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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 12:40 pm
I used to sleep through the night. After time in law enforcement jobs, due as much to the rotating shifts as to the stresses, I developed some bad sleep patterns. I use doxylamine succinate a few times a week, because it knocks me out, but it leaves me groggy enough to necessitate doubling my coffee intake the following day, so most days, I average about 6 or 7. On the sleeping drug, I can sleep an easy 8 without waking. I am usually in bed by around 10 and up by 5.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:11 pm
(This post was last modified: February 25, 2012 at 1:11 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Did you have any reservations about using sleep aids at first (or even now)?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:15 pm
(February 25, 2012 at 1:11 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Did you have any reservations about using sleep aids at first (or even now)?
Well, what really gave me pause wasn't so much the sleep aids themselves, but the consequences of withdrawal. That said, melatonin isn't exactly addictive.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:17 pm
(This post was last modified: February 25, 2012 at 1:19 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
It's probably a kneejerk reaction, but I've dealt with pretty severe insomnia most of my life because of the way my skin crawls when I think about a drug that can forcibly diminish my conscious mind. Something that can literally make me fall asleep. Now that I have a bunch of kids I'm starting to wonder if getting over my initial reaction to those sorts of drugs would pay dividends. More sleep and I'd be able be a "better dad", or get more work done, or any other number of things. 
Sorry for a minor derail, it;s just not something that comes up often so I figured I'd bite. The circles I travel in don't find themselves at the water-cooler discussing sleeping pills very often (that probably doesn't happen very often anywhere, stigma and all).
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:28 pm
(February 25, 2012 at 1:15 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote: (February 25, 2012 at 1:11 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Did you have any reservations about using sleep aids at first (or even now)?
Well, what really gave me pause wasn't so much the sleep aids themselves, but the consequences of withdrawal. That said, melatonin isn't exactly addictive.
I try to stay away from sleep pills for just that reason. I also try to stay away from coffee because I can easily slam down three pots and not even notice...if I have to use sleep pills and tons of caffeine to get moving then I am fucking something up.
What do I do? vitamin packs and garden salad with lots of protein for lunch.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm
(February 25, 2012 at 1:28 pm)reverendjeremiah Wrote: I try to stay away from sleep pills for just that reason. I also try to stay away from coffee because I can easily slam down three pots and not even notice...if I have to use sleep pills and tons of caffeine to get moving then I am fucking something up.
What do I do? vitamin packs and garden salad with lots of protein for lunch. That said, if you need sleep pills, something is already fucked up. Of course, I only use caffeine on occasion (I've needed them much less than when I was in high school), and even then, I just use some caffeine mints (ThinkGeek sells a lot of them) and just take as much as I need. I have never taken more than the equivalent of a single cup of coffee.
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.
I was born with the gift of laughter and a sense the world is mad.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:47 pm
(This post was last modified: February 25, 2012 at 1:47 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Concentrated delivery generally helps to generate a more pronounced effect. Coffee is a very dilute form of a drug. Caffeine pills are on the opposite end of the spectrum. I can see a small, concentrated dose of caffeine being more effective than a cup of coffee...but then I wouldn't get to partake in the epic tastiness.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 1:50 pm
Mine changes all the time. I have intermittent insomnia. So . . . sometimes I got to bed around 4 a.m. and wake up at 8 a.m. Sometimes I go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. There was one point near the end of last year that I was taking four hour naps toward the end of the afternoon and that was all I got.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 2:12 pm
(This post was last modified: February 25, 2012 at 2:13 pm by reverendjeremiah.)
(February 25, 2012 at 1:43 pm)Rev. Rye Wrote: (February 25, 2012 at 1:28 pm)reverendjeremiah Wrote: I try to stay away from sleep pills for just that reason. I also try to stay away from coffee because I can easily slam down three pots and not even notice...if I have to use sleep pills and tons of caffeine to get moving then I am fucking something up.
What do I do? vitamin packs and garden salad with lots of protein for lunch. That said, if you need sleep pills, something is already fucked up. Of course, I only use caffeine on occasion (I've needed them much less than when I was in high school), and even then, I just use some caffeine mints (ThinkGeek sells a lot of them) and just take as much as I need. I have never taken more than the equivalent of a single cup of coffee.
Yeah, coffee is like beer to me. One isnt enough. If I get coffee its that big 24 oz and i slam that sucker in about 15 minutes...I try to lay off the coffee except for the very very cold days...then i keep a thermos of it to sip and keep my hands warm. Either that or full of chicken noodle soup, which is much better. Most of my work is outside with no protection from the wind.
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RE: Sleeping Patterns
February 25, 2012 at 3:09 pm
I've had chronic insomnia for many years. Fortunately, my work hours are somewhat flexible. My alarm goes off at 7:30, usually I'm up by 8:15-8:30. Doesn't seem to matter if I go to bed at 10:00pm or 4:00am.
Although I'm currently not using any sleep aids other than herbal tea, I've used many over the years on medical advice: seroquel, clonazepam, trazodone and others. Ambien and melatonin don't work for me, and I have serious bad reactions to lunesta. All of the OTC stuff makes me too groggy the next day to function.
I stopped taking all that shit after 3 years of nightly use because although I did sleep more reliably, it was difficult to function during the day. The nights when I don't sleep at all are frustrating but I think I'm better off without sedatives.
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