To Sleep Perchance to Dream.....

[NGONGE]

I have never been the kind of person that falls asleep on a sofa, chair or train. It does not matter how tired or bored I am, I just could never have a quick nap whilst sitting upright. However, as with every rule, there is one exception. My exception is that I almost always fall asleep in the cinema. I am not sure why I do this; is it the comfortable chairs or the dimmed lights? Regardless, I only know that I have never left the cinema having watched an entire movie or even knowing how the movie ended. In fact, on several occasions, my companions would nudge me to stop me from snoring or start an argument about the reasons for my visit to the cinema. Still, the topic of discussion here is not the cinema, it is sleeping upright.

 

I read somewhere (though I can’t remember where and would not want you to take my word for it) that horses sleep upright. Now I know that some of might blow a raspberry and claim that you could have told me that, had I only asked. But I am also sure that horses do sleep on the floor too (I just didn’t read about it like I did the ‘upright’ part). At any rate, horses are not what I wanted to talk about, sleeping upright is.

 

I have problems with sleep, I always did. In my mind, sleeping is like a bank account. I keep withdrawing sleep until I run out and then I’d struggle for sleep for weeks afterwards. I am overdrawn at the moment and have only been sleeping for three or four hours per day. Even then, to actually fall asleep requires the endless counting of the proverbial sheep jumping over fences (of course, I usually vary it and swap the sheep with camels, trained dogs and, sometimes, pretty girls). Nonetheless, sheep is not what I wanted to talk about, sleeping upright was.

 

Last night was one of those when my sleeping account was in the black. I got back from work, sat myself on the sofa and was ready to watch the Carling Cup semi final between Crystal Palace & Cardiff City (yes, I watch lots of football). The kids were running about and the wife was fixing something or other. Just before the game was about to start, I fell asleep!

 

I woke up two hours later to an empty room and silent house. It was only ten o’clock. I knew the kids go to bed by eight thirty and was not surprised not to find them there. But where was the wife? I got up and took a hasty tour around the house whilst dark thoughts kept on circling above my head; “she ran away with my laptop” (the laptop is my only valuable possession), “she went to throw the rubbish and locked herself out”, “there was an emergency and she had to rush out”, “she has been abducted by the jinni in the fridge”, etc, etc.

 

At the conclusion of my tour of the house, I discovered that all was well. The kids and their mother were all fast asleep and my laptop was still where I left it the night before. The only thing out of place was the jug of drink on the kitchen table. It was a jug, full of what looked like orange juice, and it was sitting proudly on an otherwise clean and empty kitchen table. Some of you might wonder why am I mentioning such a normal and routine thing. Some of you probably leave such full jugs on your kitchen tables all the time. That’s you though. I am married to an obsessive person who likes to put everything where it should be and would never ever go to sleep and leave a full jug on the kitchen table.

 

I was thirsty. Thirst is natural after two hours of sleep (I don’t think I am the type that sleep with their mouth open, though I never had the opportunity to ask someone to observe my sleeping style). Anyway, there was a jug full of drink sitting on my kitchen table and I was thirsty. The question that presented itself here was if I should have a drink from that jug or shouldn’t! What if it were a contaminated drink? What if it was poisoned so that the witch could run away with my laptop? I couldn’t just stroll to the jug and have a drink without giving the action itself some thought first.

 

I opened the fridge and had a look inside. There were other drinks there but, more importantly, there was also plenty of space for this jug to fit in. Why did she not put the jug in the fridge? Why was it left outside? And why did I suddenly have an unquenchable thirst for orange juice?

 

I thought about waking the wife up and asking her about this stray jug. But, since I am a sleep victim myself and know the value of one finally falling asleep, I could not bring myself to attempt such a serious act for such a frivolous issue. So, I sat down in front of the jug and thought of all the reasons why I shouldn’t have a sip (just a sip to see if it is actually orange juice). I couldn’t think of one reasonable objection, so, I had a sip. It was orange juice and it tasted sweet. So, I had cupful of the stuff. For the rest of the night, I carried on going back and having some more until I emptied the entire jug.

