Are you a light sleeper?

[K.C.]

Are you a light sleeper too?

 

 

 

I’m always complaining about not being able to sleep. I know a lot of you have the same issues... so what do you do?

 

It drives me crazy. I’m such a light sleeper that I hear everything. Every movement or sound in the house and in a big old house it creeks and pops all night. I’ve tried earplugs which just annoy me, and even tried listening to my ipod, but I wake up as soon as the song changes. (Those ambient mood sound things don’t work either)

 

I also have this habit that I have to shift sides, laying on my right to my left about every 10 minutes. That makes my hubby have to re-adjust his position too and he gets annoyed with me, but I can’t help it!

 

Sleeping pills don’t help! I fall asleep for maybe an hour, even with those elephant tranquilizers, I’m awake soon after and more hyper than I normally am.

 

This sleeping issue isn’t new. Working shift work hasn’t caused it either- it doesn’t help the issue - but I’ve had this problem all of my life.

 

So what do you do to fall asleep and stay asleep?

 

 

[Marzipan]

Awww... Sorry to hear that. At least you'll wake up if something is out of the ordinary is happening during your sleep. My ex was like that. I chose to sleep downstairs willingly just to avoid fights about keeping him awake. Even if I was in the next room, he could get pissed about me turning pages of a book. Grr... Sorry... I bet he couldn't help it.

 

I'm a sound sleeper. A bomb could explode next to me and I wouldn't wake up. Only things that startle me awake are alarm clock and cell phone and someone shaking me. Or a cat vomiting. For some reason I always wake up for that sound.

 

I don't wake up when I sleep walk or talk. Apparently I do both.

 

I get sleep easily. Every time we go road tripping with a car or travel by train etc. I fall asleep in minutes if someone isn't keeping me company.

[Dark]

haha, cat vomit! If there was an alarm clock with that sound, I'll bet it would be a best-seller!

 

I fall asleep as soon as I go horizontal, but I also wake up easily. Generally, not fully awake, but awake enough to remember waking up a lot and wanting to cuss out my bed partner for tossing and turning or being otherwise annoying. The funny thing is that snoring doesn't wake me but having a light on does. Go figure.

 

The last guy I was involved with was something of an insomniac. We tried lots of things to help him go to sleep and stay asleep. Here's some of the things that seemed to work:

 

1. having a schedule. Every day, go to bed (to sleep) at the same time and get up at the same time, no matter what

2. no exercise, TV, computer, or caffeine for an hour before bedtime (this led to a lot of snuggling in the hammock on the patio, mm, nice!)

3. talking. Yup, I would do my best to keep up a light conversation with him as he settled into bed with me. If I went to bed first, he was forbidden to cuddle, because moving me around would wake me up and I'd get snappy

4. only using the bed to sleep. No reading or watching tv in the bedroom. and, unfortunately, no sex after lights out. Good for us that he liked morning noogies!

 

Good luck with your sleep quest!

[Michael9344]

I'm not a light sleeper. I sleep through the night like a baby. But I'm pretty much alert if I'm the only adult/one in the house. I tend to sleep with one eye whenever I'm sleeping with the baby sis as she tends to wake in the middle of the night.

I also sleep lightly when I'm in a new terriotry.

I actually don't know what other advice to give to you concerning you light sleeping. I guess you have an extra-alert sub conscious o something. try excerising in the evenings, or a hot bath, or - from my grand mother - a glass hot milk before going to bed:D

[K.C.]

Lots of good advice. I have tried most of it.

 

Thank goodness my hubby is a very sound sleeper or he would probably tie me up and gag me to keep me quiet and to stop squirming around. If it’s a really bad night, I’ll go down stairs to keep from disturbing him.

 

Work makes it hard to have a set routine, but I do try to do the same things to keep a normal pattern. I also avoid the big no-no’s: no reading/tv/computer in bed. No caffeine before bed. As far as no sex after lights out…well…I’m not willing to give that up for sleep.

 

Thanks for the advice!

 

 

[Cia]

I'm an insomniac and I'm prone to nightmares when I do sleep. I startle very easily and also tend to get violent if disturbed when I'm actually sleeping though I've never hit the kids, just my husband. Moms are just good like that I guess It's a good thing I do sleep so lightly because my husband sleeps like the dead. With the kids as babies I'd have them in our room in their bassinets or our bed and do the whole nighttime crying, feeding, changing/crying, feeding, back to sleep routine and he wouldn't even twitch.

 

Honestly I just can't make any good suggestions to go to sleep and sleep well. We have music on but it doesn't put me to sleep, tv sometimes will be it depends on how interested I am in the show. Reading keeps me up. The best thing for me is to write, that puts me out like a light for some reason but then I end up with whole pages of k's on the screen from my finger pressing on the keyboard. (Always k's too, just that one finger, totally bizarre). My only resort to avoid the nightmares and laying in bed for hours awake is to stay up until I just can't anymore. I average 4-5 hours of sleep with 6 being a very good nights sleep for me. Then about every 4-6 days I am so tired I'll get a 6-7 hour night in. It's not healthy but it's what works for me and since I'm a stay at home mom those hours during the late night are the only ones I get with peace and quiet. I'll trade being tired for that precious commodity.

