Can hardly ever sleep properly

[Tal106]

I have been lifting for the past year and made some good progress but for about the past half a year or so I have rarely gotten a full nights sleep.

I have a hard time falling asleep 99% of the time and even when I do get to sleep I wake up like 5 times a night.
I've been to the doctors about 5 times, my own doctor told me he couldn't do anything for me, didn't even give me on bit of advice so I went to another doctor who told me to practise better sleep hygeine which I had already tried (going to bed earlier, avoiding blue light such as computer screens/phones, not drinking water before bed, etc). I went to another doctor again who has given me multiple sleeping tablets, the last ones did work at keeping me asleep but lately the effects have started to wear off and I still wake up.
I've tried multiple OTC products like magnesium, valerian, melatonin, 5htp, zma, etc
I've went to a counsellor for about a month and a bit to talk about my problems and it didn't seem to help one bit

Basically I don't know what to do anymore, I get depressed and angry because I can't sleep and that makes things worse, and the worst thing is it affects my lifting. I work hard in the gym and counting my macros but it seems like I can't do a single thing to get my body to rest properly, like last night I woke up about 5 times, I still feel really sore from yesterdays workout and now I'm going to feel annoyed all day because of it.

I've gotten so annoyed over it months before that I tried to give up lifting, I stopped counting my calories but after about 2 days I couldn't stay away from the gym and went back but still gained a lot of fat back (which I had recently cut) and gained a little strength. I am thinking of giving it up for good because what is the point when I can't even rest, I don't think I have ever been this frustrated over something for this length of time

Can anyone help or tell me what to do? Should I just give up?

[Siobahn]

Dont you drink coffee?

[Tal106]

Dont you drink coffee?

Nope, I cut out all my caffeine to avoid anything conflicting with my sleep

[TheAmericano]

you have to much on your mind. The best thing to do is to get bored.

[TQ18]

Have you tried CBT?

Or possibly some form of meditation before bed?

The trick is to clear your mind, one thing I've heard can help is to keep a notepad next to your bed and write down anything you need to do the next day etc... when you think about it, the idea being that you can relax more when you're not thinking about what you have to do.

[Gxp23]

Get off the sups, and get yourself a good book to read, relax, have a warm drink, and just.......chill.....

Fresh bedding is always a game changer though, ones that have been dried outside on the hanger....hnnnnng

[necon76]

Have you tried CBT?

How the hell will that help him sleep?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cbt

[TQ18]

How the hell will that help him sleep?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cbt

Ha Ha it might!

I was talking about Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, but you know what ever works.

[Lvisaa2]

Can anyone help or tell me what to do? Should I just give up?

Give up. Quitting always makes things way better. Great way to build confidence and progress in life

[miacanesfan25]

*****.

[Tal106]

you have to much on your mind. The best thing to do is to get bored.

My parents tell me that, that I think too much and it's affecting me even when I am sleeping. Don't know how to stop it because I never have been able to shut off my thoughts. I don't understand why this is happening to me now though, I was in hospital with an eating disorder and I would sleep pretty much every night in the hospital fine and that is when I was most anxious in my life. I don't get it

Have you tried CBT?

Or possibly some form of meditation before bed?

The trick is to clear your mind, one thing I've heard can help is to keep a notepad next to your bed and write down anything you need to do the next day etc... when you think about it, the idea being that you can relax more when you're not thinking about what you have to do.

I've tried guided meditations before bed but they didn't really help, what is CBT? I tried writing everything down once and it didnt do anything but maybe I need to keep doing it

Get off the sups, and get yourself a good book to read, relax, have a warm drink, and just.......chill.....

Fresh bedding is always a game changer though, ones that have been dried outside on the hanger....hnnnnng

I only take creatine really, maybe the odd protein bar but that's it. I've tried reading before bed for weeks and tried to chill out but it seriously made no difference

Give up. Quitting always makes things way better. Great way to build confidence and progress in life

I know you are being sarcastic (as a lot of people are on these forums) but I'm thinking this is the right thing to do, what is the point in even lifting if you cant sleep and recover. Maybe I can spend my sleepless nights doing something I want to be doing rather than spending half the night rolling around trying to make my body do something it doesnt want to do and then suffering the next day both mentally and physically because of it.

*****.

I will probably be going back to the doctor again so maybe I will suggest that

Edit: This post sounds really negative, but I just feel like I've tried so much and nothing really works. It's a vicious cycle of not sleeping well at all then getting up every day feeling depressed, angry and annoyed with the pattern of it

[Lvisaa2]

I wake up at least 5 times a night and rarely sleep over 5-6 hours. Like you said, why don't you go do something productive? I don't understand the reasoning behind laying in bed and pitying yourself because you can't sleep. Maybe I'm being harsh, but it sounds like you just came here for us to tell you how hard you have it. Get over it, you have a place to live, food to eat, and the chance to lift as a hobby - you have it better than most of the world.