 

This morning, I woke up, got dressed and went to work. There was no mention of the empty jug or the orange juice! However, I have a bad stomach ache and my tummy is making thundering noises. Could it be the orange juice? Was it really poisoned?

 

My only consolation is that I hid the laptop before leaving for work.

[Bluelicious]

Stress

 

One of the main causes of sleep deprivation is stress. The link between stress and sleep is deep and can sometimes be a self-perpetuating cycle: If you are stressed, you can't sleep, and lack of sleep makes you more stressed.

 

The body and brain are not built to endure hours upon hours of stress day in and day out. Yet that is often what we ask our bodies to do. But unfortunately, today we live at a much faster pace than any generation before us.

 

The body and brain need time to recuperate and regenerate. Allowing too much stress during the day can make the body forget how to relax, even at night when you're exhausted from the day's events. It is similar to a baby being "overtired," and is not good for healthy sleep. Be sure to avoid daily stressors and take time to eat properly and take brain breaks throughout your day.

 

Diet

 

Diet is one often overlooked sleep deprivation cause. Eating a balanced diet is essential to overall health and sleep. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains, while avoiding fried foods and sugars, is optimum. Your body is still working while asleep and needs the proper nutrients to accomplish all of the delicate organizational tasks in your brain. Not eating properly can also affect your sleep patterns by creating problems such as obesity, which raises the odds of developing sleep apnea, or heartburn and related digestive problems that can prevent a sound night's sleep.

 

Caffeine – found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola and energy drinks – can also contribute to poor sleep. The best rule of thumb is not to overdo it during the day and to avoid caffeine in the evening hours. It takes less than an hour for caffeine to begin affecting the body and a mild dose wears off in three to four hours.1 Caffeine revs your body up while taxing your adrenal system, creating artificial energy. Too much of a good thing can lead to sleep issues. In order to ease caffeine-related causes of sleep deprivation, doctors recommend drinking no more than 200 mg (about two cups of coffee) per day. They also suggest limiting your caffeine intake to morning hours.

 

Alcohol/Drugs

 

Alcohol and drug use, drug abuse and drug withdrawals have all been linked as being causes of sleep deprivation and disorders. However, since chemicals work differently in each human body, their effects can differ from person to person, making it difficult to determine exactly how much a certain drug can impact a person's sleep.

 

It may seem that alcohol might help induce sleep since it is a depressant. While this may be marginally true here and there, overuse of alcohol can impair sleep.

 

Alcohol can cause a person to sleep less deeply and have more restless sleep. And the use of alcohol as a relaxant will likely only work a few times; the body becomes quickly desensitized, requiring more and more alcohol to accomplish the same sleep-inducing effect. This is why alcohol should never be relied on as a sleep aid.

 

Additionally, substance abuse of any kind, including alcohol, can alter body chemistry drastically. When the body is not operating normally, sleep will be impacted. Drugs and alcohol induce highs and lows that inhibit the body's natural ability to regulate itself, whether awake or asleep.

 

Smoking

 

Smoking has been found not only to disrupt sleep but also to reduce total sleep time. In studies, smokers have described more daytime drowsiness than nonsmokers.

 

If you're a smoker experiencing sleep issues, you might consider quitting smoking all together, though experts warn that sleep disruptions stemming from nicotine may not be resolved overnight. Talk to your physician to see if he or she can prescribe a medicine to help you overcome symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

 

Travel

 

Another sleep deprivation cause is travel. Many people travel quite often for work or leisure. Jetting off to a distant locale can be great for work or play, but it can be hard on your body. Traveling on a plane can alter a person's sleep habits just by introducing unusual circumstances to a daily routine. A nap might be taken on a long flight, or a poor night's sleep might be endured on a red-eye flight.

 

People also have internal clocks that run on 24-hour intervals known as circadian rhythms. When a person travels to another time zone, this biological mechanism takes a little while to catch up, throwing off sleep patterns.

