Tired but can't sleep. why?

[clarisse]

This may be a stupid question but since I am experiencing right now why not ask?

Why is it that sometimes when you are extremely tired you just can't fall asleep?

[Lance]

I wish I knew. I don't acutally sleep much.

[DV8 2XL]

Mostly it is stress or worry that causes classic insomnia. But there may be other medical reasons.

[EverCurious]

lol, beats me, maybe it was something you ate, its possible that your body is metabolizing certain foods, and maybe creating chemical imbalances in your brain that keep you from sleeping...lol, don't cite me as a source, this is almost 75% bullshit (in the sense that i honestly don't have a clue and i'm just guessing)

[Peels]

Because the primary function of sleep is not for rest, tiredness does not always lead to sleepiness.

 

To fall asleep, you need to meet three conditions: lowering the sensory input level below a threshold; stop motor output; and lowering the activity of the conscious brain below a threshold. It is usually easy to meet the first two. However, the third one is sometimes hard to satisfy, especially when under high stress. As DV8 2XL put it, "Mostly it is stress or worry that causes classic insomnia."

[clarisse]

Your answer makes a lor of sense. Thanks.

 

Because the primary function of sleep is not for rest, tiredness does not always lead to sleepiness.

 

What is the primary function of sleep?

[Peels]

What is the primary function of sleep?

 

My understanding is for memory processing.

[Royston]

This may be a stupid question but since I am experiencing right now why not ask?

Why is it that sometimes when you are extremely tired you just can't fall asleep?

 

Well a few hints for getting to sleep - I have the same problem most nights just because I find it's a good time to think (with little external distractions.)

 

Try to eat 5 hours before you go to bed...eating can make you feel tired as your using energy to digest et.c but it's likely to keep you awake if you eat a couple of hours before going to sleep.

 

If you don't do enough exercise during the day, your brain has plenty of excess energy to run on...don't exercise before going to sleep due to the release of adrenaline.

 

Tip I've learnt...don't panic about not sleeping, don't worry about how tired you'll be the next day, a few hours is better than nothing, and turn the clock away so your're not aware of what time it is, that's the worse thing to do is lie there staring at the time.

 

Sounds a bit crude - but masturbation or sex will help you nod off, especially if your a bloke.

 

Don't drink too much water before going to sleep either...just a sip so your not dehydrated.

 

If you can't get to sleep you may as well make use of your time...be productive and get rid of all that excess energy by doing homework or something similar.

 

If something is bothering you, it can certainly keep you awake...tell yourself that there's nothing you can do about it lying in bed, or if it's a personal problem, that you'll be able to think about it much more clearly after some rest...rather than going over and over about it in your head, this won't get you anywhere if you have the added stress of trying to get to sleep, try to be rational, and try to relax.

 

When my sister had insomnia my Doctor suggested going through the alphabet and trying to name as many animals for each letter...didn't work for me personally when I tried it, but it worked for her...give it a shot.

[ed84c]

Yeh i agree with exersize, it helps me. I like the radio on, but if its a particulairly bad night, and I need to get to sleep (like exam the next morning) it can get frustrating as you are told what time it is all the time. The big problem is thinking about things too much i find, but for that i still havent found a cure....

[coenobyte]

The longest I have gone without sleep is 21 consecutive days. Nobody believes me but it's true. I was pretty well gone by that time - brain not functioning, hallucinating, seeing my dead relatives round the foot of my bed. Not a nice experience.

 

I have had serious insomnia for over 20 years and have been on benzodiazepams all that time. I now take 10 temazepams a night, although they're not working, as I haven't slept in 6 days and counting. My doctor thinks thay may be having a paradoxical effect - sometimes you can get so used to them that they actually start to keep you awake, so he's trying to cut my dosage down gradually.

 

As to why I can't sleep - I have an extremely active mind that just won't shut up day or night - I only need it to be quiet for 5 seconds and I will fall asleep, but can I manage it? - no way.

 

I'm going to pursue meditation next, as this can lead to a better control of the mind and could be the solution.

 

Keep you fingers crossed for me.

