So here it is, 2 am. I have to be up at 5:30 am, and at school (I'm a teacher) by 6:15. Grades are due tomorrow, 5th grade band recruitment week is next week and questionnaires need to be created, instrument repairs need to be labeled for shipment, hotel room assignments for our upcoming trip need to be faxed, and classes need to be planned for. The high school musical performs this next Friday - Sunday, and we have rehearsal tomorrow night from 6 - 10 (as well as every day this week), and parent teacher conferences from 4 -6. To keep my license, I have to videotape a few of my classes over the next few days and write reflections on my teaching to turn in to the state with my lesson plans. Marching Band tryouts are in two weeks (for drum major), as well as Color Guard tryouts-- which includes the interviewing of two different drum major instructors to choose between the two of them. Since this is the first time we've done marching band since I got the job all scheduling and such for this has to be done tomorrow or in the next few days. District contest is in 3 weeks for the high school, and we're not ready. My MIDI class still needs something to do tomorrow.

All this, and if I fall asleep in the next 20 minutes, I get to do it all / prepare for it all on 3 hours of sleep. Sometimes not being able to sleep sucks.

1/2 Tylenol PM or a glass of scotch.

Sarissa Candyangel

I used to have horrible insomnia as a kid. Now I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Couple of things that might help...

This may be obvious, but don't drink anything with caffeine in the evening. A lot of people drink soda at dinner or while watching tv etc, which can cause insomnia.

Start working out. I know a lot of people that had insomnia problems who have tried this and it worked for them. You'll make your body tired and ready for rest. Plus it's healthier than sleeping pills!

Don't do anything in bed except sleeping or sex. Don't read in bed. Don't watch tv in bed. That causes you to subconsciously stop thinking about bed as a resting place. There are TONS of people who read and watch tv in bed, and it can lead to these problems.

I never knew that about reading in bed, thats what I try when I have a hard time sleeping.

I hate that when you can't fall asleep, I do know one thing for sure though, when that damn clock shows 5am, you have to give up on sleep and get up, or sure as hell you will fall asleep and sleep in.

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Jake Rivers - Senex Legio
Get off my Lawn alliance

I had a run here a few weeks back where I went an entire week on like maybe 10-12 hours sleep tops. It all stemmed from one overnight shift I think at work. I got off work at 9:30a on sunday morning, came home and crashed right away. Got up at like 2 (by the time I got home from work it was at least 10, so got about 4 hours sleep, which is acceptable to me in a crunch), went did some laundry etc etc, figured I'd be pretty tired that night. Night comes around and I couldn't get to sleep for the life of me. It was after 7 when I finally feel asleep and I worked at 11. So I had to get up at 10. Got up went to work, same thing happened again the next night. Wed night I didn't get to sleep at all, I remember still being awake at 1p on thursday then fell asleep for an hour or two. Friday I had a friends birthday dinner to go to, and was drinking. Figured, hey you know drink till I pass out, go me! Got somewhat drunk (not a big drinker, in fact I this time that I'm talking about is actually the only time I've been drunk since before new years), came home went to bed... sobered up, still awake, got hung over.... still awake....

I ended up having to resort to sleeping pills. I got Melatonin (I believe that's the name of them). They're natural hormonal supplement I guess that make your body think it's ready for sleep. Worked really well. Took them like 2-3 nights and I was fine again and back on a normal 9-5 schedule for work.

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-Rileigh (aka Golliwog)

I am running on about two hours myself. It sucks. I plan on taking my lunch in the car and catching about 20 min of Z's

I feel your pain, I have a newborn. I get to bed about 2am after work, shes up at 3:30 for a feeding and a diaper change, I sleep for about 2 hours, shes usually up by 5:30-6:00 again for another feeding.

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Ambian is your friend.

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"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken
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VEGETARIAN -Noun (vej-i-tair-ee-uhn): Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can't hunt, fish or ride.

I don't drink caffine anymore, so that isn't the problem. I do have this problem fairly regularly-- usually about 2 times a week now I get 2-3 hours of sleep at most. It makes me rather irritable to my students sometimes, but they know I have sleeping issues and tend to allow for it.

Believe it or not, I've done this so many times that today really wasn't that horrible of a day (I got about 3 hours of sleep last night). I'm about to try to go to bed again; I'm a little worried that I'm going to have a hard time again tonight, which really means that tomorrow is going to suck.

I personally think after a day or two of it, I just got stressed out and thought too much about it, which ended up keeping me up.

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-Rileigh (aka Golliwog)

Fribur, seriously. Tell your Dr. to get you some Ambian.

I was the same as you some nights, or waking up every 30-40 min other nights.
Now I just bite an Ambian in half about 15min before I want to go to sleep and
I wake up the next morning feeling completely rested.

Give it a try. Ambian worked wonders for me.

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"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken
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VEGETARIAN -Noun (vej-i-tair-ee-uhn): Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can't hunt, fish or ride.

Just try it on a day when you don't have to go anywhere in the morning. Some people really shouldn't drive after taking Ambien.

Some shouldn't true. But I only take a half of one. That seems to work out perfectly for me. Not drowsy, wake right up etc.

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"Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." -Henry Louis Mencken
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VEGETARIAN -Noun (vej-i-tair-ee-uhn): Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can't hunt, fish or ride.

Right! Don't get me wrong, it's great for some people. For others, it can keep you asleep all day.

My husbands mother one time got her pills mixxed up and took a ambien during the day, thought nothing of it went to the grocery store with her husband and next thing you know she is asleep hunched over the shopping cart. Her husband had to take her out to the truck and he finished shopping..

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"Creating Havoc and Pie Since 2001!"
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