuous exercise program where you have to stagger to bed and fall into a coma. I do that one when I’m being badly beaten up by stress.

Exercise benefits for stress and sleep.

  1. During the training you can concentrate on your breathing and the rythm of the routine. )running, walking fast, swimming, weight training etc)
  2. You feel less stressed because you’ve taken control and achieved something for yourself.
  3. Become so damn tired you can’t help but sleep.

.

  1. Drink a few beers before you go to bed, that will put you to sleep.

Habit can lead to alcolism, but I think your sleep is worth it.

  1. Caffeine intake within say 4 hours of bedtime?
  2. Excessive stress and concerns?
  3. Regular routine and sleep time?
  4. Noise? Earplugs and or move to a quiter location.
  5. Light? Curtains and or eyepad. (I use one when the moonlight is a problem)[/quote]
    All of the above except for caffeine which I have stopped consuming except for the a cola now and then.

[quote]
One other thing that can help for sure are to participate in a strenuous exercise program where you have to stagger to bed and fall into a coma. I do that one when I’m being badly beaten up by stress.[/quote]

I have just started a walking programme. My only fear is that I won’t keep to my plans.

I have started doing Yoga before bed. It works very well…

My insomnia has been off and on since I graduated from college (more on). I took melatonin for a while and that worked fine but it seems hard to find in Taiwan and expensive (somebody let me know if I’m wrong on any of these two points).

Now I’m taking sleeping pills. I found a drug store that sells them. I believe it’s actually illegal now and you require a prescription. I break the three pills in half and take this half dose about three hours before I want to be asleep. This is so I don’t feel so groggy the next day. I don’t take them everyday. Definitely on Sunday night since my schedule’s a bit screwed from the weekend. I won’t take them one or two times during the week if I can sense that I’ll be fine without them. When the weekend hits, I go to sleep whenever I feel like and wake up whenever I wake up. Sometimes, I switch with Chinese medicine during the week since I’ve found this has absolutely no side effects- the pills give me cotton mouth the next day and I feel a bit worn in the morning.

I’m a highstrung person so I think this is the cause of it. If I’m under low stress, I don’t take anything and sleep fine. I try not to go back to the pills during these periods until I absolutely have to.

[quote=“Shawerma”]My insomnia has been off and on since I graduated from college (more on). I took melatonin for a while and that worked fine but it seems hard to find in Taiwan and expensive (somebody let me know if I’m wrong on any of these two points).
[/quote]

I have two bottles you can have fee of charge. I bought them on the plane. When I take them, my joints ache. I tried it with two different brands and got the same result.

It’s from this company: bestnutrition.com/sp.htm

I have seen them appear at Watson’s stores recently so perhaps they are not illegal now.

I am a problem sleeper, too. For years I was taking sleeping pills on and off. It turned out that my problem was sleep apnea. When I would fall asleep, my tonsils would fall back into my throat closing the airway and cause me to wake up or remain in a semi-conscious state for most of the night. The sleeping pills were actually making the situation worse because they would put me in a more relaxed state. If you know you snore heavily this may be a problem. You can visit an ENT doctor who will arrange for you to sleep in the lab to measure the severity of your situation.

After a tonsilectomy and the removal of the surrounding flesh I showed a lot of improvement in my sleep, and as I was not snoring so much, so did my wife.

[quote=“Quentin”]4. Drink a few beers before you go to bed, [color=blue]that will put you to sleep.[/color]

Habit can lead to alcolism, but I think your sleep is worth it.[/quote]

I guess it comes down to whatever works for you individually.

[quote]Alcohol consumed within an hour of bedtime appears to disrupt the second half of sleep, awakening from dreams and returning to sleep with difficulty. This sleep disruption may lead to daytime fatigue and sleepiness. According to studies in

[quote=“AAF”][quote=“Shawerma”]My insomnia has been off and on since I graduated from college (more on). I took melatonin for a while and that worked fine but it seems hard to find in Taiwan and expensive (somebody let me know if I’m wrong on any of these two points).
[/quote]

I have two bottles you can have fee of charge. I bought them on the plane. When I take them, my joints ache. I tried it with two different brands and got the same result.

It’s from this company: bestnutrition.com/sp.htm[/quote]

AAF, I’ve replied to your personal message. And thanks again for the offer.