How can I make myself sleep longer?

[D_Bone_Steak]

I sleep a maximum of 5 hours... usually 3 to 4 hours at best. How can I make that longer?

I used alcohol before, but I don't want that to be something I depend on anymore.

I already lift weights in the morning, and do HIIT cardio in the evening... it is not physical exercise... I get even less sleep if I don't do it which is why I do more than the average person already.

Is there a chance this is just normal? I take a lot of shit about it from my SO (girl shit like why I'm not sleeping with her), and it makes it hard to conform to a society that expects their time schedules to be so ridged and cookie cutter.

Updates

1 y

I've tried melatonin... Melatonin gives me restless legs and arms syndrome. It's like smoking crack and then trying to go to sleep. Like I can't stop moving because the muscles feel ultra-energized when I've tried it.

Coffee is something that WILL make me sleepy and sometimes knocks me out. Caffeine anhydrous is in my pre-workout (Gorilla Mode) doesn't do that to me, so I don't know what my deal with caffeine is. I've only recently started taking pre-workout... problem existed before that.

Updates

1 y

I actually use Lions Mane in my post-workout drink. But again... only recently. The fruiting body only... not the cheap stuff. It doesn't seem to do anything for me... I just take it for my mental.
No electronics, and turning off lights makes me wake up the way I should be during the day. Leaving the lights on seems to help me get to sleep. Sunlight does make me sleepy, but once the sun goes down, that's when I get wide awake. To be honest I'm like a vampire without being a vampire.

[Anonymous]

It's important to prioritize good sleep hygiene in order to improve the quality and duration of your sleep. Here are some tips that may help:

1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

2. Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Develop a calming bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath, reading a book, or listening to soft music, to signal to your body that it's time to wind down.

3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine: Avoid consuming caffeine and nicotine, particularly in the afternoon and evening, as they can disrupt sleep.

4. Limit alcohol and heavy meals: Avoid consuming large meals and alcohol before bedtime, as they can interfere with sleep quality.

5. Create a sleep-conducive environment: Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet, and invest in comfortable bedding and pillows.

6. Reduce screen time before bed: Try to avoid using electronic devices before bed, as the blue light they emit can interfere with your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

It's also important to address any underlying medical issues or mental health conditions that may be affecting your sleep. If you've tried these tips and are still struggling with sleep, it may be helpful to consult with a healthcare professional or sleep specialist for further evaluation and treatment.

[Anonymous]

Talk to your doctor about Trazadone. You won't become dependent on it and it doesn't make you drowsy the next day, but it knocks you out and keeps you out all night.
That's what I take at night for PTSD

[jennifer_bloom]

Dr Berg says getting sun exposure during the day boosts your sleep wake cycle and helps you sleep better. Some people say sunshine gives you cancer but not getting enough sunlight also increases your risk of cancer, so don’t be afraid to visit a beach. There are also melatonin teas you can buy online. Another thing is, if your sleep issues are caused by insulin resistance, losing weight or changing the PH in your diet could help you sleep better. Lions mane mushroom might also work, but it’s expensive and I do not know if it works long term.

[jennifer_bloom]

@Dildօphobe that is only true if you get the lions mane coffee. Lions mane itself is just a fungus, not a grain or fruit.

[Apple1996]

Its probably just insomnia. I have the same thing but it works out since I'm up with babies all night

[NathanDavis]

former vampire here as well...

I just gave up on sleep many years ago... well, on the idea of going to bed and falling asleep, nothing I tried ever worked right (as in, never woke up energized or feeling rested)

what I did do is to focus on rest...

I go to bed fresh out of a shower, to the most comfortable (and cleanest) bed possible, and I focus on rest, rest of the body and mind... and I just chill, the perfect temperature is key for me, zero lights, none...

and then, I never think of falling asleep, I just chill and reduce my movement and any wandering thoughts to the less possible amount (or I try to focus on one thing only, because I cannot ever really stop thinking) if start overthinking, then I just re-focus on whatever one thing to have in mind

after few years, I did get used to this routine every night and I ended up feeling just great after sleeping only five or six hours, so this worked for me

the other solution I found was much easier thought... when I would just sleep with the one I love, lmao... but that's not always possible

[Levin]

There's too many variables here.

What's your physical health.

What's your emotional health.

What's your innate beliefs.

What do you eat on a day to day basis. Do you eat heavy before bed?

Are you on any substances?

Have you ever been able to sleep. What has changed?

What kind of job do you do? Are you stressed?

Do you have a good work life balance?

Do you have good sleep hygiene?

What do you believe the reason is? Does your body feel uncomfortable when you try and sleep? Do you feel that your mind is racing? Are you overthinking? Or you are peace.

Do you do any practices to get in touch with how your body is feeling. Physical exercises such as lifting weights are important. As is any practice that gets you feeling what your body is trying to communicate (such as meditation or yoga).

[D_Bone_Steak]

This started in the Navy. I did do the night shift only for years. I've been forced to stay up 72 hours straight with only 8 hours off for months. If it's mental... it has to be from that. Maybe it formed a behavior pattern. But that was over 10 years ago now. Mind does race, which is why alcohol worked, but I've gotten so used to it, that it doesn't hit very hard unless I get obliterated. I'm talking like an entire bottle of vodka. Don't suggest marijuana... that stuff will keep me up all night. Both Sativa and Indica. It makes my mind really race way too hard.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@Dildօphobe Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide... I think I was on a constant supply of that when I was a kid. From what I remember it was for my intense allergies. It never helped my sleep though... or the allergies from what I remember.

