No trouble falling asleep, but staying asleep a different story (1 Viewer)

[offdee]

If any guys are curious what communicating with women on dating apps is like, just look at the last 7 posts with belljr. Uncanny.

Doubtful - at least in my experience women never answer the question asked and then go on on about stuff you never asked. But that is in real life and not an app.

I succinctly answered each question asked

Yeah, but you give no add'l context or anything of real value. Like pulling teeth to get some substance....dating app communications to a T.

Sooooooo, now that you have the dental device is it helping? Why did you not stick with the CPAP machine?

She's just not into you....

Sad. So, now that you have the dental device is it helping? Why did you not stick with the CPAP machine?

I wear Invisalign night guards just when I sleep to keep all the chicklets looking good so dental device not in the cards for me.

I have mild apnea. I'm a stomach sleeper and just never was to get the stomach sleeping and CPAP to work well. Yes the dental device has been a gamchanger

I never understood stomach sleepers....does your neck just have a constant kink in it? How is that comfortable?

 

[zoobird]

not taking in caffeine late

What about early?

I never drink coffee and rarely drink soda. The only thing I have daily is first thing when I wake up is one of those zero sugar white Monsters. It's my coffee substitute.

Quick internet search suggests that has caffeine equal to about a cup and a half of coffee. That's enough that it could be having an impact on your sleep. When you wake up at 4am do you sometimes feel like your mind is racing or you're obsessing about unimportant stuff?

 

[offdee]

not taking in caffeine late

What about early?

I never drink coffee and rarely drink soda. The only thing I have daily is first thing when I wake up is one of those zero sugar white Monsters. It's my coffee substitute.

Quick internet search suggests that has caffeine equal to about a cup and a half of coffee. That's enough that it could be having an impact on your sleep. When you wake up at 4am do you sometimes feel like your mind is racing or you're obsessing about unimportant stuff?

Nope not at all. And usually when I wake up at 4am I’ll drink that Monster and when I go back to bed around 6am/7am always fall back asleep quickly.

 

[northern exposure]

It sounds like you have just established this as your sleep pattern now. Your body is used to doing it, so it continues to do it.
I'm surprised you are able to go back to sleep after a few hours of stimulating your mind with work emails and quite a bit of exposure to blue light.
If I do that when I wake up, there is no chance of me going back to sleep.

 

[mr. furley]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

 

[offdee]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

 

[mr. furley]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

my guess was going to be that you trained your brain to get where you are now. sounds like it.

you have to re-train it to stay asleep now. as ****ty as it sounds.. just lay in bed when you wake up at 4 AM. focus on nothing. just zone out with your eyes closed and fight the urge to get out of bed. do it every night for a month. reset your brain clock.


took me a long, long time to re-wire my brain after the kids were born and needing attention throughout the night. for a few years i was waking up at 1, 3 and 5 like clockwork and i wouldn't feel.... satisfied??... until i did something. anything. i'd have to get up, let the dog out.. or check the doors... anything... then lay back down and fall asleep after 30-45 minutes.

was super frustrating and i'd be tired all day. got to a point where i decided i'd just force myself to fight it by laying there with my eyes closed. made me fidgety and anxious for a while but eventually i was back to sleeping through the night again. maybe a toss or turn here where i'm momentarily awake but nothing more.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

It sounds like something serious enough to want to find a solution, but at the same time it's not something I'd lose sleep over.

 

[Zeppelin]

It sounds like you have sleep maintenance insomnia.

 

[offdee]

It sounds like you have sleep maintenance insomnia.

Is this a real thing? Sure enough. The internet is an amazing thing.

The term sleep maintenance insomnia, also known as middle insomnia, refers to the challenge of staying asleep throughout an entire night. This is defined as waking up during the middle of the night and finding it hard to fall back to sleep once you do wake up.

Sleep-Maintenance Insomnia Treatment

Sleep-maintenance insomnia, like other forms of insomnia, is treatable. Most people can benefit by adopting healthy lifestyle habits. such as exercising regularly and establishing a relaxing bedtime routine. Resisting daytime naps and going to bed only when sleepy is also recommended, as is avoiding stimulants such as caffeine before bed.