 

You can minimize the effects of jetlag and travel by doing some of the following: Bring earplugs, an eye mask and a special head pillow for the plane. Set your watch to your destination time when you board the plane. Try to get as much sunlight as you can when you arrive to help reset your body‘s clock.

 

Overwork

 

Overwork and shift work can take a toll on the body‘s 24-hour internal body clock or circadian rhythm. Some people can cope with shift work, while the ongoing manipulation of the body clock can be too hard on others. People suffering from symptoms of work-related insomnia may find themselves falling asleep at work, while watching television or while driving. Rates of car accidents are higher than normal among night-shift workers, a group who are at a high risk for symptoms of insomnia.

 

Environment

 

A healthy, nourishing sleep starts with the right sleep environment. Use a pillow and a mattress that are comfortable for your body type. Be sure your bed is big enough to stretch out comfortably, especially if you have a sleep partner. Consider making your bed off-limits to your children and your pets; their sleep patterns may be different from your own and may affect your sleep.

 

If watching the clock makes you anxious about sleep, turn the clock so you can't see it, or put it in a drawer.

 

Reduce the noise in the house, or mask it with a steady low noise, such as a fan on slow speed or a radio tuned to static. Use comfortable earplugs if you need them.

 

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. It‘s best to try to keep the room cool and dark. If you can't darken the room, use a sleep mask. If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body‘s internal biological clock reset itself each day.

[Bluelicious]

There is a link between insomnia and vitamin deficiency. For some people taking supplements is a natural and simple solution for sleep problems. Natural solutions for insomnia and vitamin deficiency can help ease your mind and promote rest in your body. It's also a cost-effective way to treat sleeplessness without the side effects or dangers of prescription sleep aid medication.

 

Vitamin A, C, E

 

Supplementing with vitamins can help you to overcome some of the effects of sleep deprivation. Vitamins A, C, and E (remember “ACE”) can help you keep stress levels in check by regulating your body’s use of hormones.

 

Magnesium

 

Magnesium aids in calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles, which in turn can help individuals to fall asleep. Similarly, a deficiency of the mineral is sometimes responsible for the nervousness that prevents sleep. Magnesium deficiency hampers the ability of the body's motor nerves, which carry electrical impulses from the brain to the muscles to send the correct messages. Magnesium acts as a depressant calming the nerves and inducing sleep. And because Magnesium can make you sleepy it's a good idea to take it before bedtime possibly with with some calcium too which also makes you sleepy. It's a natural defense against sleep problems, and the suppement may alleviate anxiety that can prevent sleep, lead to restlessness, or cause waking frequently in the night. Some foods that contain magnesium are nuts seeds and dark leavy greens.

 

Vitamin B complex

 

Lack of Vitamin B2 and B3 (niacin), B6, B7, and B9 is linked to a number of health problems, including insomnia. Taking a Vitamin B complex at the beginning of the day can help treat insomnia naturally.

 

Melatonin

 

Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps promote rest. A deficiency can cause sleep problems and the use of melatonin as a natural cure is popular. Melatonin can be especially helpful for jet lag or for people who cannot sleep due to shift work. Older adults are more likely to be deficient in melatonin, but lack of it can occur at any age.

 

Vitamin D

 

Vitamin D is a powerhouse for helping the body stay healthy and encouraging sleep. Vitamin D helps the body absorb minerals, promotes cell growth, and regulates the immune system. It can be found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel, as well as in fruits and fortified milk. It's hard to get enough of this vitamin from foods alone or from sitting in the sunlight, so experts recommend taking a supplement.

[Carafaat]

Fruit juices are good for the digestive system and make you more energetic, less tired and sleepy. Nothing going on. Wifey is worried about your health.

 

Try some vitamine C vitamine suplements.

[Garnaqsi]

NGONGE;773084 wrote:

I have never been the kind of person that falls asleep on a sofa, chair or train. It does not matter how tired or bored I am, I just could never have a quick nap whilst sitting upright.

Same here -- until I've started reading this thread that's.