i have absolutely no idea why, but i just cant get to sleep. i would go to bed, attempt to fall asleep for an hour, fall asleep, wake up two hours later, and be unable to get back to sleep. basically im sleeping without the actual sleep - eyes closed, but conscious. this happens on a daily basis too, so im still baffled as to why i have enough energy to still do everything.

while my energy levels dont seem to be taking a hit yet, i would still like to know why i cant fall aslee, and stay asleep for the right amount of time. its really boring, to the point of agonising, having to wait several hours to hear my alarm. one thing resulting from this is my eyes becoming damn tired and red (not from excessive neoseeking mind you).

i dont drink caffeine products before going to bed, i dont eat right before going to bed, sometimes i might drink some orange juice though, and i dont do anything which might get my heart rate up. also, i go to bed usually around 10 or 11 and wake up (supposed to wake up) at 6.30, though i can sometimes go to sleep earlier or later.

so, is this a simple matter of knocking some form of sense into me, or is there some other reason behind my sleeping issue?

It could be a number of things. maybe the easiest thing to do would be to go do some jogging or some tiring activity like reading a book until you get sleepy. It could also help to try to sleep in a different place, like a sofa or something.

Caffeine? Are you active? Eating right?

Studies also show that computers/video game use a couple hours before bedtime also effects sleep: http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20030620/nighttime-computer-users-may-lose-sleep

quote Unrefined_Glory

It could be a number of things. maybe the easiest thing to do would be to go do some jogging or some tiring activity like reading a book until you get sleepy. It could also help to try to sleep in a different place, like a sofa or something.

ive got a sofa bed as well, which ive been sleeping on the the last few days. it seemed to work alright, but i dont intend to sleep there all the time. ive got a bed and it would be a waste if i dont use it.

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Caffeine? Are you active? Eating right?

no, no, sorta.

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Studies also show that computers/video game use a couple hours before bedtime also effects sleep

reading quickly through the article, what if i just turned the brightness down?

my psych teacher told me that you shouldn't associate any bad feelings toward your bed. Try to sleep on it at first, if that doesn't work then move. Never associate not sleeping with your bed.

You might also have some condition like insomnia. hopefully that is not the case.

while i hope not, im not going to rule it out either. anything else that might do this?

well I'm no doctor but the other thing I can think of would be sleep apnea. That's when you wake up constantly at night because you need to take a breath. Most people that have this are not aware that they wake up at night but wake up tired. Though it seems to me that you don't have this problem.

If it is Insomnia you may have to tell a doc and they can prescribe some sleep medicine for you.

Hmm... well, I have never ever had sleep issues (not even if I drink coffee and wrestle with my brother right before bed) but sometimes the best cure is to really get some sleep medicine. Nearly anything can cause insomnia (even the Black Death can!) so there's no point in trying to diagnosis you unless you come down with other symptoms.

quote zoo zom

but sometimes the best cure is to really get some sleep medicine.

lolwut, that is never the best cure, more like the last solution

Get some exercise during the day. I used to have the same problem back when I was lazy but it magically vanished when I started actually exercising.

Sometimes the reason you can't sleep is simply because you're not tired. If you're not physically active, you won't necessarily be tired when bedtime rolls around. Otherwise there's tons of reasons you might not be sleeping, as someone mentioned sleep apnea (that's not so common in people under age 30 and is often associated with obesity, so I have doubts on that one), also anxiety and depression can cause insomnia. Have you tried an electric blanket (sometimes extra warmth helps)? How about a glass of milk before bed, or other activities that people use to try to sleep? How much sleep in total would you say you're getting, and do you feel rested when you get up for the morning? Also when do you normally sleep? Often I have difficulty sleeping because I sleep at odd hours of the day.

Also just as a side note, insomnia by itself typically isn't really a disorder, in most cases it's seen as more of a sign/symptom. Insomnia is just a term used for lack of sleep, it doesn't mean you have any kind of disease or disorder.

Oh and yeah, don't go for sleeping pills unless you literally can't sleep and are exhausted and have no other options. They pretty much sedate you, you wind up groggy for quite some time even after you wake up, it's not safe to do all sorts of things when using them on a regular basis (with good reason), and really aren't a good option long-term.

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also anxiety and depression can cause insomnia.

definitely not - never had either.

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Have you tried an electric blanket (sometimes extra warmth helps)?

hell if anything i need less heat. some of the times i wake up im sweating.

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How much sleep in total would you say you're getting, and do you feel rested when you get up for the morning?

i should be getting about 7 hours, but for the times i actually fall asleep, probably maximum 4 hours. as for feelign rested, well i have trouble waking up but thats fine because ive never been a morning person. once im up, im fine.

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Also when do you normally sleep

usually around 10 or 11, sometimes 12

If it's too warm, maybe try having a fan on you while you sleep. Just the bit of noise helps some people sleep - I personally can't sleep at all without a fan on me if it's hot out.

If you're not getting tired throughout the day or just feel drained and exhausted I suppose I don't see what you're worried about. I used to get 2-6 hours of sleep (usually about 4) on a very regular basis and was almost never fatigued or showing any real signs that sleep was an issue for me. Sometimes you just need less sleep than the typical 7-8 hours per night, and that's just fine. If you're getting tired during the day and finding it hard to stay awake or just can't wake up entirely, then you might want to start considering changing things. It may seem odd that you're getting less sleep for what seems to be no reason, but really I don't think you should be worried about it if it's really not causing any disturbance short of the fact that you're worried you aren't getting enough. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

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If it's too warm, maybe try having a fan on you while you sleep. Just the bit of noise helps some people sleep - I personally can't sleep at all without a fan on me if it's hot out.

ill see if a fan helps.

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f you're not getting tired throughout the day or just feel drained and exhausted I suppose I don't see what you're worried about.

not really worried about anything, but waiting till 6.30 is harder than sleeping till 6.30.