[Tal106]

I wake up at least 5 times a night and rarely sleep over 5-6 hours. Like you said, why don't you go do something productive? I don't understand the reasoning behind laying in bed and pitying yourself because you can't sleep. Maybe I'm being harsh, but it sounds like you just came here for us to tell you how hard you have it. Get over it, you have a place to live, food to eat, and the chance to lift as a hobby - you have it better than most of the world.

True, well at least I'm not alone. Isn't it a conflicting to be lifting and not sleeping though? I hope one day I can get back to sleeping a full night because 99% of the time I am sore as heck from not sleeping, and I'm probably not making the same strength and muscle gains I could be

[illiniStrive]

Doesn't fall asleep until after 12am, wakes up at 5am (as well as several times during the night) crew checking in. The worst is that past a certain time (~10pm) my brain doesn't function as effectively so I couldn't get extra work done even if I wanted to. For me, I'm pretty confident its stress-related, since I didn't have any issues falling asleep before I started school. So since that component isn't going to change for another, oh, 5 years, I try to work around it; laying in bed may seem useless, but as someone who hardly sleeps there's a point where even laying in the dark can help your body feel more rested. Have you tried yoga? I've started going to yoga classes to help my mind rest at least once during the day. Can you nap at any point? Even just for 20 minutes on your lunch break?

If this is stress-related, you're probably further stressing yourself out over the fact that you can't sleep. So to that extent, maybe 'giv[ing] up' is the best course of action such that you stop putting so much pressure on yourself to sleep and let your body do its thing.

[health4life24]

OP there are a few things that may help you, here they are:

- Create for yourself a bedtime routine that doesn't wire your brain, but relaxes it. As another poster stated, reading is a great way to relax the mind. Certain activities such as television viewing or being on the computer can wire you up mentally, however this doesn't hold true for everyone. You have to find an activity that will help YOU relax.

- Chamomille tea is a tea that you can drink before bed and it is supposed to calm and relax you. You can purchase it in tea bag form or in loose leaf form.

- Sleep music / sound machine: these can be played before and during sleep to help you relax and wind down.

- Melatonin: A natural supplement that is taken before bed that can make you sleepy.

- Mediation and slow breathing are great ways to calm yourself and get into a relaxed state.

[Lvisaa2]

True, well at least I'm not alone. Isn't it a conflicting to be lifting and not sleeping though? I hope one day I can get back to sleeping a full night because 99% of the time I am sore as heck from not sleeping, and I'm probably not making the same strength and muscle gains I could be

I've never thought sleep was a particularly big factor in my recovery. I have different aids that make it less of a concern, but a few years ago I was working full time and taking 18 hours in school and lifting, which meant I was up at 4:45 every day to go the gym and usually didn't sleep until after midnight. IMO, your body will be fine if you feed it correctly. Your body needs extra sources of fuel and recovery since you aren't get that from sleep. Aka eat.

[miacanesfan25]

- Chamomille tea is a tea that you can drink before bed and it is supposed to calm and relax you. You can purchase it in tea bag form or in loose leaf form.

- Sleep music / sound machine: these can be played before and during sleep to help you relax and wind down.

- Melatonin: A natural supplement that is taken before bed that can make you sleepy.

- Mediation and slow breathing are great ways to calm yourself and get into a relaxed state.[/i]

Does your boyfriend do this with you?






































































I kid. In b4 Canes is a racist homophobe.

[health4life24]

When should I announce our engagement? ^^

[miacanesfan25]

When should I announce our engagement? ^^

Shhhhh. Don't blow my cover.

[health4life24]

Shhhhh. Don't blow my cover.

[PhiSig2298]

Have sex or masturbate. Serious

[miacanesfan25]

Have sex or masturbate. Serious

Any tips for beard maintenance after orally pleasuring the ladies?

[PhiSig2298]

Any tips for beard maintenance after orally pleasuring the ladies?

Normally just a shower. Maybe a shot of penicillin just in case?

[miacanesfan25]

Normally just a shower. Maybe a shot of penicillin just in case?

Good call. Can never be too safe.

[Lvisaa2]

Have sex or masturbate. Serious

After sex, I'm exhausted, but can't sleep. Head on the other hand. I blow my load and then can pass out without even cleaning up.

[health4life24]

[illiniStrive]

[health4life24]

Did you get my PM? ^

I've been trying to get in touch you with letting you know you could still enter the comp.

[illiniStrive]

Did you get my PM? ^

I've been trying to get in touch you with letting you know you could still enter the comp.

yeah I got it. my dashboard thing doesn't tell me when i get PMs for some reason

[health4life24]

yeah I got it. my dashboard thing doesn't tell me when i get PMs for some reason

Oh okay.