@Cerridwyn Coffee doesn’t really affect me one way or the other for tiredness, but a cup of coffee before bed seems to help me sleep more deeply if I do fall asleep.
@Cerridwyn@FightingMongoos
If I have any caffeine (espically coffee) after 2 I’m up all night. Sometimes I can get away with having a Dr Pepper at 4 if I’m gonna be moving a lot. Coffee and pop is a treat to me anymore. If the sugar in non caffeinated pop will keep me up.
@Star2236@yakkoTDI hey you know call it what works for you. My aunt always called it pop. My father’s family grew up in Illinois and she later moved to wisconsin. I’m a California girl it’s always been actually Coke more than soda even though Coke means Cola
@tweezak I knew someone who used to take aspirin, thinking it helped her sleep. Since I’d never heard of it working for that (unless you had a headache before bed), I always thought maybe it was psychological. Do you know how aspirin works to help with sleep or are you feeling a cause/effect?
@ItalianScallion Basically for me it just helps to numb the various aches that are keeping me from getting comfortable. Maybe it’s a placebo but it seems to help.
@tweezak The combination of those two works wonders. Some of my dentists at the Tufts Dental School Clinic recommend that over opioids for dental paint. No surprise because acetaminophen (paracetamol for the Europeans here) works on pain and ibuprofen on inflammation (and pain, in a different way, I think).
@ItalianScallion Some good guidance I got from a doctor one time: since you are only supposed to take Tylenol every six hours and Advil every six hours, take both but offset by 3 hours. That way you get the benefit of taking both concurrently without exceeding the daily dose.
Magnesium. The ONLY thing I recently found after decades of suffering from Restless Leg Syndrome, jerking me awake constantly as I try to go to sleep, Nothing I did physically to restrain the convulsions worked, shy of standing up. Taking one before bed (glycinate) seems to calm down the legs/cramps/spasms, and I can fall asleep normally.
Quinine is supposed to help with RLS. Google Relaxing your Tongue. Sounds weird, but makes sense and works… So does Benadryl (Diphenhydramine_is much cheaper. Same drug, just Generic. Actually helps me with any allergies next day. I am wearing a T-Shirt right now that Says Allergies, (Looks like Benadryl Logo) Because Nature Pretty Much Hates You.
Realistically a couple 1 mg melatonin, 2 “Benadryl” and 2 ibuprofen after wearing myself out all day and going to bed on time a few days in a row helps reset my clock/rhythm.
And of course now that I just got there this week was up all night doing a deployment and rolling into a major one because yay there is a three day weekend so. Time to do prod lol.
Thankfully the prod one just impacts my cycles… Not my system. As long as they don’t roll back. But still. Have to be around to manage crap
@pskemp2 12mg doxy + 3mg melatonin gives me a good night’s rest. But I only use it a couple times a month because of possible connection of first-gen antihistamines and dementia.
I found a particular video with train sounds on YouTube that I use sometimes when I can’t sleep. The video doesn’t matter, of course; it’s the audio. It’s here if anyone wants to try it.
Speaking of trains, part of my cross-country Amtrak train trip next month includes getting to do the Boston-DC route on the new NextGen Acela trains!
@ItalianScallion a fair number of people from the I’m not sure where East somewhere before Illinois Easter on the Eastern side. Came to worldcon. Via train. They arrived almost a day late.
@Cerridwyn I think the latest an Amtrak train has ever been for me was eight hours (or maybe more–I don’t remember exactly because I took a nap.). That was the Lake Shore Liimited from Chicago to Boston. Apparently the train hit something, maybe a vehicle, on the track–plus there was some maintenance issue(s) along the way too. The usual suspect, freight train interference, usually isn’t much of a problem on the eastern routes.
@Thumperchick same! Well if my insomnia gets really bad, then even that is moot. I have a pomegranate edible that is 40mg CBD and 10mg THC. The trick is, I have to go to bed with no stimulation within 30-60 minutes of taking it, or I get silly and distracted and don’t go to sleep. My brain is a very strange place.
@sillyheathen the gummies I have go from 0 to sleep in about 30 minutes.
Insomnia still hits, but for most days, half a gummy is perfect to help me sleep and wake up 6-8 hrs later in less baseline pain. (Yay autoimmune disorders!)
@Thumperchick I feel you sister! Errrmahgerrrd. I know this is so random but I thought about the ornaments I sent you and I wanted to see if you’ve seen the new Alien Earth series?!?!? Also now I’m questioning whether I sent you an Alien ornament. But I think I did. I know I made Alien themed magnets that two other folks I shan’t name loved.
@sillyheathen@Thumperchick I tried some CBD oil once as a sleep aid. It was a tiny vial (maybe a few mL) that was 5 or 6 bucks. It made me feel about the same as if I had drunk 1/2 glass of wine. Not very effective for me.