[tejaswini]

ur are in serious trouble. 21 days without sleep ?.........u must try to shut ur mind, u can have an active mind but this is just so -----(lack of right word due to shock).any way best of luck.

[Blunt]

maybe its because you dont have the right mindset

 

ive always lived on 3-4 hours of sleep each night even tho i was tired out both psycically and mentally..

 

but instead of saying "im so tired i really need to sleep or i will be nowhere near fresh when i wake up."

 

try and an hour before you need to go to sleep tell yourself "i am feeling a little tired now better go to sleep. and i will be pefectly well rested when i wake up in the morning"

 

helped me get the upper hand in sleeping, now i get 6-7 hours of sleep and wake up before my alarm clock.

[herpguy]

If you are excited about something, it's harder to fall asleep.

[gcol]

I agree with Snail's observations and tips, here are a couple that have worked for me, albeit temporarily (see later).

 

Imagine sculling smoothly, rythmically, and slowly along a quiet river, counting the strokes.

 

Slow down your breathing, and at the end of each exhalation, concentrate on relaxing individual parts of the body, beginning with feet. I find that shoulders and face are the last to fully relax, they tend to tense in sympathy with unresolved thoughts.

 

Strangely, over the years (I am not chronically aflicted) various tricks have worked for a time, then gradually lost eficatiousness, as if my body is wiseing up and saying "you cant catch me out like that forever!"

 

The slow breathing and targeted relaxation, however, are still working.

[Edtharan]

The longest I have gone without sleep is 21 consecutive days. Nobody believes me but it's true.

Lack of sleep will kill you faster than lack of food.

 

One method I use when I have trouble trying to sleep is to try to picture in my minds eye a blank sheet of paper. I find that this helps to quiet my mind when it is raceing with all sorts of thoughts. Focusing on this one image can also be mentaly draining, which can help you sleep.

 

If you find your mind wnadering, don't get frustrated. Just bring the image of the blank sheet of paper back into your minds eye.

 

I suffer from a chronic injury, a dislocated shoulder, that interupts my sleep (its hard to sleep what your shoulder just dislocated 5 min ago) and this has helped me get to sleep even through this. So give it a try and hopefully it can help.

[Hegemony]

The longest I have gone without sleep is 21 consecutive days. Nobody believes me but it's true. I was pretty well gone by that time - brain not functioning' date=' hallucinating, seeing my dead relatives round the foot of my bed. Not a nice experience.

 

I have had serious insomnia for over 20 years and have been on benzodiazepams all that time. I now take 10 temazepams a night, although they're not working, as I haven't slept in 6 days and counting. My doctor thinks thay may be having a paradoxical effect - sometimes you can get so used to them that they actually start to keep you awake, so he's trying to cut my dosage down gradually.

 

As to why I can't sleep - I have an extremely active mind that just won't shut up day or night - I only need it to be quiet for 5 seconds and I will fall asleep, but can I manage it? - no way.

 

I'm going to pursue meditation next, as this can lead to a better control of the mind and could be the solution.

 

Keep you fingers crossed for me.[/quote']

 

Maybe you have fatal familial insomnia. What a downer that would be. It's a prion disease. Usually happens all at once though.

[LunarTick]

In many ways I agree with what 'Snail' has to say but I myself find that a swift dab of chloroform followed by a hasty sprint face first into a near by door frame always does the job.... Of course you can attempt this whilst masturbating furiously... Hopefully a fellow house mate will tuck in.

[susu]

we all hav sleepless nites once in a while. Stress, anxiousness, mood all play part. If your inability to sleep occurs often, or is prolonged, then there might be an underlying medical condition and its probably better to see a doctor. Otherwise js try to relax before goin to bed; i find takin a long bath before bed helps. I also agree with gcol´s relaxation technique, ive used it many times and it does help.

[KFC]

When I think about my legs they get very itchy. But it goes when I move them. Does anyone knows what this is ?

[susu]

When I think about my legs they get very itchy. But it goes when I move them. Does anyone knows what this is ?

 

Solution: dont think about your legs!

[gcol]

When I think about my legs they get very itchy. But it goes when I move them. Does anyone knows what this is ?

 

Check out "restless leg(s) syndrome". You may have a known problem.