4.53am in los angeles

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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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  • #8290
    Baron
    ✘ Not a client

      good god, it's been a couple of months, hasn't it? never fear, i'd no plans to abandon posting here. for many reasons, my writing, sleep schedule (i use that term loosely) & the exigencies of life make writing elsewhere tough, leaving little behind but for the 140-character “amuse bouche”-type thoughts twitter provides the space for.

      i'm writing again, however, for a number of reasons:

      • martin won't leave me alone. though he's a very polite english gentleman and isn't pushy, i feel his stern disapproval every time he sees me jiving around on twitter whilst neglecting our sleep-deprived family.[*]there was some mention of a mid-june get-together and it's currently june 1st. (it's also right now, 4.20am, so excuse me for a few moments while i attend to something…ah, back! *kaff*) i figure i might as well ask if it's happening or not, in the event it actually does, and i actually make it. i've mastered the art of non-commitment, as you can all clearly see.[*]i'm fucking bored, guys.

      but mirth aside, i apologize for the absence. i won't bore you with details of why i was away but suffice to say there were 2 deaths and funerals and, miracles allowing, there will be no more. but 2 people are very ill. life, as they say, can be a horrible disease.

      however, we are here to discuss insomnia and the insomniac life, yes? so on with it:

      never has my insomnia been this out of control, as it has been in the last couple of months. i've stayed up 36, 48, 72 hours with no respite. part of it has to do with the fact that i suffer from an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which allegedly sports “trouble sleeping” as a symptom but adhd drugs like dexedrine don't really help me sleep. they do, however, help me be very productive during my insomniac hours, so i'm glad for that. if i'm not going to sleep i might as well squeeze in a few hours of decent writing, given i'm usually a zombie the following day, with no creative urge whatsoever.

      i've given many a thought to trying light therapy, but good light therapy units seem to be fairly pricey and what i'd like to avoid is yet ANOTHER object that cost a couple hundred bucks becoming useless clutter. amazon has several units on sale, i've no clue which one's better than another, all the review scores are similar, the reviews say similar things, but i don't know if i can take anyone's word for it. what i'd like to know is if anyone in OUR community here's tried it – perhaps more than one model/unit – and has an opinion to share. so please, if you exist, “hit me up”.

      briefly considered intravenous heroin use…but figured the goal was to get a good night's sleep, and not for a week, or eternity. not at my young, tender age, oh not yet.

      i kid. i'm just afraid of needles.

      but in a somewhat serendipitous moment, i awoke at about 2.30am and almost immediately stumbled upon this link someone had posted on twitter:

      http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/134115/the_truth_about_nocturnal_people.html?cat=5

      i like what the article suggests – that rather than being insomniacs (and thus “sick”, or people with “problems”), many of us could simply be nocturnal. i.e., it's a sort of social/systemic/institutionalized structure that brands us “insomniacs” by supposing we ALL must rise when the sun shines and sleep when the sun dips, and that anyone who diverges from this routine should be prescribed pills, vitamins, supplements, and so forth. i realize i LIKE the night very much, it's a particularly lovely time of the day for me, i get quite a bit done, it's a lot quieter, and there are far fewer people around.

      i also love a beautiful day, mind you. yesterday was particularly gorgeous – i spent the day on the malibu coast; it was 72º, the sun was friendly, i posted pictures on my tumblr, etc.. but then i came home, felt sleepy early, thought it a good sign i'd get a long night's sleep, went to bed at roughly 10pm and woke up at 2+ in the morning. which is about the best i can manage. i don't complain too loudly when this happens – a morning i wake up and get out of bed without pain, aches, fibromyalgia burning my skin, nausea, is a good morning. a GREAT morning, really. it could be worse. it often is.

      my next step is to further explore light therapy (again, hit me up if you know something about this), and meditation – a thing i've tried in the past but have had little to no success with. however, i was recently fortunate enough to win a week's attendance at a forthcoming spiritual and meditation retreat with deepak chopra (chopra centre's “the seduction of spirit”). i haven't been given any details yet but looking at their website, the next two retreats happen in sedona and carlsbad, in august and november, respectively. i can't wait.

      how are you all? what have you been up to, and are you finding sleep?

