it's 3am and I can't sleep as usual

[IMADreamer]

it seems like the only way I can sleep these days is to take a sleep aid. I've been afraid of developing a dependency so I'm trying not to take them. I can't keep doing this.

[haltz]

I stopped drinking for a month and my insomnia hit an all-time high. I've worked back-to-back doubles on literally no sleep. The couple times I've taken something, it either didn't help, or I felt incredibly groggy in the morning.

I'm back to feeling like I used to, where I'm on a 32-hour schedule and the rest of the world is perfectly happy with 24-hour days.

[Maclowery]

It's 4:10 am and I am just walking in the door to my place. Is that the same?

In all seriousness, my sleeping schedule is absurd. Three or four nights a week I'm up til 5 or 6 or 10am. (and generally wake up at noon, or maybe 4pm on the really fun nights). Once or twice a week I have to work a day shift, and I have get up at 830am. Which feels like most of the day-job crowd like getting up at 1am to go to work. I am so far removed from a normal sleep schedule, I am completely confident that jet lag would be completely meaningless to me.

Good times. Oh, crap, its 4 and I work at 11. Damnit.

[Vidor]

Working at 2 am.

[wart57]

Go to bed!

[jim]

My problem isn't sleeping, it's staying asleep. I too was up at 3am last night, but after a very restful 4 hours of sleep. With me i wake up and feel fresh as a daisy, and can't get back to sleep until an hour before i'm supposed to get up. And at that moment when I do have to get up I'm having the best sleep of the night.

This happens 2-3x per week and just pisses me off.

[lukethedrifter]

My problem isn't sleeping, it's staying asleep. I too was up at 3am last night, but after a very restful 4 hours of sleep. With me i wake up and feel fresh as a daisy, and can't get back to sleep until an hour before i'm supposed to get up. And at that moment when I do have to get up I'm having the best sleep of the night.

This happens 2-3x per week and just pisses me off.

I've heard that old people don't need as much sleep.

[Freed Roger]

I don't get near enough sleep (for a number of reasons) and this study frustrates me, because it's probably correct.
http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/stor ... magic-pill

Funny, the thing that researchers think happens with full sleep is people get a full dose of recuperative natural HGH.

Having been doing this periodic lack of sleep thing with tax season for a quarter century, I have plenty of scientific observations I could add. It's not all bad though - the brain is odd - mostly it turns to mush with lack of sleep - but occassionally in a sleep deprived-state, I get an epiphany and moments of clarity.

Or is that the heavy drinking?

[Freed Roger]

IMAdreamer - just roll with it. I don't do yoga/meditate -but I've heard that seriously helps.

[jim]

My problem isn't sleeping, it's staying asleep. I too was up at 3am last night, but after a very restful 4 hours of sleep. With me i wake up and feel fresh as a daisy, and can't get back to sleep until an hour before i'm supposed to get up. And at that moment when I do have to get up I'm having the best sleep of the night.

This happens 2-3x per week and just pisses me off.

I've heard that old people don't need as much sleep.

It's a good thing to because it doesn't seem possible to get it.