Sleep-maintenance insomnia often develops because we have taught our brains to respond to natural wake-ups with hyperarousal. We worry about being awake during the middle of the night. To unlearn this and train your brain not to be afraid, we can use a user-friendly behavioral techniques from CBT-I such as stimulus control.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) can help if insomnia persists. It is a proven therapy that directly addresses the link between thoughts, behaviors, and habits. It enables you to form healthier habits and cope with stress and the negative thoughts associated with insomnia. These, as discussed earlier, are the common causes of a chronic sleep=maintenance insomnia pattern.

 

[offdee]

After reading that treatment, first step looks like to just stop napping.

And then gotta get control of that middle of the night hyper arousal. Will just get an Uber for her earlier.

 

[northern exposure]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

It looks like I either don't pay attention or I missed something. I remember you being in a relationship with a woman (maybe slightly older than you) and I think you shared photos here. But, I don't remember the 3 kids part of the relationship. Was this with the same woman?

 

[northern exposure]

I'm not attempting to hijack the thread, but I have a different sleep issue. I find it difficult to fall asleep, so I end up staying up later and later (currently around 2 a.m.). So, when I do go to bed, I'm exhausted and fall asleep right away.
I know I shouldn't stay up so late, but it has become a habit now and really difficult to break it.

 

[offdee]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

It looks like I either don't pay attention or I missed something. I remember you being in a relationship with a woman (maybe slightly older than you) and I think you shared photos here. But, I don't remember the 3 kids part of the relationship. Was this with the same woman?

The brunette (with huge naturals) was 4 yrs older with no kids ended 10 yrs ago. The blonde (with huge fakes) was 2 yrs younger and with kids, was 7 yrs long and ended about 1.5 yrs ago.

 

[offdee]

I'm not attempting to hijack the thread, but I have a different sleep issue. I find it difficult to fall asleep, so I end up staying up later and later (currently around 2 a.m.). So, when I do go to bed, I'm exhausted and fall asleep right away.
I know I shouldn't stay up so late, but it has become a habit now and really difficult to break it.

No worries of hijack…ask away. Yeah that’s the opposite of me. I’m falling asleep at 9:30pm some nights. I’m usually out by 10:30pm at latest. So even if I wake up at 4am I’m still at least getting 5.5 hrs.

 

[northern exposure]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

It looks like I either don't pay attention or I missed something. I remember you being in a relationship with a woman (maybe slightly older than you) and I think you shared photos here. But, I don't remember the 3 kids part of the relationship. Was this with the same woman?

The brunette (with huge naturals) was 4 yrs older with no kids ended 10 yrs ago. The blonde (with huge fakes) was 2 yrs younger and with kids, was 7 yrs long and ended about 1.5 yrs ago.

Wow, the brunette was the one I was thinking of. That ended 10 years ago???...maybe my wife is right, I don't pay attention. Or at least that's what I think she said.

 

[northern exposure]

I'm not attempting to hijack the thread, but I have a different sleep issue. I find it difficult to fall asleep, so I end up staying up later and later (currently around 2 a.m.). So, when I do go to bed, I'm exhausted and fall asleep right away.
I know I shouldn't stay up so late, but it has become a habit now and really difficult to break it.

No worries of hijack…ask away. Yeah that’s the opposite of me. I’m falling asleep at 9:30pm some nights. I’m usually out by 10:30pm at latest. So even if I wake up at 4am I’m still at least getting 5.5 hrs.

Your situation might be closer to "ideal" than mine because I've read a hour's rest before Midnight can be equal to 2 hours after Midnight.

 

[Zegras11]

Try sleeping with someones wife.

 

[Zegras11]

Also try blacking out the entire room. This did the trick for me when i was waking up after only 5-6 hours of sleep.

 

[zamboni]

Since this is a football forum, try counting Rams.

 

[offdee]

I'm not attempting to hijack the thread, but I have a different sleep issue. I find it difficult to fall asleep, so I end up staying up later and later (currently around 2 a.m.). So, when I do go to bed, I'm exhausted and fall asleep right away.
I know I shouldn't stay up so late, but it has become a habit now and really difficult to break it.

No worries of hijack…ask away. Yeah that’s the opposite of me. I’m falling asleep at 9:30pm some nights. I’m usually out by 10:30pm at latest. So even if I wake up at 4am I’m still at least getting 5.5 hrs.

Your situation might be closer to "ideal" than mine because I've read a hour's rest before Midnight can be equal to 2 hours after Midnight.

Yeah it’s for sure more ideal for me cuz I know if I stayed up that late every night I’d be snacking on garbage to pass the time too.

 

[offdee]

Try sleeping with someones wife.

