Published Jul 20, 2009
The Dreamer
390 Posts
I am having pretty severe sleep deprivation issues right now. When I lay down to go to bed, it takes me almost an hour to fall asleep, sometimes longer. And when I finally do get to sleep, it seems like it's only a matter of minutes and I am awake again, tossing and turning. I am taking a 6 week Biological Chemistry class right now, and I think the stress of the class is what is getting to me. When I am tossing and turning, I am having visions of all kinds of Chemistry stuff - conversion factors, elements, balancing equations, polyatomic ions, oxidation numbers, etc. I've tried to consciously not think about it while in the process of getting ready for bed and laying down, even talking my sweet husband into telling me stories about his childhood to take my mind off of it - with no success. And I've even taken Benadryl before bedtime (as a last resort) in hopes that I would be too drowsy to be able to think about Chemistry - not a chance! Do any of you have any helpful advice on how to get a good night's sleep? I know if I am doing this now, it is just going to get worse with NS. I am a person that needs a good, solid 7 or 8 hours of sleep to function. Needless to say, after working all day, by the time I make it to class I feel .
Thanks in advance!
The (sleepy) Dreamer
JasmDasm
67 Posts
I know how you feel!!! Same happened to me with Algebra, up to the point where I was thinking about math problems all day AND dreaming of Math when I slept. Although I think it is normal to have a stressful class on your brain 24/7, here is what I did that worked:
* If you study before you go to bed, try studying for one of your other classes instead of Chemistry as the last class. Maybe an English class or something less stimulating.
* Completely exhaust yourself. Up your exercising regiment (if you don't exercise - start!), some heavy cleaning (maybe rearrange some furniture), gardening, etc. Find more ways to fill up your day so that when your head hits that pillow, it's a done deal.
* Listen to your MP3 player in bed. Create a playlist of some of your favorite mellow music. Keep it low so not to disturb your husband and enjoy. My playlist includes Coldplay, Radiohead, some trip-hop (Portishead, Massive Attack, Morcheeba) Koop, etc. I find that it is really hard to think about Math (or in your case Chemistry) when you are inwardly singing to some of these songs.
I know some may seem a bit wierd, :uhoh21: but they work for me! Good luck.
Thanks for the tips! I will have to try the MP3 thing out tonight! I have ear pieces, and hubby is usually long asleep by the time I crawl into bed. With it being a summer session, this is the only class I am currently taking. But I've even tried just relaxing and trying to watch mindless tv before bed to no avail. It is reassuring to know that at least one other person has been in my shoes before!
Oh man, have I been there. And when I start A&P, I am sure it will get worse! :coollook:I also make sure to wake up early, maybe 30 minutes before normal time and absolutely NO NAPS during the day. :zzzzzAlso, a REALLY good tip (not sure why I didn't mention it before) take a nice warm shower before bed. Not only does it relax the muscles, but the nice squeaky clean, cuddly goodness of that shower will have you feeling cozy for bed.:redpinkhe
brillohead, ADN, RN
1,781 Posts
Try playing soft classical music in the background while you sleep. After a while, your body will associate those songs with "sleep time" and you'll kind of "hypnotize" yourself into going to sleep when you hear the music.
Another thing to try is systematic relaxation. Concentrate on your toes, make them relax. Then move up, body part by body part. Feet, ankles, calves, etc. This will have kind of a "meditation" effect on your brain, pushing away stray thoughts as you concentrate on the task at hand. When the stray thoughts are stopped, your brain is free to "shut down".
Listening to a subliminal relaxation CD might help, too. It has the same type of effect, getting your brain to shut out the stray thoughts and training your body to go to sleep when you hear the CD.
I hope this helps, feel free to PM me if you need suggestions!
Maybe the shower and MP3 player tonight will do the trick - it's definitely worth a shot.
Thanks brillohead! I've been listening to classical music while reading/studying for Chemistry. My brain is likely to never shut off if I play it at night! But I will try the relaxation/meditation techniques you mentioned.
Let us know how you're doing!
Blindsided
245 Posts
Don't forget to look at your caffeine intake if any (coffee, tea, soda pop, etc). It really affects my sleep. Don't quit cold-turkey (oooh, caffeine headache). Reduce gradually, and limit to early in the day. All the above advice is super too. You'll get through this...we all did.
scrapworking
190 Posts
Melatonin helped me. Along with not studying right up until I needed to finally go to bed/sleep. The light from the computer (on-line A&P course) wasn't letting my brain recognize that it was night/time for rest. If I remember, I also do the systematic relaxation that Brillohead mentioned above. Lots of great tips here!
I quit drinking caffeine at the beginning of the year (and boy, do I know all about those headaches!), so I know that isn't the issue. I did the relaxation/meditation thing, and every time Chemistry snuck into my head, I made myself start over at my toes. The last body part I remember trying to relax was my wrists and arms, going from toes to head and having to start over 3 or 4 times. So I would say it took maybe only 20 minutes to fall asleep vs. laying there for hours! And I stayed asleep for most of the night, which was such an amazing feeling!! I will continue to practice the suggestions in this thread and I hope my sleepless nights are a thing of the past. Thank you all again!!
mom35
507 Posts
Happy to read you are doing better. I get severe insomnia-I am talking no sleep for three days straight!! It makes my body hurt so bad. I am a perfectionist and I dream about my classes and I constantly study. It got so bad in summer I that I consulted my micro professor. He told me to drink plenty of water, exercize, and keep up the meditation. I do all those things plus I had to start taking gabapentin because benadryl did nothing to help me sleep. Now I usually fall to sleep in an hour and stay asleep-but I continue to do everything like the meditation. Also I light candles while I am studying before bed. For some reason if I study before bed it really helps me retain the information.