Sleep: Glorious lack of consciousness or dreaded necessity?

[jewels]

Sleep. What a beautiful thing. Or is it? As I began to drift off last night, I wondered what sort of sleep histories others may have had.

Until I gave birth to my first child, I was a stomach sleeper. One pillow. Average firmness. No stuffed animals. Don’t even recall sleeping positions with bed partners; sleep came easily. With motherhood came multiple night risings and sleep came of sheer exhaustion. No thought involved. When I slept with a husband/partner, I’d sleep on my side, preferring the spoon position. Whenever I was pregnant, there was always a pillow between my knees and absolutely had to have the husband/friend touching somewhere (sometimes just toes) to fall asleep.

When I have a longterm SO, I still sleep the same way. But when I’m alone, I position and scrunch the huge, down alternative pillow so that it keeps my neck from cricking (izzat a word?) and raises it at the same time, allowing better breathing when I have a cold or allergy. I use the second pillow for my arm, as I sleep in this space somewhere between my stomach and side and it somehow keeps my arm from waking up stiff and pillow-imprinted. But when I have a man in my bed, the touch factor absolutely must be there.

How many pillows do you sleep with? Do you have a must position? Do you sleep differently when you’re alone? Has it changed over the years? Do you still sleep with your childhood stuffed animal or a vibrator under your pillow? Does alcohol change your sleep pattern?

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[Baraka_Guru]

I'm a back sleeper, but I've trained myself to be able to fall asleep on my side, as I'm prone to snoring if I fall asleep initially on my back.

We have these really awesome latex-filled pillows that provide the perfect amount of support, so only one is required. They were expensive but worth every penny. It's just like a mattress: if you spend the money to get a proper one, you'll know it's worth it.

That said, I consider sleep to be one of life's most valuable and pleasurable experiences. It's right up there with eating and sex. But as with all these things, if the quality is lacking there can be dreadful experiences and criticisms.

I myself am a very good sleeper. I only have problems falling asleep when I've had too much caffeine (and even then, it often doesn't affect my sleep) or if I'm nervous about something the next day, such as a presentation or air travel. If I consume some passionflower and/or chamomile, it helps immensely.

As soon as I fall asleep in any instance, that's usually it. I will sleep throughout the night. If I do wake up, it's only momentarily and I usually don't even remember it. In rare instances if I need to go to the washroom, I will fall back asleep in seconds upon returning to bed.

I have been able to sleep anywhere I've tried. I've often caught naps on public transit, for example.

I think napping is a lost art. I like to nap when I can. Actually, I'm headed for one now, so I'll return when I have more thoughts on sleeping.

Sweet beautiful sleep.

[tasineah]

I am an insomniac unless CD is with me. Somehow he soothes me and I am able to sleep. It is the only respite I have found in three years.

I am not in a happy space today...meaning a mentally healthy one..meaning a safe one to engage with others..so I will end here...

[Craven Morehead]

Sleep? There are nights when sleep seems such a foreign concept. Been than way for several years. Its stress. And it sucks. But half an Ambien helps on those nights. But to your point, I'm a back sleeper. And I've found out that I really need to insure that I am a back sleeper. I found out a few years ago that I have a slight deformity in my lower spine. If I sleep on my stomach, I'll have lower back pain for the next day.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by Craven Morehead

But half an Ambien helps on those nights.

I usually take an OTC sleeping aid once or twice a week so I can sleep more than 3 - 4 hours. Sometimes I'll sleep a full 8 hours on those nights!

[Craven Morehead]

Jewels, I've tried OTC sleeping pills (even started at thread here to find out what worked for others) but they never worked for me. Ambien on the other hand is a wonder drug to me.

[tasineah]

I have tried OTC sleeping pills...and ambian. None work. I take topomax that does succeed in at least making me sleepy but doesnt push me over the edge. I am going in on Tuesday to do a sleep test overnite. I am not allowed to sleep on Monday at all. Should be a hoot. I am not nice with no sleep at all. I know it has something to do with my PTSD.

