P
P50
Guest
For Ann and others
Ann,
Thank you so much for starting the thread on insomnia. I am so relieved to know that so many others here have this problem. At last I know that I'm not a freak because of either tickling or poor sleep.
First, some personal experience...
The drug <I>Ambien</I> has been mentioned. For me, it was a placebo. If it works for others, so be it. It did <I><B>not</B></I> work worth a flip for me.
My doctor got to the point that he just up and told me I was worrying myself into his office on a 3-month sechedule. If it wasn't an upper respiratory infection, it would be a gastro-intestinal something (digestion, then the mysterious abdominal pain comiing from a perfectly lined stomach; he took the picture himself). If it wasn't that, it would be a musculo-skeletal something.
It is extremely easy to tell another person to quit worrying.
I will pay any psychological expert who may be reading a lot of money if he can make that work in a balanced life. (Payment will be made one year after results are firmly established in a manner that convinces me his scheme works in real life: i.e., <I><B>MY</B></I> life !)
Anyway, I did the sleep diary thing; including breaks and everything. It was really disheartening. The drug didn't work. Benzodiazapines (I can't spell medical terms very well) became ineffective. Besides, with those, you wake up and you still haven't gotten a night's sleep. I quit them because of the danger and the fact that they quit working.
Second, here's somebody who <I><B>does</B></I> know something...
A medical doctor who decided to steer his practice toward the vitamin spectrum (along with the physical, sunshine, clean water, and other such natural leanings) has begun a lot of publishing. He sends out E-mail (which I get). He wrote a letter about sleep. He follows his science pretty closely before publishing his written decisions. My eyes were opened up considerably when I read that ten seconds of a penlight pointed at the back of a person's knee can alter serotonin levels in the brain and bloodstream during sleep.
Bad news: you'll have to pay 5-to-10 dollars to get any single letter from his archive.
Anyway, his name is David Williams (MD), and the site is http://www.DrDavidWilliams.com
Perhaps there's another natural health freak (not that I'm one of those, cough cough) who doesn't throw away his E-mails like I do.
Third, here is a little more personal experience...
In your local vitamin store, you will probably see a sleep health section with a few shelves of things such as melatonin, valerian, 5-HTP, chamomile, and X and Y and Z, etc..
Again, this is just me, no guarantee, but changing valerian and 5-HTP from a nightime thing to a first-thing-in-the-morning event made a major difference in my sleep.
I do not know why on earth vitamin stores are promoting those two ingredients as enhancers of sleep. For me, they are for pepping-up in the morning and keeping you alert and awake.
The three things from the vitamin store which do help me are:
-1- Melatonin (consider the suggested dose on the bottle as just that: a suggestion)
-2- Lecithin
-3- An EPA/DHA combination (aka fish body oils)
From the grocery store...
Diphenhydramine_H_CL (sorry for my sorry spelling of scientific chemical stuff, this is the generic Benedryl). You can get the generic stuff from your grocery store for way less than half of the brand name price. The liquid form tastes bad.
Fourth, here is what I have come to learn in my life,,,
The number one reason (not the only reason, but top of the list) I do not get good sleep is because I do not assign it its due and proper importance. I personally believe that sleep is the most important physical activity; yes, more important than nutrition, and exercise, and sex, and sunlight, and getting outside; and probably even tickling. Indeed, those other things are important (if not critical) but I still believe that sleep is more important than they are.
In spite of the fact that my brain and my body know perfectly well how important sleep is, and in spite of the fact that I have studied and practiced and know the factors in my own life which are positive and negative influences on sleep, I subconsciously choose (and it shows in my behavior) to allow other interruptions to delay this important event day after day.
Examples could fill a novel, but I'll just throw out three or four here.
[1] I know full well that psychologically, I need a minimum of two hours (3 is better and 4 really does it) of time without TV, without computers, without Radio, without reading, (and/or without whatever it is in your life for you) to allow my mind to release the cares of the previous day's load. Do I do this ? No.
[2] I know that the physical arrangement of junk and clutter in my own personal living area has a profound influence on my interest and ability to go to sleep as well as awaken. I let "other things" (if it wasn't the TMF, it would be something else) get in the way of really keeping any sense of neatness.
[3] I know perfectly well that a properly timed shower has a major impact on my night of sleep. That does not get the priority that it should.
[4] Don't ask me why, but flossing my teeth helps me to relax slowly. 60-to-90 minutes before sleeping time seems to be the best ramp-down period. This is frequently delayed until the last thing of the night.
If I will just do those four things, the probability of at least seven hours of sleep (and often a good nine hour stint) exceeds ninety-five percent. I do not claim that you need items [1],[2],[3],[4] in my little list of P50's needs. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if you have your own little list of factors that you know you need. For me, it is a clear case of irresponsibility. I refuse to turn this computer off. There's always more time (which is the biggest lie I tell myself regularly).
Fifth, I hope you and Drew don't ever have my problem,,,
There is no 'lee or 'ler in my life. Of all the causes of what's going on right now, I'm convinced that the lack of real tickling is at the root of most of the psycho-physiological problems. (No offense to the Tzar and the Mods, whom I'm sure understand, but the TMF just isn't good enough for what we really need in real life.)
