sleep problems

[Judy2]

i moved to a new city in April and have been having some sleep issues since then. in the beginning, this looked like waking up a couple of times a night and struggling to fall back asleep.

this past week, i've noticed the following pattern: i'm very busy throughout the day, typically don't have the time for an afternoon nap, but sometimes in the evenings i can't wait any longer and go to bed at 7 or 8, sleep for two hours, wake up ....then obviously can't go back to sleep until later at night. in the mornings it is similar: i wake up at 5 or 6, can't sleep anymore, get up to do things....then feel tired and go back to sleep for another hour or two. i guess the cortisol response is also quite striking every time i do wake up 'prematurely', so even if i am sleepy at 5 am i sort of force myself to get up quickly and do stuff because i am kind of stressed out. stress management is something i have been struggling with for a long time and i can't ever seem to resolve that 

the sleep problems are only enhancing the stress i am experiencing atm and it's a bit of a vicious cycle. sometimes it is impacting how much energy i have to exercise or take care of myself in general, which just isn't ideal.

what can i do to fix this? when i last moved to a new city, i had the exact same problem with the insomnia.

i am getting enough hydration, protein, vitamins, magnesium, etc.

should i just force myself to stop napping and that'll even things out eventually?

Edited 14 hours ago by Judy2

[gettoefl]

Moving to a new city and adopting a new lifestyle does make sleep particularly challenging and it often suffers as a result. In any case, what has worked for me is to have the same bed-time every day (bar some weekend trips or outings when I will roll with what is happening). I sleep at 10pm and arise at 6am and have done this for many years. I am fortunate to enjoy deep quality sleep but I attribute this to a consistent routine. I am not a fan of naps since I would rather be dead tired at bed time - though I do switch into low energy slow mode after 5pm dinner when I pass time doing meditation, reading, scrolling, stretching and streaming. I feel worn out when I go to bed and am almost right away asleep. I enjoy sleeping as it gives me  a good system reset and any body niggles will resolve themselves. My cat usually begins crying as soon as the sun rises which is annoying but I have nearly trained her out of this and if I am therefore awake I will rest peacefully until the alarm goes off. I rate my sleep quality high and feel energized and enthused for the day at hand. Hope some of this may help and wishing you good luck in your new endeavours.

[Judy2]

@gettoefl yes, usually my body works like this, too. it doesn't distinguish between weekdays and weekends - once there's a rhythm, my system just sticks with it every day. 

[gettoefl]

2 hours ago, Judy2 said:

@gettoefl yes, usually my body works like this, too. it doesn't distinguish between weekdays and weekends - once there's a rhythm, my system just sticks with it every day. 

Good. Sticking to it is the key. Even weekends if I sleep late I still get up same time. Body can handle since it has sleep reserves. I really feel that sleep quality mirrors life quality. If you sleep good, life will be good. All else can fluctuate and not be bothersome. Good sleep is the true self care. I know many struggle with this so I sympathise with their plight. I hope you will get it sorted double quick. 

[No1Here2c]

You can utilize those waking hours of the night in order to do deep meditation or contemplation, with little distraction. I find, when I wake up in the middle of the night is some of the best time for me to focus on inner work. 

I think the body has ways of providing the necessary conditions to facilitate our spiritual development.

[Judy2]

@No1Here2c do you recommend a specific technique? last time i tried to meditate, i just set a timer on my phone and waited.

[No1Here2c]

Just now, Judy2 said:

@No1Here2c do you recommend a specific technique? last time i tried to meditate, i just set a timer on my phone and waited.

I also typically set a timer, not as a strict limit that I must meet or surpass, but rather as a way to keep track of the quantity of time I remain in concentration for.

I feel meditation has more importance with the depth & quality of observation, rather than strictly how long you sit still 'waiting' for the timer to go off. If the attitude is waiting out the clock you are not approaching mindfulness correctly.

I like to find a direction out in the visual field without distraction, and focus on the raw experience being uptaken directly by my awareness.

When you meditate, you should find at least moderate interest in your direct experience, this includes thoughts, emotions, visual data, sounds, sensations, any desires, wants to 'go do something else', or unconscious urges to distract from the observation. These experiences are all extremely fascinating if you are interfacing properly with direct perception during a meditative session. 

For me, Meditation & Contemplation are two sides of the same coin. They work with each other to advance the practice of both.

The method I would recommend is to keep a pen & a note pad on your lap, so as to record any insights.

Allow for the mind to explore various contemplative directions. This assumes you have a basic foundation for asking questions, & are able to keep a focus on a given contemplative goal for a relatively fixed range of time.

Sometimes I do not interact with the notepad at all during the period of time I set aside to meditate.

This is perfectly okay. The mind has a tendency for distraction and insights will only arise some of the time.

Expect to find yourself lost in monkey mind, narratives, emotional baggage, and uncomfortable sensations, such as wanting to move or go distract one's self.

If you have an itch for christ's sake scratch it. This is not meant to be torture.

You want to be able to find comfort in the discomfort. If you can do that, as it turns out, you are no longer uncomfortable with the discomfort.

But really it should go deeper than this, it should become an existential inquiry into the nature of your being. This is where contemplation experience really comes in useful. You should begin to find great Joy, Beauty, & Serenity in the Fascination of Awareness with itself.

[No1Here2c]

An additional benefit to this is you may find yourself being able to burn through the mid-night energy much quicker and fall asleep again. & due to the mindfulness you may be more aware within any dream states which shall grace your awareness, this, approached correctly, will often also assist in spiritual development.

[Hojo]

wait until after 9 oclock. Preferably around 10.

I have a weird thing where if I go to bed before 9 I will sleep for 2 hours and wake up and if I sleep after 9 I will stay sleeping.

Like my body power naps instead of sleeping. I will always have very vivid dreams during those 2 hours and wake up hot.

Edited 1 hour ago by Hojo

[No1Here2c]

Have a friend. Sleep in shifts.