      #11203
      Kik
      ✘ Not a client
        'notwoodyallen' wrote on '01:

        i like what the article suggests – that rather than being insomniacs (and thus “sick”, or people with “problems”), many of us could simply be nocturnal. i.e., it's a sort of social/systemic/institutionalized structure that brands us “insomniacs” by supposing we ALL must rise when the sun shines and sleep when the sun dips, and that anyone who diverges from this routine should be prescribed pills, vitamins, supplements, and so forth.

        But of course. If anyone is ever either side on that strict set of rules of “normal”, they should expect either to be negatively labelled and shunned or hit the pharmacy and get it taken care of 😛

        The third option would be to join the Rebel Alliance and take down the Death Star*. Personally, I'm still focussed on earning my wings.

        *Metaphorically speaking. Mostly.

        #11204
        Martin Reed
        ★ Admin

          Good to see you back around the place – we missed you! As for my stern disapproval… it wasn't that stern 😉

          I'd love to see if we can get a few members together for a meet at some stage. I'm not sure of the logistics, though as we're all pretty spread out.

          As for me, I'm around the West Coast until the end of June then I am in Hawaii for three months. Maybe we should all just max out our credit cards and get into the Aloha Spirit?!

          If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

          The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

          #11205
          Baron
          ✘ Not a client
            'Kik' wrote on '02:

            But of course. If anyone is ever either side on that strict set of rules of “normal”, they should expect either to be negatively labelled and shunned or hit the pharmacy and get it taken care of 😛

            The third option would be to join the Rebel Alliance and take down the Death Star*. Personally, I'm still focussed on earning my wings.

            *Metaphorically speaking. Mostly.

            ah. i see we have rebel scum posting on this forum.

            i had a lot of fun playing the x-wing and tie-fighter lucasarts games a long, long time ago. tried the recent mmo and other games. guess i just don't feel “it” anymore.

            #11206
            Baron
            ✘ Not a client
              'Martin' wrote on '02:

              Good to see you back around the place – we missed you! As for my stern disapproval… it wasn't that stern 😉

              I'd love to see if we can get a few members together for a meet at some stage. I'm not sure of the logistics, though as we're all pretty spread out.

              As for me, I'm around the West Coast until the end of June then I am in Hawaii for three months. Maybe we should all just max out our credit cards and get into the Aloha Spirit?!

              hawaii for three months? lucky! honolulu? what're you going to be doing there?

              as for the credit cards, i cut mine up a long time ago! though i must say living within my means is not as fun. 😉

              #11207
              MarinaFournier
              ✘ Not a client

                Re: Light therapy

                I do have SAD, live in a house that is insufficiently lit from outside, and bought one of these a few years ago:

                http://www.amazon.com/Verilux-HappyLite-Deluxe-Sunshine-Simulator/dp/B0001ATEJ2/ref=pd_sim_hpc_4

                I have been very happy with it. My MiL moved it from our “office” in the laundry corridor to the great room, which is hidden very well from the sun, for her watercolor classes' use. There are also two full-spectrum OTT lamps to focus light on the table. I don't need it, or even the OTT lamps I have, where I work, except when the sky has been overcast or dripping, since the area I work in is so light.

                Welcome (belateldly) and keep with the villainy!

                #11208
                Martin Reed
                ★ Admin

                  That thing looks good, thanks for sharing the link. I personally use these full spectrum bulbs in my home office:

                  http://www.amazon.com/Full-Spectrum-Light-Bulb-Fluorescent/dp/B0018OS06S/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1298492589&sr=1-1

                  My wife also uses them in her studio when doing color correction. As soon as I started using these rather than regular energy saving light bulbs, I noticed the difference immediately.

                  If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Clarity program.

                  The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

                Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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