How do you cope with fatigue/tiredness?

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corroonb
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20 Sep 2015, 3:38 am

There's nothing more depressing than waking up early and tired. It really destroys my motivation for the day. I find work, living and socialising exhausting but I still struggle to get enough sleep. I exercise regularly, eat reasonably well and still feel like this most of the time. My life is not conventionally stressful so people have a hard time understanding or empathisizing but I find it stressful. What do you do when you can't shake that dreadful, tired feeling?



Earthling
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20 Sep 2015, 4:17 am

I usually stay at home... no use in forcing it. It's not recommended but you wanted to know, so...
Over 2/3 of my school and uni experience consist of being a sleepy human mush. :(

One thing I noticed that has helped is turning off the computer early but I have had problems with being consistent about it. Now I've greatly reduced the blue color (graphics driver GUI, the blue is what keeps you awake) so at least I get tired at night. I'm going to sleep between 10pm and 2am for 2 weeks now, which is early for my standards. It's a decent solution IMO as long as you aren't doing anything too stimulating (the last part is very important don't just casually read over it).

Another thing I used to do when I really had problems with getting up was prepare caffeine the night before and place it next to my bed, then quickly drink it when the alarm goes off and force yourself to lay in bed awake until the caffeine numbs the tiredness. Not recommended as a long-term solution.

Yet another thing (and kinda a no-brainer) is always going to bed at the same times.
Couldn't manage to be consistent about it because I was usually distracted by music/onine games which kept me awake. It helps though.

And OFC I have to mention porn/masturbation/addiction: Fapping makes it difficult to fall asleep for me because I don't immediately go to sleep after. I stay up for like 20 minutes after the fapping (the fapping itself can be like a marathon at times, which doesn't help either lol) and then I can't sleep because my brain doesn't feel like sleeping anymore. The fapping has overridden the need for sleep and the visuals have clouded my thoughts. Sucks. When I don't fap I find it much easier to fall asleep and get up, too. Some people say if you go to sleep right after you can sleep better but IMO just don't fap if you can help it.
If you're a (chronic or not) fapper like me or addicted to anything really, try going without and see if it helps you with maintaining sleep discipline. I highly recommend it.



Amity
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20 Sep 2015, 4:27 am

I am less able to cope with even small challenges when tired, but there are some things that help:
A homemade fruit and veg smoothie gets rid of that initial morning tiredness, a good blender has changed my mornings.
Exercise, but sometimes my mind is simply too hyper, even though it and my body is exhausted.
I get to points where I dedicate three-four weeks to sleep hygiene practices and this sometimes helps me to catch up on sleep and develop healthier sleep habits for a few more weeks. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/hea ... oming/tips



corroonb
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20 Sep 2015, 4:54 am

I have been pretty good about the sleep hygiene recently but my anxiety levels are still quite high around bed time. I try to avoid screens after 10 PM. I always get up before 7.30 AM because my dog starts getting restless. Interesting point about the masturbating. I hadn't really considered that. I'm in the process if giving up caffiene which may be why I feel so lousy. I'm trying everything I can to sleep better as it has a huge impact in my mood and energy levels.

Thanks all for the tips.



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20 Sep 2015, 5:35 am

I find picking a routine and sticking with it and following it makes the next day go better. Following that rountine then becomes a problem when it comes to your special interest



Caz72
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20 Sep 2015, 2:08 pm

I get fatigue feeling all the time. My husband always says i sleep a lot. I do sometimes get up in the night if i have tummyache like a lot of gas that wont come out ( I have IBS) but I have a drink or antacid tablets to help ease the pain then go back to bed and fall asleep quickly.