Ann,
Thank you so much for starting the thread on insomnia. I am so relieved to know that so many others here have this problem. At last I know that I'm not a freak because of either tickling or poor sleep.
First, some personal experience...
The drug <I>Ambien</I> has been mentioned. For me, it was a placebo. If it works for others, so be it. It did <I><B>not</B></I> work worth a flip for me.
My doctor got to the point that he just up and told me I was worrying myself into his office on a 3-month sechedule. If it wasn't an upper respiratory infection, it would be a gastro-intestinal something (digestion, then the mysterious abdominal pain comiing from a perfectly lined stomach; he took the picture himself). If it wasn't that, it would be a musculo-skeletal something.
It is extremely easy to tell another person to quit worrying.
I will pay any psychological expert who may be reading a lot of money if he can make that work in a balanced life. (Payment will be made one year after results are firmly established in a manner that convinces me his scheme works in real life: i.e., <I><B>MY</B></I> life !)
Anyway, I did the sleep diary thing; including breaks and everything. It was really disheartening. The drug didn't work. Benzodiazapines (I can't spell medical terms very well) became ineffective. Besides, with those, you wake up and you still haven't gotten a night's sleep. I quit them because of the danger and the fact that they quit working.
Second, here's somebody who <I><B>does</B></I> know something...
A medical doctor who decided to steer his practice toward the vitamin spectrum (along with the physical, sunshine, clean water, and other such natural leanings) has begun a lot of publishing. He sends out E-mail (which I get). He wrote a letter about sleep. He follows his science pretty closely before publishing his written decisions. My eyes were opened up considerably when I read that ten seconds of a penlight pointed at the back of a person's knee can alter serotonin levels in the brain and bloodstream during sleep.
Bad news: you'll have to pay 5-to-10 dollars to get any single letter from his archive.
Anyway, his name is David Williams (MD), and the site is http://www.DrDavidWilliams.com
Perhaps there's another natural health freak (not that I'm one of those, cough cough) who doesn't throw away his E-mails like I do.
Third, here is a little more personal experience...
In your local vitamin store, you will probably see a sleep health section with a few shelves of things such as melatonin, valerian, 5-HTP, chamomile, and X and Y and Z, etc..
Again, this is just me, no guarantee, but changing valerian and 5-HTP from a nightime thing to a first-thing-in-the-morning event made a major difference in my sleep.
I do not know why on earth vitamin stores are promoting those two ingredients as enhancers of sleep. For me, they are for pepping-up in the morning and keeping you alert and awake.
The three things from the vitamin store which do help me are:
-1- Melatonin (consider the suggested dose on the bottle as just that: a suggestion)
-2- Lecithin
-3- An EPA/DHA combination (aka fish body oils)
From the grocery store...
Diphenhydramine_H_CL (sorry for my sorry spelling of scientific chemical stuff, this is the generic Benedryl). You can get the generic stuff from your grocery store for way less than half of the brand name price. The liquid form tastes bad.
Fourth, here is what I have come to learn in my life,,,
The number one reason (not the only reason, but top of the list) I do not get good sleep is because I do not assign it its due and proper importance. I personally believe that sleep is the most important physical activity; yes, more important than nutrition, and exercise, and sex, and sunlight, and getting outside; and probably even tickling. Indeed, those other things are important (if not critical) but I still believe that sleep is more important than they are.
In spite of the fact that my brain and my body know perfectly well how important sleep is, and in spite of the fact that I have studied and practiced and know the factors in my own life which are positive and negative influences on sleep, I subconsciously choose (and it shows in my behavior) to allow other interruptions to delay this important event day after day.
Examples could fill a novel, but I'll just throw out three or four here.
[1] I know full well that psychologically, I need a minimum of two hours (3 is better and 4 really does it) of time without TV, without computers, without Radio, without reading, (and/or without whatever it is in your life for you) to allow my mind to release the cares of the previous day's load. Do I do this ? No.
[2] I know that the physical arrangement of junk and clutter in my own personal living area has a profound influence on my interest and ability to go to sleep as well as awaken. I let "other things" (if it wasn't the TMF, it would be something else) get in the way of really keeping any sense of neatness.
[3] I know perfectly well that a properly timed shower has a major impact on my night of sleep. That does not get the priority that it should.
[4] Don't ask me why, but flossing my teeth helps me to relax slowly. 60-to-90 minutes before sleeping time seems to be the best ramp-down period. This is frequently delayed until the last thing of the night.
If I will just do those four things, the probability of at least seven hours of sleep (and often a good nine hour stint) exceeds ninety-five percent. I do not claim that you need items [1],[2],[3],[4] in my little list of P50's needs. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if you have your own little list of factors that you know you need. For me, it is a clear case of irresponsibility. I refuse to turn this computer off. There's always more time (which is the biggest lie I tell myself regularly).
Fifth, I hope you and Drew don't ever have my problem,,,
There is no 'lee or 'ler in my life. Of all the causes of what's going on right now, I'm convinced that the lack of real tickling is at the root of most of the psycho-physiological problems. (No offense to the Tzar and the Mods, whom I'm sure understand, but the TMF just isn't good enough for what we really need in real life.)
