Insomniacs

[Vitriolhack]

It does not happen often, but every once in a while, like tonight, sleep just does not want me!

What should one do?

Catch up on his Favorite lit Authors?

start a thread?

Masturbate, somehow, I am not in the mood tonight.

 

[twister947]

I write stories in my mind; they must be pretty boring, because it works most of the time. Also, I got a CPAP a couple of years ago. I sleep more and better.

 

[Vitriolhack]

I write stories in my mind; they must be pretty boring, because it works most of the time. Also, I got a CPAP a couple of years ago. I sleep more and better.

That is pretty much how the ones I posted were first written!

 

[Lost_Yonder]

suffering from chronic insomnia, i've tried a lot of different tricks over the years. The worst thing to do is look at your phone or laptop! I generally find masturbating works wonders - focuses the mind getting rid of all those nagging, useless thoughts that clutter it in the middle of the night. Reading sometimes works, as long as it isn't too engrossing. I also find playing out stories in one's head to work - but if you get to one of the erotic scenes, then it's a lost cause! Trying to develop characters, think through certain plot movements, etc., again, focuses the mind off the stupid stuff allowing sleep to come more easily.

Good luck! it sucks when it happens...

 

[Wild_Honey_66]

I don't really have insomnia, but sometimes I'll have a bad dream or a migraine. I don't lie in bed trying to go back to sleep, I get up right away. Go to the bathroom, take some Advil if I need to, have a small dish of cereal if I'm hungry. Brush my teeth. Make sure I carry a water bottle around with me.

If I'm not relaxed enough to sleep by that point, I'll take a bath. Wash my hair, shave my legs. Get out, moisturize, deodorant, etc.

The point is that I'm moving through a routine that is familiar. My body can go through the motions on autopilot and my mind can disengage. I don't do anything that requires concentration like reading or writing, and I don't do anything too strenuous. I might fold some laundry or tidy my room a bit. Maybe do some gentle yoga.

And yeah, rubbing one out is always a worthwhile option.

 

[Vitriolhack]

Another night, again trying to find sleep when the slumber does not want me.

 

[Hypoxia]

My schedule is rigorous. At 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM, I'm up to swallow meds and have antifungals rubbed into my skin. Insomnia is no problem if I can sleep at least four hours after each wakeup.

Something like insomnia used to bother me back when my body demanded a 26-hour clock. Meds (prescribed or self-chosen) did not help. So I take the easy way out and merely sleep when I must. It's like the traditional song:

I eat when I'm hungry;
I drink when I'm dry.
If a tree don't fall on me,
I'll live till I die.​

Maybe I shoulda took a night-shift job. Insomnia is a benefit there.

 

[quietlylooking]

Masturbation works best for me.
Second best for me: deep, deep breathing (inhale 5 seconds, hold 5 seconds, exhale 5 seconds, and repeat)
Third best: writing stories in my mind
Fourth best: Go through the alphabet with various categories. For example: A for apple, B for Banana, C for cherry... but you have to let yourself skip letters and not fret.
Fifth best: Imagine walking a path or driving or riding a bike you have traversed many times...
Sixth best: Get up, make coffee, and resign yourself to a long day.

 

[Vitriolhack]

Here we go again, another sleepless night!

Anyone willing to share hôte cocoa or milk with me?

 

[Wonderer67]

A few weeks ago I injured myself. The pain has made it difficult to sleep. I’m a very light sleeper anyway and have trouble sleeping. This has made it worse.

Hence, being up at 314am…

Checking the lit boards and pornhub.

 

[shewantsmore]

Im like that,feeling stressed over things,ive got used to just having a few hours sleep,if i lay in bed i toss n turn,watching YouTube helps or reading stories but when im like that the only real way to totally relax for me is to masturbate

 

[Vitriolhack]

A few weeks ago I injured myself. The pain has made it difficult to sleep. I’m a very light sleeper anyway and have trouble sleeping. This has made it worse.

Hence, being up at 314am…

Checking the lit boards and pornhub.

Feel better soon!

 

[Vitriolhack]

Im like that,feeling stressed over things,ive got used to just having a few hours sleep,if i lay in bed i toss n turn,watching YouTube helps or reading stories but when im like that the only real way to totally relax for me is to masturbate

I hear you on the deep tissue relaxation.