[Levin]

Well no I wouldn't recommend any substances cause they all have side effects. Meditation, tai chi or yoga can help slow your nervous system down and look at some of your innate beliefs. There's probably lots of factors though and as you say once behavioural patterns have been instilled they're kind of hard to get out of.

[lightbulb27]

I'd cut out everything other than food and see how things go. Turn off the computer/phone crapola 2hrs before bed and install "red" filters on both so your brain isn't jacked up.

If this is normal for you for only 4 hours, then its your body and some people are like that. I know people that only need 4 hours. actually, I heard Trump is kinda like that.

your SO is concerned about you and also being needy, so that needs communication and resolved so your feelings aren't being hurt. You are communicating that you are being hurt and it's not ok. The toughest man can be turned to mush laying on the street by a course woman.

[Anemone978]

Do you worry about things you need to do or have high stress? It could be stress?
I know when I worry about things I always wake up too early and it pisses me off lol

[D_Bone_Steak]

Sometimes... other times I'm really bored out of my mind. Sometimes I'm just thinking up all sorts of ideas. I think high stress actually helps me sleep better. In a high-stress situation, sleep is like a great escape from it all. It's actually when I'm just chill that sleep is the hardest to come by.

[Anemone978]

Interesting.. I have no idea.. unless you just want to do more things so your body won't let you sleep lol

[D_Bone_Steak]

Pretty much how it feels. I'll be laying there and I'll start with a base idea... like an alternator to generate electricity and then it sticks to another idea... magnets, negative and a negative or positive and positive will push away from each other. Then I start thinking of ways to create a generator for electricity. Then that connects to living off-grid possibilities. I get so energized that I have to start making drawings and that's what keeps me awake. It doesn't take long and I give up and I'm on Amazon buying a bunch of magnets and a ceiling fan like a retard. It takes electricity to push a ceiling fan one way, but if you push it the other way... get it stronger with a car alternator... requires more force, but there is ways to manipulate gears to generate more force with less effort just like the gears on a mountain bike.

That's just how my brain gets moving and just a short example. I find I can get to sleep better if I just watch murder porn on youtube or on crime channels.

[TooHot2Care]

….. Go see a sleep doctor. Now.

like right fucking now.

Right now you’re good. This goes on for another 2 years? You will fucking die.

[D_Bone_Steak]

😂 Damn! It's been over 10 years of it already.

[TooHot2Care]

Oh niggA you dead.

[D_Bone_Steak]

🤣 😂

[Jazzy54]

There are tons of videos on YouTube that can help you sleep through the night. 😌

[D_Bone_Steak]

I know...2 nights in a row though I've been doing pretty good. 8PM to 1AM seems to be my current pattern of sleep. That's 5 hours which is better than 3, but it takes intense physical exercise daily. Youtube and a lot of googling has led me to a condition called "Short sleeper syndrome (SSS)" .

[sheikalana]

Sleep disorders need to be treated by a qualified doctor.

[SirJohn42]

Turn off electrical devices. Turn out lights.
Maybe take a bath or shower whatever you prefer.
Read a good story or book.

[Anonymous]

Too much coffee? I can't drink coffee after 5pm or I won't sleep.

[SawerBrown]

Have you tried melatonin it works for some people.

[SawerBrown]

@Dildօphobe melatonin is referred to as the sleep hormone and is naturally produced in the brain's pineal gland. It helps regulate your bodies circadian clock which helps you fall asleep st night andcwake up in the morning. This is what tells the body to go to sleep as the light fades snd to wake up. as the light of day increases. Certain things disrupt thst cycle such as blue screen, using our phones to surf the net in bed at night and if taken at the right time and right dose the melatonin supplement helps people with insomnia fall asleep faster and sleep longer getting the rest they're body and brain requires. You're confusing melatonin & melanin which is the brown pigmentation that causes tanning to occur when exposed to UV-A and UV-B as well as IR -A which all come naturally from the sunlight.

[SawerBrown]

@Dildօphobe you don't have a clue what you're talking about so quite giving false information I didn't say melatonin was only on the pineal glad I said it was produced there. Melanin is certainly everywhere as it's the skins pigmentation.

[D_Bone_Steak]

Yeah, melatonin has had me doing pushups and squats all night. That stuff is what I imagine a meth addict feels like. It hits me hard too. I've tried it many different times from many different sources. I think that stuff should be an illegal substance for me... it is intense. Restless leg syndrome as well as the arms. I can't stop moving when I take it. It's pure torture for me.

[SawerBrown]

It doesn't work for everyone, you also have to take the right dose for you specifically and it has to be taken st the exact right time. We can't just go out and buy any strength ÿou find off the drugstore shelf.

[D_Bone_Steak]

@SawerBrown You got to understand, the more I take, the more energy my muscles end up having. It might work for some people, but for me it makes me incredibly energetic.

It's like creatine... people swear it gives them energy and makes them stronger. For me, it sucks the life out of me and it reduces my strength. Also novocaine or lidocaine (the needles at the dentist), it does nothing for me as far as pain goes... the dentist told me some people have a condition where it's just not effective. I'm just not like the normal human on a biological level...

[DermalPunch]

What's your coffee intake like?

[exitseven]

Getr some exercise but not right before bed time.

[Cute_potato01]

Jerk off b4 bed

[Anonymous]

Cannabis

[D_Bone_Steak]

Oh hell naw. Sativa and Indica make me tweak all night long. If I smoke that stuff you might as well give me a coloring book like a lot of meth users do. I used to smoke it with friends and they'd be couch locked or asleep in front of the television. It does make me absurdly hungry though.