I've been reducing my caffeine intake for over a month now, prior to that I used absurd amounts of it for 10+ years. Ever since reducing my intake, my sleep is fucked. I fall asleep easily, but I wake up after 4-5 hours and I can't go back to sleep. It doesn't help that I'm an overnight worker and my job is very physical. This has been happening every day and the chronic lack of sleep is raping me. I've been going through the checklist trying things>"hmm maybe too much light, get blackout curtains?" didn't work>melatonin?doesn't work>trazodone? doesn't work>maybe the room's too hot? ordered a window unit, we'll seeThe only things that have sort of worked were drinking myself to sleep (even then it wasn't a full 8 hours) and pulling 24+ hour all nighters where I'd get 7-8 hours of sleep. Obviously neither of these are particularly healthy. Can anyone please give me any kind of advice? I'll try any supplement, meditation or fucking voodoo you throw at me. I'd eat a fucking bat's head like Ozzy tonight if it meant I'd get 8 hours of sleep.
>>31111775>my use of chemicals has destroyed my natural neurological rhythm>maybe taking different chemicals will helpSpeaking from personal experience, five hour sleep happens to me exclusively when my body feels that I'm in overwork mode. In that case, it gives you just enough sleep to keep going without collapse, since it knows you'll need to be up again soon. My guess is that since you were on tons of caffeine before, your body was artificially awake and alert, and now that you have cut the caffeine, your body may think that you are overworking yourself and tiring yourself out more than usual (even though this is not the case and you only cut some caffeine). Consequently, your body limits your sleep so that you can spend more time awake, tending to your tasks. If you can afford it, I'd try to take a Thursday and Friday off, and try to get one long weekend where you just try to sleep as much as you can, and cut all caffeine (and also cut as much sugar as you can). Then, try to spend as much time in bed as you can, mostly from 9 PM - 11 AM (but don't be afraid to go longer if you need to). Even if you can't sleep, so long as it is dark and you are actively refusing to think, and you are laying in bed and not hungry, you will fall asleep eventually. By the end of the weekend, you'll probably recover enough to be able to arrange 8-9 hour sleep sessions, but it may be difficult to control when you have that sleep. It takes a while for a sleep pattern to solidify.My alternative suggestion is to just get 4-5 hour blocks of sleep twice a day, until you can flip things around more decisively and push all of your sleep in one section.>and pulling 24+ hour all nighters where I'd get 7-8 hours of sleep.If you do this for half a week with NO CAFFEINE, I think eventually you'd collapse and sleep for at least 15 hours. That can help act as a reset too.t. The Sleep Whisperer
>>31111825Oh yes, this also goes without saying - NO SCREENS. No screens or mental stimulation a couple of hours before bed, and absolutely NO PHONES in bed.
>>31111775Lay down nigga lmao close your eyes
>>31111775https://www.shinzen.org/help-for-insomnia-yet-another-use-for-mindfulness/
if you tried trazodone, you should probably check cbd too. there is also agomelatine, which is an antidepressant designed specifically to improve sleep.But here is my two cents. I suffer from genetically shit sleep as in my mother and my grandmother and aunt all suffered throughout their lives with it. So yeah shallow recommendations on th einternet would not help. What helped me in the end, was having a strict system and routine for sleep. No more gaming nights. However I do afford myself a 1 hour nap in the day if I am particularly tired. I just prioritise sleep over everything else I could do in free time, and it helps. Not very focused on getting 8 hours straight though, I dont think we as humans are very designed for that, because we reach the top effectiveness of sleep at around 4 hours in, and after that it is less effective Also why do you reduce your coffein? Coffee is more beneficial than harmful to you in general, it improves heart and vessel resilience and lowers blood sugar. It also makes your body consume leftover energy reserves for the day, so it can paradoxically help to regulate sleep if your lifestyle isnt very active. You just need to figure out when exactly to drink it. Alsoo...It may just so happen that you are eating to much for your caloric needs.
>>31111775Where I live we have "siesta", a few hours after lunch for sleeping.So 5~6 hours at night + 1~3 hours siesta.That arrangement feels good.
I like to imagine being on the TNG Enterprise and interacting with the crew when I'm trying to sleepit really works for me
>>31113239>why reduce caffeine? I believe it's linked to my anxiety and recent emergence of panic disorder. I put two and two together and cut out coffee. Ironically my anxiety and panic attacks have gone away since quitting, but the trade off was poor sleepI work a very physically intense job, lifting things, climbing ladders, on my feet constantly, I can only imagine how many miles I must walk in a week. >eating in surplus I've actually managed to accidentally eat at nearly perfect maintenance thanks to the increased activity at work, been 175lb for 3 months or so now. My sleep hygiene could be better like you mention, although I correlated my issue to caffeine specifically since the issues started as soon as I cut it out. >>31111825I think I'll try smashing two 4 hour blocks together like you say. Thanks sleep whisperer.
>>31111885Not OP but some nights I can do this and then not sleep the entire night long. I will lay there with my eyes closed for 8 hours and then get up for work. I really do envy you bastard scum who can lay down and fall asleep normally, I was denied this basic respite my entire life. Even as a baby I could never nap and just cried. Fucking bullshit, man.
>>31113274I'm an insomniac since childhood and I'm starting to do this. If you find yourself tired and weak during the day (which you will if you're sleep deprived), just close the shutters, silence the phone and say g'nite right there in broad daylight. Adapt or perish is the law of the jungle.
>>31111775Take drowsy antihistamines. Triple dose.
Relax your face and get comfortable. The rest should happen naturally.
>>31114441Retarded answer
