Can't sleep in bed, struggling to stay awake during the day

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For the last few nights, I have found myself tossing and turning in bed, only getting a couple of hours of sleep, waking up after just a few minutes of sleep at a time, etc.

Now, I am struggling to stay focused and awake at the office. I cannot keep this cycle up forever. I feel as if I am close to crashing and burning, which would not be good.

I feel catatonic when I need to be alert and awake, and alert and awake when I need to be sleeping.

I really hate this.

Sorry to hear about your sleep struggles.
Those are really awful. I hope you are able to find some relief.
Good luck and stay safe.

I think I probably should start by cutting back on my coffee consumption at the office. Even though I never drink caffeinated beverages after 3pm.

I also have been quite worried about a friend of mine, who just started a 31 month prison sentence a couple of days ago.

I also have been abstaining from alcohol, and have been withdrawing for over a month. The thought of consuming an Arrogant Bastard Ale is very tempting right now.

I also have been starving myself. For no real reason other than the fact that ramen is all I have been able to afford to eat for the last week. Guess that means I could not get that beer even if I really wanted to. I had to buy new eyeglasses, and that set me back $300.

This has not been a good week for me. Let me b***h and moan and whine for a while.

That's awful to go through -- sleep deprivation is horrible to live with.

You're going through stress from several things at the moment, and stress is a big factor in disrupted sleep. There's not much you can do about the things that have caused you concern, such as your friend's jail term, and having to spend a lot of money on the new glasses, but you might find some relief from the sleep disturbance by using some of the tricks out there.

These are standard, almost cliched things to help you sleep, but they're worth trying:

When you start to toss and turn and can't get to sleep or get back to sleep, leave the bed. Physically remove yourself, sit in a chair, go to another room if possible. Do something else for a while -- read a book, listen to music on headphones. Make sure the activity is restful, though, not stimulating or tense. If or when you start to feel sleepy, return to your bed and get ready to fall asleep. They say if you're still wakeful, "rinse and repeat" as much as you have to.

Needless to say, no caffeinated drinks within 12 hours of the time you want to start sleeping. They say caffeine stays in your system for 12 hours. 3pm might be too late a cut-off point -- you might want to stop caffeine drinking earlier in the day that that, and certainly cut down on how much caffeine you drink. You don't have to eliminate it, but it might help to decrease daily intake and cut-off earlier, such as 11 am or noon.

Eat bananas, or turkey slices, and drink warmed milk, or chamomile tea, before going to bed. Turkey meat contains tryptophan, a sleep inducer. I once drank a two-tea bag cup of chamomile tea and was so knocked-out that not only did I sleep like a baby, I was groggy the next morning and had to cancel work! Might have been an anomaly but I never tried that again!

I hope some of this might help, and that things settle down for you soon.

Well, one thing that's NOT helping, is the Ramen noodles----they're PURE carbs; and, because you're already in a "weakened" state, because of not sleeping, properly, they're adding to your being catatonic. I think you should get yourself a jar of peanut butter, and a couple of loaves of bread, until payday----also, if you can afford it, some tuna, and some chicken breasts (they won't make you NEARLY as sleepy, during the day----BUT, don't eat them after, say, 6pm, cuz they'll ALSO keep you awake [too much protein]). Also, a gallon of milk----and, EGGS, and cheese, if you can swing it. I've always said: "If I've got eggs, bread, and cheese, I'll never go hungry"----but, of course, you have to LIKE those things, and be able to AFFORD them.

I agree that you're drinking too much caffeine----and, I ALSO agree with BirdInFlight's recommendation of camomile tea (you can sometimes get that, at a dollar store, if you live in the U.S.). I suggest drinking an 8-ounce glass of warm milk, about an hour before bedtime. Also, I suggest putting on a movie that you own, and instead of actually GOING to bed (cuz, that sometimes, then, makes it like a chore; you're thinking: "I have to get to sleep----I have to get to sleep"----and, that process, ALONE, keeps you awake), stay lying-down on the couch----and, DON'T turn the TV off. That's what I do----I have a DVD that will automatically restart, so I don't bother with preparations for bed, and the movie drowns-out any "head-noises", I might have.