it is 2:55am and you can't sleep

what do YOU do? what do YOU do?

well, i am sitting here having some fantastic folgers breakfast blend coffee. watching the green mile and surfing the interweb.

i got 3 hours this night.

what are my felllow insomniacs doing?

The usual... Twilight Zone reruns, X-Files reruns, the internet, guitar, Brian Jonestown Massacre albums... Sometimes all of them at once

/tn.

I love the night.....

The phone doesn't ring, nobody knocks on the door, everything is quiet.

I have an episode of "Seven Days" on the TV, I'm cooking some chicken breasts on low to eat a little later, surfing the web, and editing some documents for court next week.
The night seems to be the time that I can feel at peace.

It's not insomnia, it's a choice.....

I had planned on getting some actual rest tonight, but since I have no responsibilities tomorrow I'll probably stay up a few more hours, listen to music, surf the forums here, maybe read. Currently listening to the song "Yep!" from Abstract Tribe's instrumentals, freakin amazing!

boondock, I'm sort of in the same boat. I can't sleep either. I'm a chronic insomniac who typically gets less than four hours of sleep a night. Every three or four days, however, I will "crash" and catch maybe six to eight. But when that happens, I usually wake up feeling worse than if I hadn't had any sleep at all.

When I first started having "trouble" sleeping -- years ago -- it was a real pain. Now, however, I actually find that I can cope not having the sleep. Thank god for ATS. It helps fill those long hours as does listening to Coast to Coast.

Sometimes I go out into the night for a walk. I find that quite restful and actually relaxing. Unfortunately, the last few times I've been out walking, I've been stopped by the police. It's just such a hassle. Still, it's nice to know that those guys are out there and they aren't sleeping either.

Boondock, if your ever up that late again just come into chat man! I'm always up (working) and im always in chat! Hope to see you later!

Besides browsing the internet, reading topics posted on BTS and blogging, my system is still processing cups of coffee I drank earlier today and still feeling the buzz. Weee!

Hey boon'. Same challenges here. I don't get more than 2 hours at a time... it's been that way since '93.

I wrote another chapter or so of draft for my 4th novel that I might finish before I die... ordered some travel arrangements (our travel agent's site is so cool)... put a good dent in a real Cuban cigar and a bottle of Chivas... watched Blade Runner for the 1000th time... got beat at chess by a teen from NZ... worked on a painting of my significant other... went through some HR files trying to find someone to do my day job... fought my cat JAX for a chicken leg - she won, she's about 25 pounds of feline-mean; I'm only bleeding in two spots... visited a couple websites that I LIKE... not many of those this century... and continued learning and practising knot tieing for my sailing classes.

I think I'll go out to the workshop and lap some valves in for a beautiful old MG that I won't finish before I'm dead... and have a cup of Najjar Classic I had smuggled back (not the domestic stuff) cut with Bailey's... and wait for the morning market briefing out of NY. I should be almost asleep just in time to do some early interviews.

Have a great day boon'... hope your new tats are feeling less intrusive.

Cheers,

Vic

[edit on 9-1-2008 by V Kaminski]

I actually tried to do something constructive with my insomnia and transfered to overnights at my job. Last night was my first night and it was well worth it. Hardly any customers, a relaxed work environment, and a two dollar an hour differential raise. I am working part time and will be making more money than if I would have stayed full time on days.

Sometimes it pays to be nocturnal!

Originally posted by anxietydisorder


It's not insomnia, it's a choice.....

AD.....I agree with you. It's a choice to embrace my insomnia and to try to do something productive with all of those wakeful hours. As long as I'm up, I try to keep busy. Whether I'm on ATS, reading, listening to C2C or just doing some work at my home office, I try to keep busy.

