My heart really goes out to those that have any kind of difficulty with sleep. Especially people like Baka, that have had to deal with stress of it all. It seeps into other aspects of life and does so for the worse. I had to drop out of college last semester, not of an insomnia condition, but the lifestyle it can so easily lead to. I struggled to care about life in general. I chose not to feel responsible. Eventually all I'm doing is showing up for work late, only to support my living. I'm buying pizza packs and cereal for food, and not washing clothes... it was crap! But let me tell you, once one thing works out, your mood suddenly changes. And for that moment, harness that ambition and use it, go crazy! Keep picking up the bricks. Before you know it, you will have the lifestyle you've only dreamed of having. It takes a taste of failure, to have an ambition for success. It sounds silly that sleep can lead you down that road, but take one step at a time and who can really get something good from it.
I've always been one who has been super productive during the night. I've cleaned my apartment at 4am, worked on organizing DVDs at 5am and started breakfast at 3:30am, just powering through the night, rather than face a wretched 3 hour nap. For those that are just having difficulties with sleep and slipping into a crazy lifestyle, there are things that have helped me get back on track:
Naps: Limit yourself to 20-30 min power naps. They feel very refreshing and don't allow your body to get into a comfortable, dreamy state. If you try too hard to fall asleep during these naps, simply say at 30 min, get up and move on. I would highly recommend learning a thing or two about meditation and hypnosis. They really teach you how to relax and put your thinking processes in park.
Activity: Start doing some more rigorous activity. Whether it is running, playing in a sport, or lifting weights. 30 minutes of focused weight lifting will cause your body to collapse into a bed. I like doing my activities later at night, so when I come back, I can relax to music, a movie or something of that nature. This has been very effective for me.
Snack Time: Have a nice little snack before bedtime. Try to stay away from any sugar and caffeine, and look for more foods with protein, fiber and certain kinds of fats. All take long times for your body to break down so they won't have as energizing an effect. They also keep your body metabolizing during the night. Nuts, peanut butter, multi grain breads are all great (specifically for nummy peanut butter toast
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The Pill: I advise to stay away from any prolonged use medication, if possible. However, they are great to get you started if the snacks, activity and naps are quite cutting it. Melatonin works for some. For me it was strong and leaving me drowsy in the mornings. I've also tried forms of Unisom, which have a much more gradual effect, but seems to make me want to lie down over time. I also recommend talking to your doctor. Not all medications work the same on all people. Just be a responsible user and kick it once you have your new healthy lifestyle
If you ever need some pointers or just an ear, give me a holler! I've been pretty far down under and know what its like. If you know how to get back on top, its easy enough, no matter what doubts you have right now. It always feels good to be living a lifestyle you want.
Sorry for the speech, but it feels good to help out a fellow brotha or sista
EDIT: And if you get the chance, don't live somewhere cold. For me, winter is a terrible season. It sucks the ambition right out of you! 1-2 years and I'm out of here!!!
