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The new insomniacs' thread

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Maria Mac
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#201 Post by Maria Mac » April 22nd, 2014, 1:54 pm

Latest post of the previous page:

The Guardian Witness section is currently running an insomnia page at the moment where people are invited to share their tips. I've contributed one called 'a carefully selected audiobook'.

https://witness.theguardian.com/assignm ... mic_232885

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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#202 Post by Dave B » April 25th, 2014, 6:22 am

0615 and I have been awake since about 0130!

Something woke me then and I started thinking about a technical problem. By 0300 I had not got back to sleep so got up and made a cup of coffee (decaf). Brain still going to so got up again and tried a couple of things.

That led to other ideas - and so on . . .

Haven't had a night like this since I left work - and don't really want any more!

Helping with a computer club session later, hope I can stay awake. Yawn!
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#203 Post by Alan H » April 25th, 2014, 9:51 am

Oh dear! Sorry to hear that Dave. of course, decaf coffee doesn't necessarily contain zero caffeine, just smaller amounts of it: it's not caffeine free!
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#204 Post by Dave B » April 25th, 2014, 2:02 pm

Alan H wrote:Oh dear! Sorry to hear that Dave. of course, decaf coffee doesn't necessarily contain zero caffeine, just smaller amounts of it: it's not caffeine free!
I know that, but has considerably less I think. Not that caffeine really affects me, per doctor's instructions I drink decaf 99% of the time, caf when out because I forget to ask for decaf most times.

If my friend does that she gets a real caffeine buzz/high, I never any effect at all!

Managed to stay awake to help in the computer lesson - one poor lady thought she had lost a load of pics of her grandson. She had opened three folders, with the same name, in three different places and "spread" the pictures amongst them! Only one had a shortcut, the rest were buried.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#205 Post by Dave B » June 2nd, 2014, 5:41 am

Yawn.

Had to visit the loo at 2am and never got back to sleep again - thinking about a practical problem and have pain in left foot (might be arthritis) that makes getting comfy difficult.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#206 Post by Alan H » July 28th, 2014, 2:48 am

It's my turn...

Had a problem with my email late in the evening but don't know if it's something I've done (I was nosing around in some DNS settings, trying to understand how I transfer my domain name to a different registrar) or whether it's another problem with the current registrar - the reason I want to move in the first place. Stressful!

Then there's the headache I now have (see above).

Taken some ibuprofen, so will toddle off to bed again shortly.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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getreal
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#207 Post by getreal » July 28th, 2014, 3:36 am

Ugh! Having difficulty trying to sleep, so gave up and started reading my bedtime book agin.

Still not working.

And I read somewhere that these screens emit light on a wavelenth* that makes your brain think it's daytime and keeps you awake.


*may not be the correct terminology
"It's hard to put a leash on a dog once you've put a crown on his head"-Tyrion Lannister.

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Ninny
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#208 Post by Ninny » July 28th, 2014, 8:29 am

Alan says: "coffee doesn't necessarily contain zero caffeine, just smaller amounts of it: it's not caffeine free!"
Sounding like a homeopath, Alan! :wink:

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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#209 Post by Dave B » July 28th, 2014, 9:30 am

getreal wrote: wavelenth* .


*may not be the correct terminology
Right terminology - just typo error :D
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#210 Post by Alan H » July 28th, 2014, 10:06 am

Ninny wrote:Alan says: "coffee doesn't necessarily contain zero caffeine, just smaller amounts of it: it's not caffeine free!"
Sounding like a homeopath, Alan! :wink:
I'l mortally offended...

:laughter:
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#211 Post by Alan H » July 28th, 2014, 10:21 am

getreal wrote:Ugh! Having difficulty trying to sleep, so gave up and started reading my bedtime book agin.

Still not working.

And I read somewhere that these screens emit light on a wavelenth* that makes your brain think it's daytime and keeps you awake.


*may not be the correct terminology
Yes, blue light can have that effect. It seems to be a bad idea to watch a computer screen or TV late at night.
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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animist
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#212 Post by animist » July 29th, 2014, 9:28 pm

I may never have posted here before as I am very seldom insomniac. I suppose I don't like it when I am, but what is the root problem if one does suffer it? I can see that if there is an especially long day ahead, or a long drive, then not getting sleep when you expect to is not good because of the worry about later sleepiness, but has anyone really suffered from such after-effects of insomnia, eg falling asleep at an important meeting or while driving - as opposed to the simple feeling, in the wee small hours, that one OUGHT to be sleeping now?

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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#213 Post by Dave B » July 29th, 2014, 10:07 pm

animist wrote:...but what is the root problem if one does suffer it?
Coo, possibly almost as many causes as there are people? Then there may be several reasons why one person suffers insomnia.

