Sleeping

[Specter Von Baren]

So, how do you sleep? When do you sleep? How long? Etc, etc, etc.

For myself, I've always been a side sleeper, I CAN sleep on my back but it's a "If I have to" kind of thing. For most of my life I've had a lot of trouble going to sleep though, I used to take medicine to help me with that but haven't had to for about five years now. I just like doing things and don't like not doing things, but age has finally blessed me with the ability to at least understand the joys of sleep. I've also been unable to sleep without pulling a blanket over my head thanks to being a scaredy-cat as a kid. The habit is just stuck with me now, and I just don't feel safe without that. As for duration, 7 hours of sleep seems to be what my body wants out of me as even if I go to bed early, I'll wake up after about 7 hours. As for dreams, I wouldn't know much, the medicine I take for other things seems to make my dreams less vivid and memorable, which is good since when I don't take my medicine my dreams can be exhausting.

So what about the rest of ya? Any interesting sleeping habits or stories?

 

[davidmc1158]

Sleep? What is this "sleep" thing you refer to? I've heard rumors about such a mythical thing, but have never actually seen it.

OK, all smart-assedness aside, my sleep is screwed up. Thanks to some side effects from the bladder cancer, I have to urinate every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. So my nightly schedule is to sleep a bit, go to the bathroom, go back to sleep for a bit, lather, rinse, repeat.

On the plus side, I've discovered that I can fall into REM sleep almost immediately after falling asleep, so my mental degeneration isn't going any faster that it has before.

 

[Chimpzy]

I sleep on my back, need about 7-8 hours. As for habits, I can't sleep without a blanket, which is annoying when it gets hot in summer. If I keep covered I can't sleep well cuz its too hot, but if I toss the blanket I can't sleep well either cuz I'm not covered. Also, once I'm fully asleep, I don't snore or move until I wake, and can only barely be heard breathing. When we first started sleeping together, my girlfriend actually found it kind of unsettling how still and quiet I am while sleeping.

 

[SckizoBoy]

I sleep on my back, though I still go onto my side in 'preparation', for lack of a better way of putting it, since I can be a restless sleeper. Like @Chimpzy, I need to sleep with a blanket, though unlike OP, I only need it covering me up to my waist, more or less, and it need not be particularly thick, it can be almost quilt-like, so it's less about the covering and more about the weight on the lower half of my body. Meh.

On the whole, I need about 7-8 hrs, though I typically only get 5 which means I'm tired in the afternoons, and sometimes end up taking a nap (if I'm guaranteed not to get any work, I usually will) for an hour-ish. The nap is often better than the night's sleep, annoyingly. I don't dream that often, which is a pity, I usually had interesting/lucid dreams, but alas, none in recent memory.

 

[Gordon_4]

I have very severe sleep apnoea; the average person gets about five interruptions a night over their average night's sleep. I get over one hundred, and that's in the six or so hours I sleep. So I don't so much 'sleep' as I spend time unconscious.

It fucking blows.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

I'm a front sleeper primarily. I had a time where I slept on my side and really enjoyed it, but it was messing with my shoulders and back a bit too much to continue doing. I can't seem to easily fall asleep on my back no matter what I do. However, I do find myself laying on my back for about 5-10 minutes until I start feeling the sleepiness taking over, at which point I roll over onto my front and let the process continue.

I can't sleep without a blanket, but I can sleep with something as basic as a sheet. Oddly enough, even though I can't sleep without a blanket of some variety, all I need to do to make my brain compute that part of the equation is to put a bit of blanket over one of my shoulders. Literally just a single shoulder covered by a corner of the blanket and for some reason that's enough. Does wonders for summers when a blanket over my whole body is too much but I need the slightest bit of something to work with to fall asleep with.

I need about 6 hours minimum, though my body often does about 8 hours before I wake up. But anything less than 6 hour or earlier than 7AM and I'm a bit of a grump first thing in the morning, and I end up sluggish mid-day cause of it. But no matter what my sleep is like (with rare exception), I am a slow burn first thing in the morning. It takes me an average of 3-4 hours before my brain gets up to a regular functioning level that I continue the day with. Never have been a morning person overall (I don't even really like making myself breakfast, I often just wait till brunch/lunch hours before I get anything in me)

 

[Phoenixmgs]

I sleep on my stomach or back and don't have much trouble sleeping.

Also, once I'm fully asleep, I don't snore or move until I wake

I also don't move when sleeping, I barely even have to make the bed at all

 

[Drathnoxis]

I sleep on my side/stomach. I need 8-9 hours to not feel tired in the morning, but it's kind of hard to get it, especially for 3-5 days after switching days and nights. Like others here I need a blanket, even in the summer when it's really hot, just a little corner on my shoulder. I also need different blankets based on the time sometimes. Usually I'll be cold when I go to sleep, then I'll get hot after a couple hours, then cold again near morning.

