25 replies to this topic

[Scubatooth]

Thank you all for the advice im taking notes. My sleep pattern is slowly getting back to normal from it being changed abruptly during my clincial rotations for which my days started at 4 am and where subjects to tone outs at all hours.

SDM if things keep up over the summer and im still not getting a good nights sleep with no real stress and a normal schedule i will go get a sleep study done.

Mantarrayya - thanks i will look into that.

FG your right about the running it does help me, if it wasnt so late this evening if would go do a mile or two and then go to bed

Currently the biggest factor that is playing with my mood and sleep is that im coming down to the end of my paramedic program and im so stressed right now from all the studying im doing to get ready for my national certification and course final it feels like my head is going to explode . It will all be better once i have cleared school and national tests.

Tooth

[Brinybay]

I have been trying to correct my sleep pattern for a while now and its not working so i will ask here.

Im wondering how you all regulate your sleep patterns to get it into a normal rythem, as i cant seem to get it there.

Here is the situation is that with school and the other activities i have my schedule is that my days vary from starting early in the day(7am) going through late evening 10-11pm or my work day ending at noon and then i have the rest of the day off, and then everything in between. Then on top my days off vary so i may work monday through friday one week and then the next work mon-tuesday, wed off ,thur-sat sun off, and combos inbetween on constant is sundays off With school ending and studying to the point of no end isnt helping but i need to regulate my pattern as i cant afford to run my self down again. Plus with the internship this summer i will need to make sure im rested as if im not rested my mind wont be tack sharp and in the water thats not a good thing (read in to that as much as you like).

I try to shoot to go to bed about 10 pm (but usually ends up 11pm - 2am) so that i can get a full 8 hours but it seems that i cant fall asleep for some reason. I dont want to go back to using meds as i dont need those side effects again IE i dont remember putting my keys in the ice bin. The also i know i should get off the caffine but getting off it totally is going to take a long time at least im down from the 1+ gallons of Dr Pepper a day to maybe 1-2 cans, i also wont have any sodas after 1pm so that they wont keep me up.

One thing i have started to do is that i have started running (only 1-2 days a week) again and on days that i run i seem to sleep better that night, but not as well on days i dont run


so if anyone has any ideas feel free to post them as im all ears

Tooth

I start reading your posts, zzzzz... (just kidding!)

[Scubatooth]

would you like the novel version because on some subjects i could bore you to sleep with the details

LOL

[pir8]

Join the military, you will soon learn to fall asleep whenever you get a chance, time of day, position, temps, rain, dust and noise will not matter!

So true!

If my sleep falls into a disrupted pattern, I make a point of getting fresh air and exercise to help me on my way. a good constitutional walk in the evening works a treat. And a cup of wobbly hot chocolate (with rum)

Is that whats in your avatar cup?

[tstormwarning]

I've learned the real way to mess your sleep pattern up. Try working 12hr. swing shifts. Anymore it takes me 2-3 days to switch back from nightshift to dayshift. Just last night I couldn't get to sleep until 2:00 this morning & just got up. Going from days to nights, not a big problem. Going from nights back to days, a nightmare sometimes. Oh, well, it pays the bills.

[Cold_H2O]

{snip} I know this from trying to get a slot at one of the academies in high school and that i was at risk at being DQ medical because of my medical condition (Crohns) and after the first surgery would have been medically discharged anyways.

I am surprised that the caffine doesn't bother your Crohns.
I dated a guy for 6 years who suffered with Crohns, the caffine caused him major isuses as well as a lot of other foods.

I have no advice on the sleeping.. I am not good at it and usually average about 5 hours a night myself.
I have a buddy who is a sleep specialist.. according to him I am a bad sleeper.
His advice to me is to work hard at setting a pattern...
If you wake up and can't go back to sleep quickly, get out of bed and do something.
When you feel tired try and go back to bed and see if you can fall asleep.

Never read or watch tv in bed.. trains you to do other things in bed instead of sleeping.
I am trying to read before getting in bed. I use to always read in bed and instead of getting tired would sometimes stay up for hours if the book was interesting enough.

Edited by gis_gal, 05 May 2007 - 10:02 AM.

[Hipshot]

Melaleuca (Melaleuca alterniflora) and chamomille tea, about an hour before bedtime, generally helps me.

Rick

[Racer184]

no more than 1/2 cup of coffee and not after 9 am.

[pocahontas]

Join the military, you will soon learn to fall asleep whenever you get a chance, time of day, position, temps, rain, dust and noise will not matter!

I was about to suggest becoming a firefighter....
Seriously though...here are my two cents:
Someone else mentioned not to listen to all of that 8 hour mumbo jumbo. I couldn't agree more. If I sleep 8 hours, viola, I can't sleep the next day. I need more like 4.5-6 hours. I know it seems crazy but the 90 minute cycle thing seems to be true for me. And it seems to be better for me to get 6 hours of really solid sleeping than to toss and turn for 8 hours.
I have friends who have sleeping problems and are on all sorts of sleeping pills. They all have two things in common, every time I call them they are lying in bed and they don't ever go to the gym. If you run 5 miles during the day you will probably be able to sleep that night. Also - as well as getting out of bed when you wake up naturally I find that if you aren't tired it is a waste of time to go to bed and lay there getting all stressed out about falling asleep. So...if you can't sleep, go do something until you get tired. Try studying or something. That always works like a charm for me....

[pir8]

All I have to do is put the TV on and I'm out of it. Good thing I have a sleep timer on my tube. I usually get about 5-6 hrs a night. I believe in short naps during the day too.

[Scubatooth]

wow i thought this thread had gone, but its good to see its come back

gis_gal: the caffine does have affect on my system but not going to explain it here, but it doesnt cause me any pain or discomfort. Then i have really vut back from where i was in highschool as im only like a can a day or less now.

Heidi: I found one item to realign my sleep pattern this week and it was called the national registry exam and skills practical on back to back days as after both of those i went home and crashed and woke up about 6am fully awake and ready togo. Well working as FF will do it once your adjusted to the pattern. I think the big one was with my rideouts i wasnt sleeping well or deep enough because of thinking i would miss the tones, but now looking back i even as deep as i sleep there is no way to sleep through tones.


Update: My pattern has changed since i put this thread up as im now out of paramedic school and the stress from that is gone so im pretty much back to a normal pattern. now its just to keep it now and get ready for the rest of this summer as its going to be a fun one, even though it will be a "working vacation"

Tooth