A bunch of ex-wives. Doesn’t help.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Try sleeping with someones wife.

A bunch of ex-wives. Doesn’t help.

Maybe you're not doing it right.

 

[northern exposure]

Take an afternoon siesta. Many cultures break up their sleep into two chunks one in the middle of the night and the other in the middle of the day.

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

have you always done this?

meaning, wake up in the middle of the night, get up and start puttering around the house?

or is this a recent development?

When I was in my relationship with the 3 kids and things were going downhill it became my way of coping to just have peace and quiet in the house, watch shows without needing to interact and entertain or bicker with someone. So then it was a way to keep my sanity in a way. That all started about 3-4 yrs ago and been more or less the case ever since. I’ve been single and living on own about 1.5 yrs now.

Even though I don’t need that escape anymore my mind is maybe programmed for it to be a positive mental event and signaling me to use the time. Not sure.

It looks like I either don't pay attention or I missed something. I remember you being in a relationship with a woman (maybe slightly older than you) and I think you shared photos here. But, I don't remember the 3 kids part of the relationship. Was this with the same woman?

The brunette (with huge naturals) was 4 yrs older with no kids ended 10 yrs ago. The blonde (with huge fakes) was 2 yrs younger and with kids, was 7 yrs long and ended about 1.5 yrs ago.

So, you're saying you have a type? I don't think I saw/knew anything about the blonde.

 

[Major]

You could just stop fighting it. It may just be your natural sleep cycle.

Biphasic sleep

Yep. I had a similar phase when I was working from home, making my own hours etc. After researching it, I found out it used to be quite common so I just ended up embracing it.

If you only sleep 4-5 hrs and you're working your standard office 9-5, you won't have that time for the second nap so you'll be exhausted at the end of the day and probably get back to a 'normal' straight 8 hour cycle. Just my theory though.

Yep, this could very well be the case. That nap is probably enabling my sleep pattern to lock in this way. Again, not the worst thing in the world. I could probably try to force myself for no naps for a week and see what changes....but those naps are so glorious.

It's easier said than done. If you don't have a reason to stop napping, I found it nearly impossible when WFH. I'd sleep from 12-5am. Work. Then the glorious siesta from 2-5. The Spanish have this figured out.

 

[offdee]

So, you're saying you have a type? I don't think I saw/knew anything about the blonde.

If huge glorious bewbs is a type, then yes.

 

[offdee]

It's easier said than done. If you don't have a reason to stop napping, I found it nearly impossible when WFH. I'd sleep from 12-5am. Work. Then the glorious siesta from 2-5. The Spanish have this figured out.

Yep, completely agree. I just got in from 1.5 hrs at the pool lounging and dozing off. Don't think it was a legit nap, but was close. I was literally dozing off as I'm posting in here saying I need to stop taking naps.

 

[Wingnut]

If I'm ever diagnosed with sleep apnea, I'm fighting hard to go straight to this instead of cpap.

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Inspire® therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have tried and struggled with CPAP. No mask. No hose. Just sleep.™

www.inspiresleep.com

 

[offdee]

If I'm ever diagnosed with sleep apnea, I'm fighting hard to go straight to this instead of cpap.

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Inspire® therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have tried and struggled with CPAP. No mask. No hose. Just sleep.™

www.inspiresleep.com

Nice, had no idea that existed. Yeah, no way I'm ever wearing a big freaking mask and generator to sleep.

 

[Beef Ravioli Part 2]

Might be a plasma deficiency...

Came in here to post this.

 

[brun]

If I'm ever diagnosed with sleep apnea, I'm fighting hard to go straight to this instead of cpap.

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Inspire® therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have tried and struggled with CPAP. No mask. No hose. Just sleep.™

www.inspiresleep.com

Nice, had no idea that existed. Yeah, no way I'm ever wearing a big freaking mask and generator to sleep.

Pretty sure that Inspire is only for obstructive sleep apnea, not central apnea (when your brain sometimes fails to send a "take a breath signal". You'll find out what kind of apnea events you have when you get your sleep test.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Usually what I'll do is wake up at 4am.....go on my laptop to get caught up on work emails, read FBG, read Reddit, eventually my eyes get heavy and then around 6am go back to bed and sleep for around 3 hrs. So, it's not the worst but it would just be nice to just sleep all night and wake up around 7am.

This just may be your normal. Seen stuff over the years that a lot of people don't do straight thru.

