Hi DoctorGoose - I have had sleep "issues" all of my life. Even as a child I would lie awake all night till time to get up for school. Since I had to stay in bed, I would pass the time making up stories, scripts, etc.
As an adult I still could not sleep and would toss and turn all night long - I call it my "rotisserie chicken" night.
I started my own work from home and travel/seminar business about 15 years ago and it really helped with the sleep issues. I no longer have to go to bed at "bedtime" and set the alarm to get up to get to work. So, since I've always been a night owl - that's what I am now. I don't watch the clock. I go to bed when I'm sleepy - may be midnight may be 4:00 a.m. If I wait till I'm actually sleepy I go straight to sleep. I normally only sleep about 5 hours or less - sometimes only 2 or 3. If I wake up wide awake, I get up.
I rarely, and only under extreme circumstances, take any kind of medication (for anything) or alcohol. So if I really need to get a full 8 hours sleep - I take ONE Benadryl. I can't believe you can take 4 or 5 and still live. One will knock me out for about 9 hours and then I have to have coffee to shake it off the next morning. I've also used the Sleepy Time Tea (but I use two teabags) and find it helps me to relax and get sleepy and if desperate will have half a glass of wine - have to already be in bed for that one or I will fall asleep where I am. Lately I'm working cross word puzzles. I find it helps me get sleepy especially if it's one where I'm not getting very far - if it's where I'm almost complete - I'll stay up all night - same with reading. I read voraciously and will stay up all night in bed reading.
Anyway - point is - if you don't have to go to bed at 8:00 or get up at 5 - DON'T. Wait till your sleepy (naturally) to go to bed. Like me and many others, you may not need as much sleep as you think. I found that going to bed and tossing and turning and watching the clock is what wore me out and had me tired all the next day. I can stay up 2 nights straight, and often do and not feel tired the next day and then sleep like the dead for 2 hours and wake up totally energetic. Of course being a night owl who needs little or no sleep has it's disadvantages for other members of the family. My ex-husband used to wake up many mornings and say "Just once it would be nice to wake up and not find you've repainted or wallpapered or rearranged the furniture".
I do a lot of my work late at night - I'm also on this forum around midnight. When I travel for my business and have an early flight I don't go to bed the night before. Easier for me to stay up all night than to get up at 3:00 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. flight.
As an adult I still could not sleep and would toss and turn all night long - I call it my "rotisserie chicken" night.
I started my own work from home and travel/seminar business about 15 years ago and it really helped with the sleep issues. I no longer have to go to bed at "bedtime" and set the alarm to get up to get to work. So, since I've always been a night owl - that's what I am now. I don't watch the clock. I go to bed when I'm sleepy - may be midnight may be 4:00 a.m. If I wait till I'm actually sleepy I go straight to sleep. I normally only sleep about 5 hours or less - sometimes only 2 or 3. If I wake up wide awake, I get up.
I rarely, and only under extreme circumstances, take any kind of medication (for anything) or alcohol. So if I really need to get a full 8 hours sleep - I take ONE Benadryl. I can't believe you can take 4 or 5 and still live. One will knock me out for about 9 hours and then I have to have coffee to shake it off the next morning. I've also used the Sleepy Time Tea (but I use two teabags) and find it helps me to relax and get sleepy and if desperate will have half a glass of wine - have to already be in bed for that one or I will fall asleep where I am. Lately I'm working cross word puzzles. I find it helps me get sleepy especially if it's one where I'm not getting very far - if it's where I'm almost complete - I'll stay up all night - same with reading. I read voraciously and will stay up all night in bed reading.
Anyway - point is - if you don't have to go to bed at 8:00 or get up at 5 - DON'T. Wait till your sleepy (naturally) to go to bed. Like me and many others, you may not need as much sleep as you think. I found that going to bed and tossing and turning and watching the clock is what wore me out and had me tired all the next day. I can stay up 2 nights straight, and often do and not feel tired the next day and then sleep like the dead for 2 hours and wake up totally energetic. Of course being a night owl who needs little or no sleep has it's disadvantages for other members of the family. My ex-husband used to wake up many mornings and say "Just once it would be nice to wake up and not find you've repainted or wallpapered or rearranged the furniture".
I do a lot of my work late at night - I'm also on this forum around midnight. When I travel for my business and have an early flight I don't go to bed the night before. Easier for me to stay up all night than to get up at 3:00 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. flight.