[Craven Morehead]

Good luck tasineah, if you feel like sharing your experience in the sleep test, I for one would be interested. I went through a period of about 5 years of insomnia. But lately I've been sleeping rather well. I've considered a sleep test but never did it.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by Craven Morehead

Jewels, I've tried OTC sleeping pills (even started at thread here to find out what worked for others) but they never worked for me. Ambien on the other hand is a wonder drug to me.

Working 4 pm - 1 am really messes with my head and natural cycle. I'm a habitual early riser but due to schedule I now go to bed around 3 and wake up between 7 and 8 unless I take an Advil PM. I'm not sure if it's the antihistamine that puts me to sleep and have actually found I sometimes get a similar result with 2 - 4 Alleve before bed. Much of my sleep issues are due to sleep apnea and chronic pain, so I think that may be what helps, depending on the day.

I have no idea what will happen when I find out how my shift bid goes. I'll have a new schedule beginning early January, so that should be interesting.

I've never investigated Ambien, though. I'm scared to commit to a solid 8 and tend to have an obsessive paranoia of pharmaceuticals due to some prior experiences. Those butterflies are scary!

You should go for the sleep test. Most insurances cover it and it will help target the culprit. I found out I stop breathing something crazy like every 5 minutes for a minute at each interval. (I took the test several times over a 2-year period, but this was 5 - 7 years ago.) Lots of things definitely impact your sleep, sanity, memory and everything else.

[Ourcrazymodern?]

Sleep, to me, is a glorious lack of consciousness interspersed with confusing but necessary soul-searching, aka dreams. No two intervals are the same.
If I could spend less time doing it, I would, but having been sleep-deprived for years on end has made me value it more.

[snowy]

I have periods in my life where I am a very good sleeper and sleep is that "glorious lack of consciousness", but then sometimes I go through periods where my anxiety gets the best of me. I lay awake flitting through different scenarios in my brain, none of them good, drive myself crazy, and find myself unable to sleep for hours at a time. I am not a fan of such nights. Sleep is very, very important to me. It keeps me from turning into SuperBitch.

I am grateful that I start work at such an hour that I can afford to sleep in an extra hour or even 2 if I do lose an hour to anxiety.

[SecretMethod70]

When sleeping, or being woken up from sleep, it is "glorious lack of consciousness" to me. At all other times, it is a dreaded necessity. If it were possible and healthy to skip sleep altogether, I'd love to do it. As awesome as sleep is, the only reason it's awesome is because it is necessary. Imagine all the things we could accomplish if we weren't sleeping 1/3 of our lives away!

[jewels]

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

When sleeping, or being woken up from sleep, it is "glorious lack of consciousness" to me. At all other times, it is a dreaded necessity. If it were possible and healthy to skip sleep altogether, I'd love to do it. As awesome as sleep is, the only reason it's awesome is because it is necessary. Imagine all the things we could accomplish if we weren't sleeping 1/3 of our lives away!

This. I felt this way as a child and it's what often wakes me up way early.

[Baraka_Guru]

Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

When sleeping, or being woken up from sleep, it is "glorious lack of consciousness" to me. At all other times, it is a dreaded necessity. If it were possible and healthy to skip sleep altogether, I'd love to do it. As awesome as sleep is, the only reason it's awesome is because it is necessary. Imagine all the things we could accomplish if we weren't sleeping 1/3 of our lives away!

I sometimes think this too, but then I think about the brain and sleep. They're still learning about it, but sleep is associated with mental activities that we still don't quite understand. So far they just explain it has a kid of maintenance/cleanup/defrag, or whatever. Sleep is not just about bodily rest and healing.

This is why sleep is so important when you're studying. You remember things better when you've slept adequately.

So I guess this is kind of like saying that you can accomplish more if you sleep properly. Einstein was known to sleep up to 8 to 10 hours a night. He did some cool shit.

[StanT]

I'm the world's lightest sleeper. I get to sleep just fine; but absolutely anything wakes me up. Toss in a surgically induced case of GERD and I am up and down 3-4 times every night.