 

[Nipsey]

I dealt with exact same problem for 15 years. Would fall asleep around 11pm and wake up every single night at about 3 am. I'd be awake for a few hours and then maybe fall back asleep at some point for another hour. Would feel like a zombie all the time. I looked into everything and tried a bunch of stuff like melatonin, edibles, etc. Turns out the problem was caffeine. At one point I drank three cups of coffee each morning (nothing after 11am) and eventually got it down to one cup in the morning but I still woke up in the middle of every night. I finally decided to give up that one cup of coffee to see if that was the issue and sure enough, it was.

At the time I quit I literally drank just that one cup of coffee each day with no other caffeine throughout the day. Let me tell you, quitting caffeine, even that small amount, was an absolute *****. It took about 3 months until I felt back to my self. I thought giving up that one cup of coffee would be a breeze. Was thinking it would be maybe a little bit of a headache for a bit? Something like that? What i dealt with during those three months of withdrawal from that one cup of coffee was: major insomnia, lethargy, brain fog, depression, inability to concentrate/motivate and just generally feeling like total crap. The first month was absolutely awful. The second month was a little better but still sucked. Month three wasn't great either but it was around this time that my sleep improved so drastically that I knew what I had gone through in terms of withdrawal was worth it. That was 5 years ago and I'm still sleeping great. No more crashing/naps during the day either. Just equal sustained energy all day long.

I started following/contributing to the reddit/decaf subreddit back when I quit. Some good reading there and you can see what people go through when trying to quit that horrible drug. Some people are super lucky in that their withdrawals are not as bad as the ones I had and if you do decide to quit, hopefully you will be one of those lucky people. I will say if I had to quit all over again I would have tapered off slowly instead of just quitting cold turkey as to maybe have made those withdrawals a little easier. I do miss that morning buzz I got after scarfing down that stuff but other than that, quitting was one of the best things I've ever done.

Do a little research on the half-life of caffeine and you'll see that even if you just partake in the morning (sounds like maybe you ingest some in the afternoon too?) it's not fully out of your system by the time you go to bed. Also read about the effects of caffeine on the pineal gland (it shrinks it). Researchers used to think old people didn't sleep well just because they were old but now the thinking is it's because all of that caffeine they ingested shrank their pineal gland so much it doesn't regulate melatonin properly.

Pineal Gland Function: What You Should Know

Is your pineal gland affecting your sleep? Learn more about this gland and how it affects your melatonin, hormones, moods, and more.

www.healthline.com

 

[offdee]

Thanks for all that @Nipsey! I’m not a coffee drinker at all…just one can of the no sugar white Monster energy every morning. But someone said above they saw online that equates to 1.5 cups of coffee

 

[Nipsey]

I would bet that energy drink is what is waking you up. 150mg of caffeine.

 

[Runkle]

Even with my CPAP for apnea, a few years back, I was waking up 6-7 times a night. It was awful. I don't know why it started, but it hit pretty sudden and wouldn't stop. Literally every night. My primary doctor's initial suggestions didn't help. But my cpap guy recommended CBT and sleep hygiene and the problem went away almost immediately.

 

[Major]

I would bet that energy drink is what is waking you up. 150mg of caffeine.

The fact he drinks it and then goes back to sleep is a little odd

 

[fruity pebbles]

I dealt with exact same problem for 15 years. Would fall asleep around 11pm and wake up every single night at about 3 am. I'd be awake for a few hours and then maybe fall back asleep at some point for another hour. Would feel like a zombie all the time. I looked into everything and tried a bunch of stuff like melatonin, edibles, etc. Turns out the problem was caffeine. At one point I drank three cups of coffee each morning (nothing after 11am) and eventually got it down to one cup in the morning but I still woke up in the middle of every night. I finally decided to give up that one cup of coffee to see if that was the issue and sure enough, it was.

At the time I quit I literally drank just that one cup of coffee each day with no other caffeine throughout the day. Let me tell you, quitting caffeine, even that small amount, was an absolute *****. It took about 3 months until I felt back to my self. I thought giving up that one cup of coffee would be a breeze. Was thinking it would be maybe a little bit of a headache for a bit? Something like that? What i dealt with during those three months of withdrawal from that one cup of coffee was: major insomnia, lethargy, brain fog, depression, inability to concentrate/motivate and just generally feeling like total crap. The first month was absolutely awful. The second month was a little better but still sucked. Month three wasn't great either but it was around this time that my sleep improved so drastically that I knew what I had gone through in terms of withdrawal was worth it. That was 5 years ago and I'm still sleeping great. No more crashing/naps during the day either. Just equal sustained energy all day long.