Originally posted by benevolent tyrant
boondock, I'm sort of in the same boat. I can't sleep either. I'm a chronic insomniac who typically gets less than four hours of sleep a night. Every three or four days, however, I will "crash" and catch maybe six to eight. But when that happens, I usually wake up feeling worse than if I hadn't had any sleep at all.

i am the same way....bout ev ery 4th day i fall pretty hard into it and sleep a full night but then i usually wake up with a headache.
strange thing is i have always been an insomniac like this but since i was put on the psych meds, it seems that even though i only catch a few hours, i am fully rested. before, i would have that half asleep/half awake feeling for several hours before i got into gear but now, i am up and at em straight away.

i don't do too much with my time in the wee hours though. every now and then i will fire up guitar pro and 'write'(compose) something that has been floating around my head for a bit but i usually take the early hours to relax.
i just ate some oatmeal with brown sugar. i cleaned off the glass on my tank cause it had water drips as we had moved it into the living room last night.

my back is always hurting and i don't want to start in on the vicodin this early in the am so i try and take it easy.

Originally posted by Boondock78
...then i usually wake up with a headache.

There is nothing quite like waking up or, better yet, being roused by the pounding, piercing pain of a good old migraine headache!

I get cluster migraines and, when still asleep, I find that I start becoming conscious of an "icepick" being slowly turned in my right eye. Suddenly, I will simply "snap" awake. Often, I find myself in a total panic. Blinded by the pain, I grope for the meds on the night table while I grit my teeth.

Yeah, nothing like a nice restful sleep, eh?

reply to post by benevolent tyrant


i feel you homie...
my mother, grandmother, and uncle all get migraines. my mother gets them so bad that she has to give herself imatrex shots...she usually saves one on hand for me.
my headaches are either little nuances that just linger and bother me all day or they are mad, crazy ice pick through the eyeball feeling ones that you described, except i get the extra benefit of being naseus too.

there are two things that help when i get those. i either call mom to come over and give me a shot and i feel better in 20 minutes or i ride it out and feel better in 18-20 hours.

i used to try and ride them out but anymore, i call her up.

i don't know if you have ever had an imatrex injection but it is a damn miracle drug for headaches
there is also an imatrex pill and nasal inhailer but nothing works like the shot. i can have one of the worst migraines i have ever had and if i get one of those shots i feel like it never happened in 20 minutes.

if you have a sympathetic doc, i recomend that you ask for these shots.....they really are a miracle.

Originally posted by Boondock78
i don't know if you have ever had an imatrex injection but it is a damn miracle drug for headaches

Oh I know all about imatrex (sumatriptan)....both injectable and tablet. I was actually part of the research test group that participated in the development of Imitrex and the other members of the Triptan family.

I found that I don't tolerate Imitrex well. It causes me some rather severe pressure in the chest. It can feel as if there is a three hundred pound dwarf jumping up and down on me!!! Thankfully, one of the Triptan derivatives, Amerge, seems to work while minimizing the pressure. Still, there is a weekly limit as to how many of these tablets that one can take.... unfortunately, I have more headaches than this limit allows. That's when I have to (reluctantly) fall back upon the pain meds more extensively.

I wouldn't wish a migraine upon my worst enemy. Well, ok, maybe my worst enemy..... still, it's not a good thing.

Originally posted by benevolent tyrant


I wouldn't wish a migraine upon my worst enemy. Well, ok, maybe my worst enemy..... still, it's not a good thing.

I agree I can handle pain quite well but fortunately have only suffered with a couple of migraines in the past twenty or so years and that was intensely scary,the pain was strong I was glad I wasn`t alone because I could hardly function at all.I cant imagine what it would be like to constantly have those types of attacks.The SO gets her panadine FORT for me when they have hit and I usually avoid medication if I can,they knock me out cold in 5 or so minutes.

Do you guys that get them have warning signs that one is coming? I think I do?,my vision becomes affected ( very seldom) like trying to look through scubba gogles thats half full with water its very strange,once that starts I head for the pain killers to try and stop it before the migraine kicks in.

As far as not sleeping I try and stay awake during the week but too exhausted to last past 10-11 o'clock,so if you guys want to sleep maybe get a lot of exercise?

Come the weekend I can easily make it to 2 am and if not I often wake up during the night make a cuppa watch some TV or come and have a read on the net,I love that time.