[Cyhort]

No, not really. And it's really surprising because everything needs to be JUST RIGHT for me to be able to fall asleep. I need total darkness, some kind of white background noise, enough room to be just slightly spread out, a sleeping blindfold, half a Melatonin and the room needs to be cool enough so having a blanket doesn't get me hot because I can't sleep without being covered up. It doesn't matter how tired I am if I don't have all that I can't get to sleep for hours. But once I actually fall asleep nothing short of someone shaking me or screaming through the door can get me up. It's weird.

[K.C.]

Second Question- For all of you who are such heavy sleepers...how do you wake up in the morning if you can sleep through a bomb going off? I would think you would sleep through your alarm going off?

[Cyhort]

Second Question- For all of you who are such heavy sleepers...how do you wake up in the morning if you can sleep through a bomb going off? I would think you would sleep through your alarm going off?

 

My alarm is right by my head and I usually get up to use the bathroom an hour or so before the alarm goes off anyway so I'm not fully asleep when it comes back on. I never use an alarm unless I need to get up early though. Usually I just wake up around the same time I woke up the day before unless I go to bed like really late or something.

[rustle]

If ambient noises like your house shifting cause you to wake up, you're probably not really relaxed to begin with. When I got a dog, I relied on the dog to alert me if anything was wrong, and slept better.

 

Aside from prescriptions for Ambien C-R, no sleep aids helped me, and I hate taking pills. I don't like to drink myself to sleep, either. I go through cycles of sleeping better or worse, and average it out over time. When I sleep well, NOTHING will wake me up until morning, but I always wake up before the alarm, within 5 minutes of the same time from one day to the next.

 

Getting some exercise earlier in the day to physically tire me out helps, as does light exercise like stretching an hour before going to bed. Quieting down with minimal stimulus within an hour of bedtime helps. Set your bedtime to allow you a full 8 hours of sleep or more.

 

Then, there are mental disciplines you can follow: meditation, Silva Mind Control, yoga, self-hypnosis.

 

Or you can give Rob a ball-peen hammer.

[TrevorTime]

Nope, I am a heavy sleeper. Small noises like a dog barking won't wake me up at all.

 

Second Question- For all of you who are such heavy sleepers...how do you wake up in the morning if you can sleep through a bomb going off? I would think you would sleep through your alarm going off?

 

I haven't used an alarm clock since high school. I just wake up automatically; it's almost like my body is trained to do that. Not drinking any caffiene the night before sure helps though.

 

 

 

[intune]

I'm an insomniac, but once I'm asleep I'm out. I've always been a deep sleeper, my mom said she used to vacuum around me when I was a baby lol. Maybe you should try sleeping with a little relaxing music or something, it might help?

[Benji]

I'm an insomniac, but once I'm asleep I'm out. I've always been a deep sleeper, my mom said she used to vacuum around me when I was a baby lol. Maybe you should try sleeping with a little relaxing music or something, it might help?

 

............... I'm @ 65% deaf and have slept through an earthquake that moved the bed I was in into the middle of the room slept right through it. but if someone just enters my room while I'm asleep I instantly awake up, must be that training I had in the service I cannot explain it. Insomnia, yep I still get that about once a month, as a matter of fact the last 2 days!!!

 

Sounds like you are wound up before you try to sleep, have you ever tried stretching yourself before trying to sleep? Starting with your toes and working yourself up until you have stretched all of your body then relaxed? My college Psych/yoga professor suggested it to us to enhance dreams once and it worked for me many times.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Benji

[intune]

............... I'm @ 65% deaf and have slept through an earthquake that moved the bed I was in into the middle of the room slept right through it. but if someone just enters my room while I'm asleep I instantly awake up, must be that training I had in the service I cannot explain it. Insomnia, yep I still get that about once a month, as a matter of fact the last 2 days!!!

 

Sounds like you are wound up before you try to sleep, have you ever tried stretching yourself before trying to sleep? Starting with your toes and working yourself up until you have stretched all of your body then relaxed? My college Psych/yoga professor suggested it to us to enhance dreams once and it worked for me many times.

 

Thanks for the advice I've been meaning to get into yoga more, but I just haven't had the time lately. I have tried stretching, but the only thing that seems to work is (oddly) drinking coffee. It makes me tired sometimes.

[K.C.]

I have tried stretching, but the only thing that seems to work is (oddly) drinking coffee. It makes me tired sometimes.

 

In hyper adults or children with ADHD, stimulants can actually have the reverse affect and calm them. I’ve notice that before too!