Kiriae
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20 Sep 2015, 3:36 pm

Tried counting sheeps when you can't fall asleep? I considered the idea silly and it never worked for me till recently because I didn't understand how it works. But now if my mind goes hyper when I try to fall asleep I force myself to imagine and count sheeps jumping through a gate and focus only at that. It doesn't make me fall asleep but calms down my hyper brain and makes me bored (when I am bored I get sleepy) so it helps.
The trick is to actually imagine detailed sheeps and their surroundings using visual thinking. You need to actually see them, not just count "one sheep, two sheeps..." while seeing blackness. Seeing actual sheeps is more important than the whole counting. Counting isn't even necessary - the point is to focus whole mental energy on a repeatable, boring image so your brain doesn't have enough resources to think about anything else.



Joe90
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20 Sep 2015, 4:52 pm

Usually I sleep well, but on the occasional nights when I can't sleep I play little games in my head that involve letters, words and nursery rhymes. It drains out all other thoughts and then if I concentrate hard enough, it finally tires my brain out, and I fall asleep.


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Kuraudo777
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20 Sep 2015, 7:10 pm

Here's a weird technique that I came up with to help me sleep: trick your brain into thinking that you are rolling around on your bed but are actually staying motionless. Somehow it usually works! Also, I typically try to go to bed at 9:00 ish during weekdays so I have time to calm down before I try to sleep. I've learned the hard way that playing video games or doing anything involving electronics until 10:00 at night makes it so difficult to sleep, so I try to avoid doing that as well.
I hope that helps!


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20 Sep 2015, 7:20 pm

Shift your circadian rhythm to align with your schedule by exposing yourself to sunlight immediately upon waking and avoiding light(especially blue lights from your phone or computer screens) in the hours leading up to the time you go to bed. If you don't have sunlight, because its dull out or its winter, use a lightbox while you eat breakfast and have your morning coffee.

Keep the same sleep/wake schedule even on weekends or days you do not have to work. Your internal clock likes routine.



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21 Sep 2015, 5:10 am

I have had trouble with insomnia all my life. It seems to shift for me between trouble getting to sleep & waking too early. Keep up the sleep hygene stuff, good diet & exercise...they do help alot. Here are the things that have worked best for me.

For trouble getting to sleep:
- Progressive muscle relaxation (a relaxation technique that at its most simple involves tensing/holding/releasing groups of muscles starting with feet, then calves, thighs... slowly and methodically working your way up to your head). It occupies your focus & forces physical relaxation. I find going through it once or twice very slowly will often knock me out.

- Audio books. I use an mp3player in a tiny dock speaker with the volume very low (I used to use CDs & before that cassettes...this has been my go-to solution for decades!) I like mystery novels & often will fall asleep ten minutes after putting one on. It's like having someone read me a bed time story. I set the mp3player I use to go into sleep mode after 20 minutes of inactivity.

For waking too early:
- Eat something containing mostly fat & protein shortly before bed. I like nuts/seeds or avocado or half a protein bar. I seem to have a much better quality of sleep when I do this.

- Try the audio book again. Often staying warm, dark & comfortable after waking early will allow me to get back to sleep if I can keep my mind occupied/relaxed for a few minutes.

- Paradoxically, doing an extra workout (usually a shorter version of the interval training routine - free weights & calesthetics - that I do every morning) helps me to slightly negate the feeling of 'social hang-over' that I get on days that I have to deal with a lot of people...maybe it's biochemical, maybe it's psychological...but the short burst of physical stress followed by physically coming down from stress seems to drastically lessen my residual social (mental) stress state, which allows me to sleep better.

- blackout blinds & ear plugs are also useful when my environment wakes me too often.


Good luck :D



corroonb
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21 Sep 2015, 6:02 am

I have tried progressive muscle relaxation in the past and it's a good suggestion. Also the snack idea is something I should try. Bananas and milk are supposed to be good. Avocados are expensive where I live but nuts are a good idea.

I have been sleeping better lately but I'm still waking early. I don't check what time I wake at but it's usually before dawn. I then wait for dawn and take my dog out for a run/walk.

Thanks again everyone. More ideas are always welcome.