 

[ericalauren]

I have had a sleep disorder my whole life. When I cannot sleep at night, I just do the same things I do during the day: crochet, write, etc. I have read that masturbation can help people fall asleep, so go hog wild.

 

[CuttingEdge]

I cannot sleep myself due to brain cancer...

I use a program for sleep used by World War Two Pilots to get more sleep. It works wonders and I can be back o sleep in minutes if I use it.

I read about it in Readers Digest years ago, and man does it ever work.

 

[shewantsmore]

I cannot sleep myself due to brain cancer...

I use a program for sleep used by World War Two Pilots to get more sleep. It works wonders and I can be back o sleep in minutes if I use it.

I read about it in Readers Digest years ago, and man does it ever work.

Can you tell us what the programme is,im so used to little sleep

 

[Vitriolhack]

Can you tell us what the programme is,im so used to little sleep

He had me at pilots!

But seriously, what is the trick?

 

[sally_sparrow]

I discovered a podcast that works for me. It's called Sleep With Me.

This is a link to past episodes without the intros so you can get right to the stories.
https://sleeptostrange.libsyn.com/

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I had a trick recommended to me which, to my surprise, works reasonably well.

Get into a good sleeping situation - dark, quiet, comfortable. Close your eyes and think of a letter. Breathing slowly, inhale and, on the exhale, think of a word (preferably a noun) starting with that letter. Inhale, then think of another starting with the same letter.

Let’s say your letter was B. Slow, deep inhale, exhale thinking of a Bison. (It works best if you can form an image in your mind.) Inhale, then exhale with a mental image of birch bark. Then a bulldog.

Carry on until you can’t think of another word starting with B, then choose another letter and start again.

Don’t know why It works, but it does.

YMMV, of course.

 

[pplwatching]

Can you tell us what the programme is,im so used to little sleep

Here's what I found. This story was originally published on Business Insider on May 2, 2019.

For most of us, getting enough sleep isn't a life-or-death kind of thing. Sure, we might make poor decisions, but our being sleepy at the marketing meeting tomorrow is not going to get someone killed.

During WWII, though, the US military quickly got hip to the fact that if fighter pilots didn't get sleep, their poor decisions had dire consequences. Their mishaps included errors that resulted in their being shot down — or shooting down guys on their own side.

Helping combat pilots get good rest fast became a priority. So the military brought in naval ensign Bud Winter to develop and test a scientifically designed method of "teaching" sleep. Winter was previously a successful college football coach who had collaborated with a psychology professor to form techniques to help athletes relax and excel under pressure.

The relaxation hack Winter designed worked: After just six weeks of practice, 96% of pilots could fall asleep within 120 seconds. Even with distractions like gunfire in the background. Even after drinking coffee. Even sitting up. If it works for combat pilots, it will work for you, regardless of how stressed you are about that meeting tomorrow. Here's how to do it.

1. Get comfy
Obviously, if you're in your bed, this is a non-issue. But if you're out and about, get into the most comfortable position that's feasible (i.e., lean your seat back if you're in your car; find the most comfortable chair in the conference room if you're napping at work).

2. Relax your face
This is key to the whole thing. You have 43 muscles in your face, and they're a big part of how your body knows whether you're stressed. When you fully relax your face, you send a physiological signal to your body that all is well. It's safe to sleep.

So close your eyes and relax your whole face: forehead, cheeks, tongue, and jaw. You'll notice as you do this that your breathing naturally starts to deepen and slow.

Now make sure your eyes are fully relaxed. You have six muscles in your eye sockets; feel them all go limp.

3. Release tension, starting with your shoulders
Let them get heavy, and then let them go completely, as if they were falling down toward your feet. Let the back of your neck relax. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing any remaining tension (most people store most tension in their shoulders, necks, and jaws).

Now your arms: Feel them get heavy and relax, starting with your dominant side. If you're right-handed, start with your right bicep and feel it relax. If it's not, tense it fully and then let it go slack. Repeat the process with your hands.

Let your legs go limp. Feel your right quad sinking down, getting heavier and heavier. Next your right calf, ankle, and foot. Repeat on the other side.

4. Clear your mind for 10 seconds
Now that you've fully relaxed your body, time to power down your thoughts. (This is like that moment after you switch your iPhone off when it takes another few seconds for it to fully turn off.)

