Sleep. Oh, how I miss you.

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I seem to have weeks of very little sleep(1-2 hours a night) and then I have weeks where I sleep 8-9 hours per night. Are there ways to combat the insomnia WITHOUT taking prescription medications or herbal stuff? My body also wants to sleep during the day and be awake at night, no matter how tired I am. I have been this way since I was born. Any ideas would be great!

I believe this is evolution's way of ensuring that there's a lookout to protect the cave from predators, by giving some people insomniac genes.

Being that way since you were born sounds exhausting. Honestly, how do you function? The times of sleeping 8-9 hours don't sound enough to combat the tiny amount of sleep you get other times. Maybe some people just need less sleep?

Anyway honestly the only way I can think to combat this is taking presciption medication.

By the way sleep habits can change. I was a strict 9 pm- 7 am sleeper from the day I was born to when I went to college. Took about two naps during these 18 years. Then my routine was interrupted by force (of people staying up all night) and I started taking naps during the day which I used to see as "weak" and "not me" for some reason. (I guess cause I'm "supposed" to be a "daytime lookout.") Anyway I went into one full year of daysleeping which was horrible and now I'm back to nightsleeping with a few naps. All of this is to say you can change your inborn habits. But it might take medicine for you.

I was heavily medicated for the majority of my life, and when I wasn't, I was doing meth and heroin. I have been clean for over five years, but I don't want to tempt fate by taking pills. Plus, I just generally feel like a zombie when medicated. I have developed such an aversion to medication, I don't even take pain relievers such as Advil or Tylenol.

I am good at guarding caves.

I thought so!

Hmm. I see the problem. Well FWIW my year of daysleeping was prompted by a rise in anxiety and depression. Maybe if you could somehow lower your anxiety and/or depression (if you have these) you would become more of a nightsleeper? Nervous systems on high alert tend towards insomnia. Also I know melatonin is related, so this article may or may not be of use to you. It mentions a supplement which sounds a bit too prescriptiony for your needs. But anyway informative.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin# ... _disorders


Oh! And I got OUT OF daysleeping by... let me think... I honestly don't even remember. This is weird. Oh I think it was due to visiting my grandmother and trying very hard to be awake during the day so I could spend time with her and also not get reprimanded for laziness. The transition involved sleeping 16-18 hours per 24-hour period but led to eventually being awake during the day.

Thanks for the info!



I am in forced social situations with work and friends all day and that has some bearing on it I'm sure.

Your body gets its circadian rhythm cues from light. So, if you get yourself near bright lights in the morning and dim them toward evening, your body can get a better clue from its environment. Artificial lights in the evening often promote insomnia.

That said, does your mood change along with your sleep cycle? That is, are you more elated and energetic when you're not sleeping, and more tired and depressive when you're sleeping more? There's a mild form of bipolar called "cyclothymia" which tends to cause that sort of pattern. Sometimes it's so mild it doesn't need medication, but if you're really missing so much sleep that you're only getting 1-2 hours a night, maybe that alone would be a reason to look into it.

Try changing up where you sleep. Is there a comfortable place in your home that you like to hang out at? I also like to tire my eyes out. I'll often watch T.V. or play video games until my eyes are sore.

Oh, and I'm also an Oregonian.

I haven't slept very well ever since my wife left. Not even using my prescribed sleeping medication!
I can't say for sure what would work best for you, kraelik, but I do wish you "much better sleep"!
Even though I've slept a little better, lately, I still am having problems with my brain that say "more sleep/ rest needed!".
You've already mentioned wanting it to be all- natural. I've NEVER been able to sleep "all- natural" unless I was totally exhausted.
Are you sure some simple sleep herbs wouldn't help you? I've heard Melatonin works for many. I, myself use a combination sleep herb, and it usually helps me pretty good. (in my case, I know plain stress is against me sleeping)
The others who have posted here already have the only other answers I could think of that might help you.
Well, I do wish you the best of luck. I understand too well how it feels to go without sleep....