I actually don’t have any trouble initially going to sleep - it’s the staying asleep that is a problem.
@Thumperchick well bollocks. I’m sorry. Maybe it was Riotdemon. Now I feel like an asshole. That just means I’ll have to make you something and send it once the shop is done.
This is a great thread, and it’s so helpful to see what everyone’s tips are. For me, a consistent bedtime routine makes all the difference.
Turning off screens an hour before bed, doing some light stretching, and reading a book always helps. It’s also a good idea to keep your room dark and cool. Thanks to everyone for the great advice!
I can pretty much sleep anywhere anytime.
My wife on the other hand has to have complete dark and likes some sort of white noise in the background. In fact she’s been known to put on noise canceling headphones that are built into a sleep mask when we’re on a plane. Interestingly enough the background white noise she uses for that is airplane noise. Go figure.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@chienfou I like to use a looped recording of brown noise (it is a filtered subset of white noise, featuring more of the lower frequencies). It sounds something like the surf. Works for me.
@macromeh
I just love the irony of being on a plane, with noise canceling headphones, listening to airplane noise piped in from your phone!
For your use case it would be like napping at the beach under a canopy with headphones on listening to that brown noise sent from your phone.
Staying up too late.
@Zeusandhera Amen to that!
@mycya4me @Zeusandhera Same.
Coffee.
Yeah I’m weird I know. But I’ve never metabolized caffeine normally. I sleep much better if I have a cup of coffee right before bed
@Cerridwyn Coffee doesn’t really affect me one way or the other for tiredness, but a cup of coffee before bed seems to help me sleep more deeply if I do fall asleep.
@Cerridwyn I sometimes crack open a nice cold Dr. Pepper before bed.
@Cerridwyn @FightingMongoos
If I have any caffeine (espically coffee) after 2 I’m up all night. Sometimes I can get away with having a Dr Pepper at 4 if I’m gonna be moving a lot. Coffee and pop is a treat to me anymore. If the sugar in non caffeinated pop will keep me up.
@Cerridwyn You are here… That all that is needed to prove you are Weird!
@Star2236
Northerner spotted,
@yakkoTDI
I can’t stand when people call it soda. I have a shirt that says “Michigan has pop” I just wore it yesterday.
@Star2236 @yakkoTDI hey you know call it what works for you. My aunt always called it pop. My father’s family grew up in Illinois and she later moved to wisconsin. I’m a California girl it’s always been actually Coke more than soda even though Coke means Cola
@Cerridwyn @yakkoTDI
Coke is funny to me too bc it’s a brand name. I guess it’s just what I’m used to hearing.
Exhaustion.
SEX!!
@lonocat milstarr said that
Work and a clean conscience
Let’s see: a choice between Rx and Sx?
(Depending on age and social status…)
Solving Sudoku puzzles on my phone until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.
Nothing ever helps me sleep.
Reading, word puzzzles, being tired…
When it’s dark and quiet and the temperature is just right
Aspirin
@tweezak I knew someone who used to take aspirin, thinking it helped her sleep. Since I’d never heard of it working for that (unless you had a headache before bed), I always thought maybe it was psychological. Do you know how aspirin works to help with sleep or are you feeling a cause/effect?
@ItalianScallion Basically for me it just helps to numb the various aches that are keeping me from getting comfortable. Maybe it’s a placebo but it seems to help.
@ItalianScallion By the way, when I have actual pain like shoulder or back, I usually take acetaminophen or ibuprofen and that helps.
@tweezak The combination of those two works wonders. Some of my dentists at the Tufts Dental School Clinic recommend that over opioids for dental paint. No surprise because acetaminophen (paracetamol for the Europeans here) works on pain and ibuprofen on inflammation (and pain, in a different way, I think).
@ItalianScallion Some good guidance I got from a doctor one time: since you are only supposed to take Tylenol every six hours and Advil every six hours, take both but offset by 3 hours. That way you get the benefit of taking both concurrently without exceeding the daily dose.
Magnesium. The ONLY thing I recently found after decades of suffering from Restless Leg Syndrome, jerking me awake constantly as I try to go to sleep, Nothing I did physically to restrain the convulsions worked, shy of standing up. Taking one before bed (glycinate) seems to calm down the legs/cramps/spasms, and I can fall asleep normally.
Hanging one leg outside of the covers
Meditation and reading a book.
Actually going to bed.
Or just laying down in general, I suppose.
Quinine is supposed to help with RLS. Google Relaxing your Tongue. Sounds weird, but makes sense and works… So does Benadryl (Diphenhydramine_is much cheaper. Same drug, just Generic. Actually helps me with any allergies next day. I am wearing a T-Shirt right now that Says Allergies, (Looks like Benadryl Logo) Because Nature Pretty Much Hates You.
@Mandamm ABNPMHY?
Actually being my age… and going to bed?