I started following/contributing to the reddit/decaf subreddit back when I quit. Some good reading there and you can see what people go through when trying to quit that horrible drug. Some people are super lucky in that their withdrawals are not as bad as the ones I had and if you do decide to quit, hopefully you will be one of those lucky people. I will say if I had to quit all over again I would have tapered off slowly instead of just quitting cold turkey as to maybe have made those withdrawals a little easier. I do miss that morning buzz I got after scarfing down that stuff but other than that, quitting was one of the best things I've ever done.

Do a little research on the half-life of caffeine and you'll see that even if you just partake in the morning (sounds like maybe you ingest some in the afternoon too?) it's not fully out of your system by the time you go to bed. Also read about the effects of caffeine on the pineal gland (it shrinks it). Researchers used to think old people didn't sleep well just because they were old but now the thinking is it's because all of that caffeine they ingested shrank their pineal gland so much it doesn't regulate melatonin properly.

Pineal Gland Function: What You Should Know

Is your pineal gland affecting your sleep? Learn more about this gland and how it affects your melatonin, hormones, moods, and more.

www.healthline.com

In the process of quitting coffee now. I slowly crept up to 3 double espressos each day. Got to the point where even that did nothing for me. I’m on day four and feel like smashing my head into a wall to stop the pain.

 

[Nipsey]

I dealt with exact same problem for 15 years. Would fall asleep around 11pm and wake up every single night at about 3 am. I'd be awake for a few hours and then maybe fall back asleep at some point for another hour. Would feel like a zombie all the time. I looked into everything and tried a bunch of stuff like melatonin, edibles, etc. Turns out the problem was caffeine. At one point I drank three cups of coffee each morning (nothing after 11am) and eventually got it down to one cup in the morning but I still woke up in the middle of every night. I finally decided to give up that one cup of coffee to see if that was the issue and sure enough, it was.

At the time I quit I literally drank just that one cup of coffee each day with no other caffeine throughout the day. Let me tell you, quitting caffeine, even that small amount, was an absolute *****. It took about 3 months until I felt back to my self. I thought giving up that one cup of coffee would be a breeze. Was thinking it would be maybe a little bit of a headache for a bit? Something like that? What i dealt with during those three months of withdrawal from that one cup of coffee was: major insomnia, lethargy, brain fog, depression, inability to concentrate/motivate and just generally feeling like total crap. The first month was absolutely awful. The second month was a little better but still sucked. Month three wasn't great either but it was around this time that my sleep improved so drastically that I knew what I had gone through in terms of withdrawal was worth it. That was 5 years ago and I'm still sleeping great. No more crashing/naps during the day either. Just equal sustained energy all day long.

I started following/contributing to the reddit/decaf subreddit back when I quit. Some good reading there and you can see what people go through when trying to quit that horrible drug. Some people are super lucky in that their withdrawals are not as bad as the ones I had and if you do decide to quit, hopefully you will be one of those lucky people. I will say if I had to quit all over again I would have tapered off slowly instead of just quitting cold turkey as to maybe have made those withdrawals a little easier. I do miss that morning buzz I got after scarfing down that stuff but other than that, quitting was one of the best things I've ever done.

Do a little research on the half-life of caffeine and you'll see that even if you just partake in the morning (sounds like maybe you ingest some in the afternoon too?) it's not fully out of your system by the time you go to bed. Also read about the effects of caffeine on the pineal gland (it shrinks it). Researchers used to think old people didn't sleep well just because they were old but now the thinking is it's because all of that caffeine they ingested shrank their pineal gland so much it doesn't regulate melatonin properly.

Pineal Gland Function: What You Should Know

Is your pineal gland affecting your sleep? Learn more about this gland and how it affects your melatonin, hormones, moods, and more.

www.healthline.com

In the process of quitting coffee now. I slowly crept up to 3 double espressos each day. Got to the point where even that did nothing for me. I’m on day four and feel like smashing my head into a wall to stop the pain.

Good luck! Definitely a tough thing to quit but worth it imo.

 

[offdee]

I would bet that energy drink is what is waking you up. 150mg of caffeine.