Wow, I never actually thought about doing anything constructive with my time at night. I don't have a problem falling asleep, it's staying asleep. Anyone here know of any good sleeping pills (over the counter)? I've tried some melatonin before and I woke up groggy and was half asleep all day. So if anyone knows of any pills without it, I'd be grateful!

Originally posted by gps777



Do you guys that get them have warning signs that one is coming?

not so much a warning sign but i know if i eat certain things i will get one...
example=i eat a hot dog and i will have a migraine. certain preserv ed meats like that are a trigger for me.

also, when i wake up with a headache, i can instantly tell if it is going to 'turn' into a bad one where i am puking and such.

Nightime is peace.

I look forward to the night as i am a night person. I feel safer, more content, and more relaxed than in the day time. I have to admit i do have to knock myself out at night with medicine, otherwise, i couldnt work or be a functioning person the day after.

If i had it my way, i would work at night and stay home during the day!

I play on the Internet, watch tv, listen to Coast to Coast, sew (if i can)
Plan the next days menu, read...and sometimes i do all of it at once!!
Nobody can criticise me either for i am ALONE. Oh and i can clip my toe nails without my husband rolling his eyes into his eyeballs and i pamper myself- use creams where no creams dared go before....Its just my time to be happy and do what i want to do!!!

I love the nightime, i love to boogey.....that song comes t o mind!

So enjoy the night and who cares if others are sleeping? Do your own thing!!!

I rarely sleep before 4am.. Drawbacks of the chosen 'career' lol

I find it best to replay dvds that you know 'by heart' you don't have to look at them to 'see' the movie..just listen and picture it with your eyes closed.Helps me drift off faster..

Of course there's the 'time-tested method'!!! nudge nudge wink wink.

Originally posted by Boondock78

Originally posted by gps777
Do you guys that get them have warning signs that one is coming?

not so much a warning sign but i know if i eat certain things i will get one...
example=i eat a hot dog and i will have a migraine. certain preserv ed meats like that are a trigger for me.

also, when i wake up with a headache, i can instantly tell if it is going to 'turn' into a bad one where i am puking and such.

This goes for me as well ... I guess that there are some similarities between migraines.

Sometimes, before I get a migraine, I simply get a "feeling" that I am developing a migraine headache. Nothing more than a "feeling". Ideally, this is the time that I would take a preventer med (i.e. cafergot , ergotamine -- but only if I have not used a Triptan in 48 hours--) or I might even take a painkiller before I start having pain.

Sometimes, before I get a migraine, I will develop a prodromal aura or other visual disturbances. Migraine sufferers report seeing "zig zag" lines or even actual holes in their vision before migraines. At times, I have had similar disturbances. My most typical cue that a migraine is on it's way is a peculiar type of aura that I can see. Objects will suddenly have an aura or halo surrounding it. Colors will be more intense, almost looking like dayglo. This can be rather disconcerting as, at this point, I can no longer safely operate a motor vehicle. One consolation is that I find this prodromal visual disturbance to actually be quite beautiful. I can see the most wonder kaleidescopic effects. Unfortunately, it also means that a headache is on it's way. Again, this is the time when I would take "preventer meds" or even begin taking my pain-killers.

And then there are the migraine triggers: like Boondock mentions, hotdogs or really any foods with high nitrite contents can send me off into migraine oblivion. There are also cheeses (particularly aged or old cheeses), red wine, some beers (for some reason, many migraine sufferers report that Corona beer does not trigger migraines. I don't know why this might be so but I have found this anecdotal report to be true, at least for me). A big trigger will be sun glare. In particular, the glare from a rising or setting sun seems to pierce directly into my optic nerve and I "just know" that a migraine is on it's way. Ergo, I try to avoid driving early in the morning or at sunset. Of course, this is often unavoidable but, nonetheless, it's what I try to do.

Even though there is a lot of research being done on migraines, there is still quite a bit about this malady that is not fully understood.

To get back on topic, ironically, sleep deprivation or, conversely, too much sleep can cause migraines. You just can't win!!!!



[edit on 1/9/2008 by benevolent tyrant]