Anyone have any good advice to keep a normal sleep pattern back? I havent been sleeping at night for the past freakin month and with classes in the moring and not really getting but a few hours here and there youd think Id sleep at night but its just not working out. Ill stay awake until 4-6 am because I cant sleep. I dunno I just figured Id see what you guys thought and if anyone has had a similar problem maybe they have a solution. Thanks guys.

BTW I had similar issues when I came home from Iraq. Got a few weeks of ambian and that solved the problem. Now Ive tried Melotonin (what your body naturaly produces) and it just cant get me to sleep like the ambian did back then.

 

Are you just not tired or is there something bothering you that keeps you up?

I have sleep apnea and I used to wake up at odd hours after sometimes just a few hours of sleep and not be able to get back to sleep. Had a sleep study done and was diagnosed. Gave me my CPAP machine and I sleep like a rock until my alarm goes off.

Other times, I'm thinking of some problem from work or here even (sad I know) and my mind just doesn't allow me to go to sleep. When that happens, I just have to give in and work out the problem before attempting to go to sleep again.

Another thing that has helped me wind down at the end of the day has been my Kindle. I love this thing and often read for 1-2 hrs at night before going to sleep. It definitely takes my mind off of unresolved problems that I might have encountered during the day.

 

i only have to wake up around 8 each morning for classes. as for trying to sleep i find it harder to fall asleep when i have alot of things going on, stress levels are higher, lots on the mind etc. To help with that i go to bed earlier and watch tv before i go to bed, or cruise on the laptop a bit, really get into searching mindless stuff on the net or just get into reading a bunch of posts on the forum to take the mind off stuff.


anything unusal going on in your life now, stress, etc. that might be contributing?

 

i was going to suggest Melatonin until i saw the last line lol

an hour or so before bed dont go on your computer,laptop or use your cell phone much, the bright lights will affect your sleeping.

there are many teas out there that are supposed to calm you and help you sleep you can try some of those.

many of those teas have lavender, which helps relax you. they also have body washes that have lavender which will help you relax. they even have it for babies if you wanted to go that route

 

Do you workout or have time to do so in the evening? I know that makes me feel more relaxed when I go to bed. I have no trouble sleeping at all so I don't really know what it is like to have trouble actually falling asleep. I could fall asleep around 8 every night if I wanted to but I also get up once or twice in the middle of the night due to my 9 month old boy who STILL does not sleep through the night.

I do tend not to think about any problems that I currently have/going through. I know it is easier said than done though. I try to focus on things of interest that aren't stressful and bring joy to me. As dumb as that sounds it helps me to fall asleep very quickly.

Hope everything works out for you soon. I do know what it feels like to get little to no sleep though, and it makes for a very tough day.

 

Thanks guys. Yeah I have a lot of stress right now going on. Living arrangements changed very quickly/unexpectedly due to me and my ex splitting so that's causing money issues the issues with one of my teachers not understanding I depend on the VA for book money and she's just being a b!tch about it and a lot of other personal childhood issues that's come up since me and the ex split that I'm seeing a counsler for now. That's all stuff I never laid to rest long story and I'm sure you guys don't want to read all about it. But its easier for me to sleep during the day.. Always has been for some reason but I've always been able to force myself onto a normal schedual but I just can't seem to get a "normal" routine back since all this went down and I've started school again.

 

2 shots of whiskey and a shot of knuckle children

 

Can't drink hard liqour.. so that's out the window

 

Stress can royall F*** up your sleeping routine. Ive had it sometimes bad where it affects you while you are sleeping, causing you to wake up, etc.....When i have had to get back into a sleeping routine i try to make sure im in bed at a certain time and lights off, and to sleep at a certain time.....I find after i repeat this enough times i just fall back into that routine. When I have stress (or even when i dont) I lie in bed for about an hour or so and just do things to take my mind off of things. I chill on the laptop, watch tv sometimes. But there are lots of other things you can try, before i used to have a laptop i would read a book for about an hour or so each night, thats a really good way to take your mind off of things, if you find that after you read you just cannot get to sleep by that set time then just read or do whatever until you get tired enough that as soon as you set your head down you will be out.....Thats what i do!

 

do you remember how damn tired you were in basic?
go for a run, a good 2 miler in the begining and crank it up to 4 or so as your body remember's how to run. it will only take a week to have you tucked in like a baby again.

exercise will jump start your metabolism and tire you out. Run in the morning like you were used to, and don't energy drink it up during the day. you will find yourself natuarlly spent as the day winds down.

**BONUS** i don't know if you were able to pull any disability when you got your ETS physical, but sleep apnea pulls pretty good chunck. A sleep study is fairly simple to set up, and kind of sucks to go through (my kid has had a few), but if it equals continual pay for being messed up after being deployed, well...

I had the same problems re-regulating my sleep after both stints in Iraq (the 'stan was a blasty blast though ) it's very common. that 15 month adrenaline rush has to screw up something, right? While PTSD is for people who don't have friends, i guess what we do messes you up for a bit (who knew right?)

Anyway, if you want to go the med route, good luck, i stayed away from all of that crap so i can't weigh in there.

If you want to go naturally you can fire up the metabolism and let your body remember soothing exhaustion sleep OR just wait it out and suffer until you re-adjust the long way...

As for the test, very worth your time.

On a serious note: while everyone's experiences are different while deployed, it's nice to be able to bounce some of your s**t off of someone who can at least relate. Feel free to drop me a PM are download skype and shoot the s**t every once in a while. you'd be surprised at how theraputic it can be. think about it; slaying a couple camel lights out of the $1 blue pack while trading funny stories following the gym after hard day is how you got to bed every night out there, right?

i have also soaked up some counseling man. it's not a bad thing, just shows you are taking care of yourself. no different than cleaning your weapon after a field problem. anyway, offer stands if you choose to take it up brother.