[Mark92]

Hey KC, I have around eight hours a week.

A bad past means I sit up all through the night, every night, and I crash on my couch at first light.

I also have to be up for the animals and chores at 5 am so its about an hour maybe two hours of sleep per day.

I'm used to it now and when I do feel a need I go out to my underground den in the woods and sleep deeply.

 

Good topic

[K.C.]

Hey KC, I have around eight hours a week.

A bad past means I sit up all through the night, every night, and I crash on my couch at first light.

I also have to be up for the animals and chores at 5 am so its about an hour maybe two hours of sleep per day.

I'm used to it now and when I do feel a need I go out to my underground den in the woods and sleep deeply.

 

Good topic

 

Thanks Mark. I get maybe 1-2 hours a night, then after a few weeks of that I CRASH and get about 5-6 hour, but that is only if nobody is home and I don't hear anything to wake me up.

[Tara00]

I really feel for the insomniacs.. A good night's sleep is so much refreshing and it kind of drives you to do things the next day. I look forward to the wonderful time of night when I virtually drop dead on my bed. I won't wake up even if an elephant walks over me. I can go without any amount of rest through the day and till very late but it becomes difficult waking up sometimes.

 

I used to be a light sleeper myself. So I'm pretty sure it's not how you are for eternity. Stress, over-work, lack of exercise or too much of introspection could be some of the causes. I hope you don't create ideas in your head for your stories when you go to bed. It might distract you. Do not worry about anything and try to feel that you will be able to sleep. It might not work initially but eventually it will. It did for me. Changed me as a person.

 

Yoga really really works. It helps you control your breathing and rejuvenates your senses. Take it seriously and you'll be free of the problem, KC.

 

Tara

Edited June 27, 2011 by Tara00

[thephoenix]

I can't figure out if I'm a light sleeper or not. Sometimes, I sleep right through my alarm clock, yet sometimes, the sound of a vacuum cleaner running in my neighbour's apartment can wake me up in a flash. It's quite annoying.

Also, placing my alarm clock right next to my bed does me absolutely no favours for myself and for my neighbours (or my future university roommate). I almost always subconsciously smack that snooze button, and by the time I'm awake and alert, I find myself waking up at around 11am-noon (depending on when I go to sleep).

[K.C.]

I’ve been talking with a doctor at work about my sleep issues. I’m gonna try a few things and see if they work- I’ll let everyone know if they do.

 

This last week has been especially hard working 3am-12pm shifts. Have a more ‘normal’ sched next week so hopefully that will help too.

 

 

<----- I want that to be me! KC

 

 

[K.C.]

Well it’s official and sleep sucks! I did everything that I’m supposed to do…followed all the doctor’s orders and actually did get some sleep if you call a big whopping 4 hours (almost) sleep…but I had the most horrific god damn gut retching nightmares that I’ve ever had!!! If that’s sleep well, I don’t want anything to do with it! You can keep it! I’m done! I don’t care if I’m the freaking energizer bunny and when my batteries run out I DIE! I can’t sleep if that is the result…no thank you! I’ll manage on nothing- or I won’t- GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR :angry:

 

 

[Audi]

Second Question- For all of you who are such heavy sleepers...how do you wake up in the morning if you can sleep through a bomb going off? I would think you would sleep through your alarm going off?

 

Don't know I just wake up naturally in the morning like 6 am or even 5. Don't know why haha

No matter at what time i sleep either early or late, i will still wake up at 5 or 6 naturally either with alarm or not :S weird huh?

[thephoenix]

Don't know I just wake up naturally in the morning like 6 am or even 5. Don't know why haha

No matter at what time i sleep either early or late, i will still wake up at 5 or 6 naturally either with alarm or not :S weird huh?

 

not weird at all.

 

I used to do that all the time when I had a fixed consistent morning schedule. Lasted a couple weeks after said schedule ended too...

 

it's called the circadian rhythm or something...

Edited July 7, 2011 by thephoenix

[littlebuddy]

I am a horrible sleeper. Can't fall asleep fast enough, can't stay asleep and then I wake up early in the morning groggy as heck. Nothing really seems to help, so I feel for you! My weirdest out of body experience was when I was asleep and dreaming that I was sitting next to me, and my sleep version dream-me said, "You need to wake up now." And I did, wide awake and horrified.

 

I hear mallets help, but I'm afraid of the bumps.

 

lb.

[JohnN53]

Second Question- For all of you who are such heavy sleepers...how do you wake up in the morning if you can sleep through a bomb going off? I would think you would sleep through your alarm going off?

 

I'm a relatively heavy sleeper but I can wake myself up whenever I want to. I just tell myself what time I want to wake up and I do, maybe a few minutes early. I worked on this skill during high school and college, and it is ingrained in me by now. Unless I have to do something extreme like wake up at 3:45 AM for a plane flight, I haven't used an alarm clock for decades.