Realistically a couple 1 mg melatonin, 2 “Benadryl” and 2 ibuprofen after wearing myself out all day and going to bed on time a few days in a row helps reset my clock/rhythm.
And of course now that I just got there this week was up all night doing a deployment and rolling into a major one because yay there is a three day weekend so. Time to do prod lol.
Thankfully the prod one just impacts my cycles… Not my system. As long as they don’t roll back. But still. Have to be around to manage crap
A good bonk on the head,
Makes you sleep like you are dead.
Music, start a podcast and I’m gone!
Doxylamine succinate.
@pskemp2 12mg doxy + 3mg melatonin gives me a good night’s rest. But I only use it a couple times a month because of possible connection of first-gen antihistamines and dementia.
@pskemp2 + Ashwagandha usually helps.
Being an exhausted parent, and failing that, the devil’s lettuce
I found a particular video with train sounds on YouTube that I use sometimes when I can’t sleep. The video doesn’t matter, of course; it’s the audio. It’s here if anyone wants to try it.
Speaking of trains, part of my cross-country Amtrak train trip next month includes getting to do the Boston-DC route on the new NextGen Acela trains!
@ItalianScallion
@ItalianScallion a fair number of people from the I’m not sure where East somewhere before Illinois Easter on the Eastern side. Came to worldcon. Via train. They arrived almost a day late.
@Cerridwyn I think the latest an Amtrak train has ever been for me was eight hours (or maybe more–I don’t remember exactly because I took a nap.). That was the Lake Shore Liimited from Chicago to Boston. Apparently the train hit something, maybe a vehicle, on the track–plus there was some maintenance issue(s) along the way too. The usual suspect, freight train interference, usually isn’t much of a problem on the eastern routes.
The sound of thunderstorms is my go to sleep aid. Helps with the constant ringing in my ears!
Northern lights. Cannabis indica.
Watching TV and a cup of hot cocoa helps me fall asleep better than anything else
Muscle relaxers
All of the above and more
Costco brand sleeping aids have been the absolute best sleep! And not groggy the next day.
@BergyD
We used to give those to my dad to help him sleep
10mg of Delta 9 THC
Edibles.
@Thumperchick same! Well if my insomnia gets really bad, then even that is moot. I have a pomegranate edible that is 40mg CBD and 10mg THC. The trick is, I have to go to bed with no stimulation within 30-60 minutes of taking it, or I get silly and distracted and don’t go to sleep. My brain is a very strange place.
@sillyheathen the gummies I have go from 0 to sleep in about 30 minutes.
Insomnia still hits, but for most days, half a gummy is perfect to help me sleep and wake up 6-8 hrs later in less baseline pain. (Yay autoimmune disorders!)
@Thumperchick I feel you sister! Errrmahgerrrd. I know this is so random but I thought about the ornaments I sent you and I wanted to see if you’ve seen the new Alien Earth series?!?!? Also now I’m questioning whether I sent you an Alien ornament. But I think I did. I know I made Alien themed magnets that two other folks I shan’t name loved.
Apparently my aderall has worn off.
@sillyheathen @Thumperchick I tried some CBD oil once as a sleep aid. It was a tiny vial (maybe a few mL) that was 5 or 6 bucks. It made me feel about the same as if I had drunk 1/2 glass of wine. Not very effective for me.
I actually don’t have any trouble initially going to sleep - it’s the staying asleep that is a problem.
@sillyheathen I don’t think that was me. But it’s cool that you made those!
@macromeh @sillyheathen Yeah, CBD doesn’t do a whole lot for me on its own. But the CBN or CBG + THC + CBD does the trick.
@Thumperchick well bollocks. I’m sorry. Maybe it was Riotdemon. Now I feel like an asshole. That just means I’ll have to make you something and send it once the shop is done.
Generic Sominex (Diphenhydramine HCI)
whiskey most nights, podcasts all nights
This is a great thread, and it’s so helpful to see what everyone’s tips are. For me, a consistent bedtime routine makes all the difference.
Turning off screens an hour before bed, doing some light stretching, and reading a book always helps. It’s also a good idea to keep your room dark and cool. Thanks to everyone for the great advice!
I can pretty much sleep anywhere anytime.
My wife on the other hand has to have complete dark and likes some sort of white noise in the background. In fact she’s been known to put on noise canceling headphones that are built into a sleep mask when we’re on a plane. Interestingly enough the background white noise she uses for that is airplane noise. Go figure.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@chienfou I like to use a looped recording of brown noise (it is a filtered subset of white noise, featuring more of the lower frequencies). It sounds something like the surf. Works for me.
@macromeh
I just love the irony of being on a plane, with noise canceling headphones, listening to airplane noise piped in from your phone!
For your use case it would be like napping at the beach under a canopy with headphones on listening to that brown noise sent from your phone.
@chienfou Well, as it is 50 miles straight line distance from my bedroom to the Pacific ocean, I think I’ll stick to the recording.