What you really want to avoid are any thoughts that involve movement ("I've got to pick up that dry cleaning tomorrow"; "Did I remember to put out the recycling?"). These actually prompt involuntary movement. You don't realize it, but just thinking about something causes micro-contractions in certain muscles.

Bud Winter, author of "Relax and Win: Championship Performance," has some tips for what to "think" of instead — and remember, you're holding this for 10 seconds straight:

First, we want you to fantasize that it is a warm spring day and you are lying in the bottom of a canoe on a very serene lake. You are looking up at a blue sky with lazy, floating clouds. Do not allow any other thought to creep in. Just concentrate on this picture and keep foreign thoughts out, particularly thoughts with any movement or motion involved. Hold this picture and enjoy it for 10 seconds.

In the second sleep-producing fantasy, imagine that you are in a big, black, velvet hammock and everywhere you look is black. You must also hold this picture for 10 seconds.

The third trick is to say the words "don't think ... don't think ... don't think," etc. Hold this, blanking out other thoughts for at least 10 seconds.

And that's it. When you have a fully relaxed body and a mind that's still for 10-plus seconds, you will fall asleep, period.

Within two minutes, you'll be out like a light. Remember 96% of combat pilots achieved success after six weeks of practice. These weeks of practice are a worthwhile investment, because once you have it down, you can nap and sleep anywhere, which will dramatically improve your quality of life.

And here's what I found on relaxing your facial muscles:

Happy face. Smile as wide as you can, hold for the count of 5 and then relax. Do 10 repetitions (reps) per set of exercises.

Slack jaw. Let your jaw fully relax and your mouth hang open. Bring the tip of your tongue to the highest point of the roof of your mouth. Hold this position for a count of 5, and then ease your jaw back into a resting closed mouth position. Do 10 reps per set.

Brow furrow. Wrinkle your forehead by arching your eyebrows as high as possible. Hold this position for a count of 15, and then let it go. Do 3 reps per set.

Eye squeeze. Close your eyes tightly and hold this position for 20 seconds. Then, make your eyes go blank: Completely let go of all the little muscles around your eyes and stare expressionless for 15 seconds. Do 3 reps per set.

Nose scrunch. Wrinkle your nose, flare your nostrils, and hold for the count of 15 and then release. Do 3 reps per set.

 

[AmethystMoonFlower]

New here and saw this thread, I suffer from Insomnia. Sometimes my mind simply won't shut off, but now I think I'm going to try going to sleep a little bit earlier and read a book. My eyes always seem to get sleepy anytime I'm reading, so I think maybe this could help me in the future. If this doesn't work then I'll try drinking some tea early, before bedtime, and shut off all electronic devices from distractions. I know the pain it is to go to sleep, especially if your mind simply won't shut off.

 

[Hypoxia]

Back in the day, Southern California insomniacs were the regular call-in crowd on a major radio station's Night Owls On Parade show, run midnight-to-dawn by a DJ who played Polka Party music on radio and TV in afternoons. The main sponsors were 1) gold bugs, 2) a desert realtor, and 3) vendors of Royal Honey, product of insomniac bees. Art Bell later captured a national all-night audience with spooky UFO stuff. Do honey and ET aliens cure insomnia? Consider Royal Honey as an aphrodisiac, and ETs as love bugs. The mind boggles.

 

[Vitriolhack]

New here and saw this thread, I suffer from Insomnia. Sometimes my mind simply won't shut off, but now I think I'm going to try going to sleep a little bit earlier and read a book. My eyes always seem to get sleepy anytime I'm reading, so I think maybe this could help me in the future. If this doesn't work then I'll try drinking some tea early, before bedtime, and shut off all electronic devices from distractions. I know the pain it is to go to sleep, especially if your mind simply won't shut off.

I tend to get into the stories I read and them, just one more page syndrome kicks in, pretty soon it’s 1am. Ah Well, at least the story’s good. Sometimes, I’ll indulge on lit site stories, then you risk being horny, luckily, I know the recipe for that.

 

[the_single_gal_unconfidential]

I hate that, waking up at 230, 3 etc -

I'll have a couple of cups of coffee haha. yep, relaxes me I think. plus I'm a little thirsty.

I'll watch some news - then when I go back to bed - I'll have the super deep sleep for 2 to 3 hrs.

I'll play ambient on amazon music for 30 mins.

 

[hotcpu]

Waterfall sounds or a movie on the TV i've seen a million times, Will usually do the trick to knock me back out.