Random Comments

[~vxn~]

 wow, me-that's rough.  i've had insomnia my entire life.  ex-i hope so, then i'll know it's him and not me.

[damfast]

when i cant sleep i turn on cnn. works every time. but then i have nightmares about these heads that chase me shouting the same things over and over.

 

[Palehorse]

I too struggle with insomnia, and it has only increased with age. I use an otc sleep aid every night, but there are some nights when I may as well drink water. For those nights I have a prescription tranq to knock my ass out, but I hate taking it and usually do not unless I reach the magic 48 hour mark without sleep.

The very real and sneaky danger about this is that it is a key indicator of that nasty freight train called depression. Lose enough sleep and before you know it you'll be severely depressed. For me that point is 48 hours, and when I hit it I take the magic chemicals that will leave me sluggish for 1/2 the day after awaking from the chemically induced coma. But it beats crossing swords with depression.

While I myself have not ever really suffered from it, I have had a wife that suffered from it big time. Because of this I know the danger signs and do everything I can to make sure I avoid it. I saw it drive her quite literally insane, to the point where I had to have her forcefully admitted for professional care.

I strongly suggest you try to identify a means to provide for the safety and welfare of your children on those nights you have to resort to better sleeping through chemistry; since it is the biggest impediment to your using the drug. Maybe an overnight at a friends, or at grandma's, etc? You cannot continue to function at a reasonable and responsible level without sleep, and rolling the dice with depression is NOT a safe gamble for anyone.

Sleep deprivation makes me a very ugly person to be around, and I damned well know it. And the longer it goes on the uglier I get. I am sure it is the same for everyone, with the main differences being our personal limits and thresholds for endurance.

It sounds like you have already brought a health care professional into the loop surrounding this problem, but I will say this just in case; if you have not you need to do so as soon as you can. Delaying it will only magnify the problem exponentially.

[me]

As a rule I don't really feel tired though so I just don't go to bed.  I have found the more active I am during the day the better I sleep at night though once I finally do go to bed.  Some nights I just plain have trouble shutting my mind off.  I'm thinking about trying some Chamomile tea although my daughter has told me it doesn't really taste very good.  Just the threat of it used to calm my grand kids down when they were moving to a different state for SIL's job and had to stay in a motel for a couple of weeks....LOL   What irks me is I used to be able to drive for 5 or 6hrs at a stretch with only one or two potty breaks without getting tired and now 2hrs is it and I'm ready to conk out but the minute I get in the passengers seat I wake right up....Hum, gives me an idea....I might go get one of those driving simulators and turn it on and sit behind the wheel when I can't sleep....

[~vxn~]

doesnt matter id i do nothing all day or walk 10 miles, bowflex for 2 hours, yoga for 1-i still cant sleep.  i can be dead tired-nothing.  im darker than most ppl to begin with-sleep deprivation isnt helping. 

[Sandy Eggo]

Have you tried Melatonin? You can get it in the vitamin section of most stores like Walmart, Target, drug stores. It's something our bodies produce anyway so while it aids sleep it doesn't produce any side effects. I take a tablet before I go to bed and and I can feel my entire body relax.

I actually enjoy insomnia to a certain extent. It gives me more time to do things....like play on the forum So I only use Melatonin if I haven't had good sleep in a while and it's taking it's toll on my outlook/personality.

[Exterminator]

I can sleep when I'm dead.   

[~vxn~]

i'm so tired-i feel dead.  melatonin can get me there-but not keep me there.

[~vxn~]

took a nap yesterday.  couple hours.  pretty good nightmare.  slept very little last night.  again.

[Palehorse]

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else
He asked once more if the jar was full... The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.  The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are
important to you..

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

[Henry Hawk]

i am approaching the 10,000 post mark.....my bar will be open shortly...

[Bo D]

i am approaching the 10,000 post mark.....my bar will be open shortly...

Congrats, Dude! Hey ... it's always after 5:00 somewhere!

[followsthewolf]

Go for it, Birdman!!!!

[~vxn~]

it is wednesday.  happy wednesday.

[me]

Gettin' ready to make an experiment for supper tonight....Sure hope it turns out good.