Also I need it to be dark. Bloody sun keeps waking me up at dawn, and then I'll panic that I've overslept and forgot to set my alarm, then I'll check and see it's still an hour and a half before it rings. 6 more weeks -_-

 

[Drathnoxis]

I also don't move when sleeping, I barely even have to make the bed at all

I don't have to make the bed either, because what's the point when you're going to sleep in it again the next night.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I have very severe sleep apnoea; the average person gets about five interruptions a night over their average night's sleep. I get over one hundred, and that's in the six or so hours I sleep. So I don't so much 'sleep' as I spend time unconscious.

It fucking blows.

Are you treating it? I was worried I had sleep apnea after I woke up my roommate with choking sounds despite being asleep, but I never got to get diagnosed since the pandemic hit.

 

[Gordon_4]

Are you treating it? I was worried I had sleep apnea after I woke up my roommate with choking sounds despite being asleep, but I never got to get diagnosed since the pandemic hit.

Yes, with one of those air machines. Its a little uncomfortable, going to sleep wearing what feels like two thirds of a jet pilot helmet but it does reduce the actual apnoea.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Yes, with one of those air machines. Its a little uncomfortable, going to sleep wearing what feels like two thirds of a jet pilot helmet but it does reduce the actual apnoea.

How is it? I've heard that using one of those to sleep can get you the best sleep you've ever had.

 

[Kyrian007]

Complete darkness. Even the shine from a readout on an alarm clock or the dim glow from the charger on my laptop has to be covered up. I grew up in a basement bedroom that didn't have a window, I can't sleep without the same darkness that room provided. Windows in bedrooms I'm in have to be completely sealed over with opaque material. And making that double tough, I'm a 3rd shifter. Meaning I sleep during the day.

Otherwise, I sleep pretty well. I do suffer from night (really day) terrors, but I've kind of trained myself to forget dreams almost immediately after waking up. So 2 or 3 times a "night" I'll jolt awake... and promptly forget what it was that scared me awake.

Oh and one other odd quirk (I've been told.) No pj's. If anything just my boxers. Anything more and I won't fall asleep.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I have very severe sleep apnoea; the average person gets about five interruptions a night over their average night's sleep. I get over one hundred, and that's in the six or so hours I sleep. So I don't so much 'sleep' as I spend time unconscious.

It fucking blows.

3 years ago I found out I had sleep apnoea. They discovered I was waking up about once a minute. Given discriptions of my snoring over the years they reckon it may well have started when I was about 20. 20 years of undiagnosed sleep apnoea. Although I didn't realise what was causing it at the time, I quit my master's degree because I was so tired all the time and ended up doing a few more years on the wrong side of the tracks instead. Makes me wonder what things might have been like if I'd realised what the problem was back then.

Anyway, I fall asleep very easily, although I tend to wake up early, 6ish. I have headband Bluetooth earphones that go over your eyes to cut out light but I think it's just my body clock that wakes up. I usually listen to meditation vids on YouTube. If I forget to put on my CPAP I do feel pretty rough in the morning.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Complete darkness. Even the shine from a readout on an alarm clock or the dim glow from the charger on my laptop has to be covered up. I grew up in a basement bedroom that didn't have a window, I can't sleep without the same darkness that room provided. Windows in bedrooms I'm in have to be completely sealed over with opaque material. And making that double tough, I'm a 3rd shifter. Meaning I sleep during the day.

I'm the same way, so I just got used to using a sleep mask.

 

[gorfias]

I've learned how to sleep in a chair.
Step 1. Be old.
Step 2. Sit in a chair.
If I make it to bed for about 6.5 hours, I sleep on my side.

 

[ko11b]

Oh typical little civilians and there little b made complaints you ever slept In a tank for over 30 days in the freezing weather with the driver's seat rubbing medal on your spinal chord not really comfortable

You ever sleep in a bathtub with 1000 fucken needles owning your fucken skin after making contact with extra dimensionals beings ??

Save the ***** made complaints for someone else

 

[ko11b]

I'm the same way, so I just got used to using a sleep mask.

Why sleep with a mask do you have to cover your hideous face ?? Why

 

[Specter Von Baren]

Why sleep with a mask do you have to cover your hideous face ?? Why

I think this is some kind of learning algorithm bot or something, that's supposed to learn responses over time.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I think this is some kind of learning algorithm bot or something, that's supposed to learn responses over time.

Either that or the army and drugs do terrible things to a person.