My causes are usually hip pain, noise from neighbours, an idea I cannot get out of my mind until I have drawn/typed it out, needing to go to the loo . . . Being a light sleeper does not help.

I seem to only really need about three/four hours sleep a night, but it very much depends when I get those three hours as to how the lack of sleep in the rest of the night affects me. A neighbour coming home after I have had about an hour's sleep is the worst. I am now a bit annoyed and, though my medication reduces my adrenalin production greatly during the day, I am now usually 100% awake and not likely to get back to sleep until about 4 or 5 in the morning. Might as well read or listen to the radio.

Getting up to go to the loo after about 3am is not so bad but may still have me awake for another two or three hours. I envy a friend who says she sleeps as soon as her head hits the pillow after a loo trip!

Hip pain, from my bursitis, is the worst long term thing; a bad night of that means that I can only lie on one side for about 20 minutes at a time before having to turn over. Sleeping on my front causes me breathing problems; sleeping on my back (the lost comfortable position) causes sleep apnoea at times, snoring at other times, neither good for continued sleep! I have a sort of distorted "recovery position" where my whole body is twisted so my belly and hips are as flat as I can get them on the mattress and my chest is rotated about 45 degrees, my resting on one shoulder, so I can breathe. Sounds weird but it is actually one of the things (after years of practice) that keep me as supple as I am for my age.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

tom in napa
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#214 Post by tom in napa » September 1st, 2014, 7:42 am

I'll join an insomniacs club.
Being retired, I'm awake and reading (books: history or science, hard or soft or a laptop screen) or writing until my eyelids slam around five am. Three hours and 45 minutes later, give or take 5 minutes, I wake up without an alarm. Those 3:45 and and two hours in the afternoon seem enough. I quit the caf coffee at noon; de?caf thereafter or I'll be awake all night.
I'll spend an hour writing & editing a paragraph of essay or memoir. I use dictation software for longer stuff but editing is faster without it.
Do other folks find four hours nighttime sleep enough? It became enough in my mid-60s.

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animist
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#215 Post by animist » September 5th, 2014, 3:34 pm

Dave B wrote:
animist wrote:...but what is the root problem if one does suffer it?
Coo, possibly almost as many causes as there are people? Then there may be several reasons why one person suffers insomnia.
actually you misunderstood what I was asking, Dave - not what might be the root cause of insomnia, but what if anything is the root problem - ie why is insomnia a problem? Tom in Napa, I infer, has just accepted that he needs only four hours sleep each night and has adjusted his life to this acceptance

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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#216 Post by Dave B » September 5th, 2014, 4:01 pm

animist wrote:
Dave B wrote:
animist wrote:...but what is the root problem if one does suffer it?
Coo, possibly almost as many causes as there are people? Then there may be several reasons why one person suffers insomnia.
actually you misunderstood what I was asking, Dave - not what might be the root cause of insomnia, but what if anything is the root problem - ie why is insomnia a problem? Tom in Napa, I infer, has just accepted that he needs only four hours sleep each night and has adjusted his life to this acceptance
Yes, have to agree that those who seem to need only, say, four hours sleep per day to remain mentally and physically healthy might as well use the extra active time with benefit.

If, OTH, one feels tired and listless the day after only four hours sleep; if that continues for several days without one "getting used to it" and this has adverse effects on one's quality of life . . . Then insomnia, not just the occasional night when it is difficult to sleep (too hot, too cold, a transient worry, a pain etc.), is definitely a problem!

I will admit that I used to go through slightly "manic" phases when there was no solution but to get up and do something about whatever was buzzing in my brain. This usually meant a few hours on the computer typing stuff that was no doubt very deep and thoughtful but usually about as much practical use as a chocolate fireguard.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#217 Post by Alan H » November 15th, 2014, 4:06 am

Out late last night at a Sense About Science lecture, a couple of glasses of wine, a pint of beer in the pub, didn't have dinner until about midnight, couldn't get to sleep, have to get up in 3 1/2 hours to go to an all-day course in Goldsmiths on the other side on London...

Better go back to bed and try to get some zzzzzzzz.....
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#218 Post by Alan H » November 15th, 2014, 8:02 am

And, a couple of hours later (and not all of them spent sleeping soundly), breakfast finished... zzzzzzzzzzzz
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alan H
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#219 Post by Alan H » November 15th, 2014, 10:56 pm

Better get to bed soon...have a meeting on t'other side of river tomorrow morning again...
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Maria Mac
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#220 Post by Maria Mac » September 28th, 2015, 12:04 pm


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Dave B
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Re: The new insomniacs' thread

#221 Post by Dave B » October 31st, 2015, 3:34 am

0330, got earache, drinking hot chili infused chocolate with cinnamon infused honey added.

Dunno it it will help cure the earache but it's lifted my spirits! :D
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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