I sleep on my back with a 20° wedge to minimize reflux.

[SecretMethod70]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

I sometimes think this too, but then I think about the brain and sleep. They're still learning about it, but sleep is associated with mental activities that we still don't quite understand. So far they just explain it has a kid of maintenance/cleanup/defrag, or whatever. Sleep is not just about bodily rest and healing.

This is why sleep is so important when you're studying. You remember things better when you've slept adequately.

So I guess this is kind of like saying that you can accomplish more if you sleep properly. Einstein was known to sleep up to 8 to 10 hours a night. He did some cool shit.

That's what I mean when I said I'd skip sleep altogether if it were possible and healthy. It's not a matter of not recognizing the important role that sleep plays, it's me saying I'd love it if we found a way to replace sleep's function so that there is no need for it

[EventHorizon]

i'm a stonach sleeper

i think sleep is a drug. does it feel good? yeah but i'd rather not ever get tired thanbe grateful for the feeling i get for being untired. then again that might lead to not needing a bed, but then where would i have sex on a regular basis?

[jadangel]

I'm a stomach sleeper if I'm sleeping alone....I have a waterbed (yeah, I know it's not the cool thing to have anymore). I love to sink into the already warm bed, my bf spoons behind me most of the time the rest of the time I spoon behind him. I love going to sleep in his arms I feel sooo safe.....We sleep on feather pillows I have 4 king size pillows on the bed and a couple throw pillows, I don't like that much support so I usually use one, he likes a lot of support so he uses the other 3.......

[AquaFox]

I sleep on my side, must have a second pillow to lean forward onto. As a big camper, I can sleep pretty much anywhere without too much worry... I'm only really picky when I'm on a bed.

I've experimented with lack of sleep. During travels and adventures, I've found that skipping every other night wasn't to hard to achieve for the course of a week. The time gained by driving overnight was worth it, however after a handful of skipped nights, you'll need a goood nights rest to make up for it. I've once skipped three nights of sleep in a row once... each sunrise gives you a second kick to get you moving again... by the end of it, your brain ain't quite as sharp but as long as you maintain proper nutrition to go along side the gallons of mtn dew, you can still be ontop of your game and still drive quite well.

The first time I skipped a night of sleep was in middle school.. I fell asleep by 5pm the next day and was pretty tired... I reluctantly tried again when traveling one year.. honestly surprised the hell out of my self to see that it's possible to continue the next day as if you never missed any sleep.

[Slims]

Tasineh: Have you tried the Diazepam?

[MSD]

My doctor said he will keep prescribing me Ambien as long as it keeps helping; I'm into my third full year with only a slight tolerance building up that disappears if I do without it for a few weeks. A few drinks with it puts me on the fast track to dreamland if it's not working on its own, and I appear to have some sort of magical tolerance to it while still maintaining its effects.

Without medication, attempts at sleep start around 10PM, I finally fall asleep aroudn `, wake up at 2, and start getting tired again around 6, an hour before I have to get up.

[jewels]

Originally Posted by MSD

<snip> Ambien

How long does it keep you sleeping for and do you really not wake up feeling groggy? Would you be okay if the alarm went off before the normal amount of hours it lasts?

[bagatelle]

I'd just love to fall asleep easily and regularly for a few hours and then wake up refreshed for the new day. It's almost impossible for me to skip a night without sleep.

Currently I work evenings, which is no good with family, when everyone else wakes up early to school and work. I wake up easily during the night and have problems falling back to sleep. Hubby doesn't nore, but even his heavy breathing disturbs my sleep. I'd rather sleep alone in a big bed! And I need the room as dark as possible.

[Cynthetiq]

I don't like to sleep. Well that was when I was younger. There was always something that needed being done.

Now that I'm older, my body forces me to sleep. Often.

[ARTelevision]

We sleep for all eternity; there are a few hours of what is called "being awake" in our brief lives. We commonly sleepwalk through those. Being asleep is pretty much as good as it gets.