The fact he drinks it and then goes back to sleep is a little odd

Yeah, it is a little weird. I don't really get a "rush" from it, just more or less a comforting taste at this point that starts my morning. Since I don't eat breakfast or drink coffee this became my substitute. Something about the crack of the can opening and the first sip is a vibe for me.

 

[offdee]

Even with my CPAP for apnea, a few years back, I was waking up 6-7 times a night. It was awful. I don't know why it started, but it hit pretty sudden and wouldn't stop. Literally every night. My primary doctor's initial suggestions didn't help. But my cpap guy recommended CBT and sleep hygiene and the problem went away almost immediately.

What exactly is "CBT and sleep hygiene" ? Tell me more.

 

[Nipsey]

I would bet that energy drink is what is waking you up. 150mg of caffeine.

The fact he drinks it and then goes back to sleep is a little odd

Yeah, it is a little weird. I don't really get a "rush" from it, just more or less a comforting taste at this point that starts my morning. Since I don't eat breakfast or drink coffee this became my substitute. Something about the crack of the can opening and the first sip is a vibe for me.

I'd bet anything that drink is what is causing your issue. That one drink is the equivalent of sucking down 4-5 cans of Coke worth of caffeine all at once every morning. If you give it up tomorrow you'd go through some tough times but by Thanksgiving I predict you'll be sleeping the best you have in years. The crack of that can opening/taste signals your brain it's drug time. I would guess that's what the comforting/vibe thing you're referencing is really all about. For me it was the sound of the Keurig and the aroma of the coffee. I didn't think I was getting a rush from it either but boy was I. Try switching to something else with a similar sounding can, something that tastes good but caffeine-free and see if things feel the same. I don't think they will.

 

[offdee]

No nap yesterday. Went to bed at 11pm. Woke up at 3am but I quickly was able to fall back asleep and truly woke up at 6:30am. Probably a fluke, but so far so good with the no nap.

@Nipsey I'm drinking my white Monster as I type this. I'm not sure it's worth it. I'll quit "tomorrow", lol.

 

[ChiefD]

No nap yesterday. Went to bed at 11pm. Woke up at 3am but I quickly was able to fall back asleep and truly woke up at 6:30am. Probably a fluke, but so far so good with the no nap.

@Nipsey I'm drinking my white Monster as I type this. I'm not sure it's worth it. I'll quit "tomorrow", lol.

Maybe tomorrow drink 1/2 of the Monster.

The next day 1/4.

The next day a sip or two.

The next day crack the can and smell the wafting of the nectar.

Wala! Done.

 

[Major]

Even with my CPAP for apnea, a few years back, I was waking up 6-7 times a night. It was awful. I don't know why it started, but it hit pretty sudden and wouldn't stop. Literally every night. My primary doctor's initial suggestions didn't help. But my cpap guy recommended CBT and sleep hygiene and the problem went away almost immediately.

What exactly is "CBT and sleep hygiene" ? Tell me more.

CBT is Cognitive Behavior Therapy and I guess with sleep the therapist can help you change thoughts/actions that hinder it. It's often used for depression, ptsd, etc

 

[Dr. Octopus]

CPAP machine. It was PITA at first, but have gotten used to it.

I hated it and stopped using it long ago. I don't think it helped me sleep any better - woke up more because of the mask.

 

[zamboni]

CPAP machine. It was PITA at first, but have gotten used to it.

I hated it and stopped using it long ago. I don't think it helped me sleep any better - woke up more because of the mask.

Yeah, it happens to me sometimes that the mask/tube wakes me up. I soldier through it though because the alternative could be a heart attack.

 

[urbanhack]

This does wonders for me. My friend owns the company and she is making some nice, small batch CBD oils and this one is especially great for sleeping.

Sunset - Pure & Organic Hemp Oil for Sleep - 2000mg CBD - Abaca Botanics

Our Sunset formula is the natural path to a good night of deep sleep. The perfect blend of pure cannabinoids and wild Mint.

abacabotanics.com

 

[offdee]

This does wonders for me. My friend owns the company and she is making some nice, small batch CBD oils and this one is especially great for sleeping.

Sunset - Pure & Organic Hemp Oil for Sleep - 2000mg CBD - Abaca Botanics

Our Sunset formula is the natural path to a good night of deep sleep. The perfect blend of pure cannabinoids and wild Mint.

abacabotanics.com

What do you do with this...ingest it?

 

[Runkle]

Wait hold up I haven't read the thread fully I guess. There are people that drink a monster every day?? That's... not good. That's not how it's supposed to be.