Illegal Bedtime Routine

[louspeachy]

Even though they say NEVER do this, I have done it for years since using a CPAP and it is my way of going to sleep fairly quickly and easily.

I have a laptop next to my bed that I use laying down with an onscreen keyboard. Every night, I go to bed, turn on my computer and check email, check out/contribute to my forums including this one. My FFM is already on and running and I am in a "sleeping position". When I start getting sleepy, I load a game called "FISHDOM" (match 3 game) and play that. Before long, I am falling asleep (or fell asleep and lost my mouse ball) and that's it.

They say don't go to bed except to sleep (TV keeps me awake) but my illegal bedtime routine works for me almost every night!!

Louise

[snuginarug]

Luckily there are no sleep police. If there were, you'd be in lock-down.

Whatever works for you is perfect... for you.

My sleep doctor and the specialist he referred me to, are obsessed with rising with the sun. I've been going to bed at 2 am every night for 20 years. So you know they can go stuff it. Rising with the sun may (or may not) be a good rule for the majority, but it is not for me. Therefore, screw them and let the sleep police try and get me. (Imagine me childishly sticking my tongue out at the doctors.)

[louspeachy]

Don't give anyone ideas about sleep police.... I am generally in bed by 8PM but as stated with my illegal bedtime routine, I don't fall asleep for an hour or so after. My dogs cuddle up with me (hubby stays up late), a/c is cool and I get to play Fishdom for a while (I am on level 110).

Got yelled at about my laptop but it works for me. People need to experiment with techniques and do whatever will help them relax and get a good nights sleep.


Sleep police!!

Louise

[BlackSpinner]

Luckily there are no sleep police. If there were, you'd be in lock-down.

Whatever works for you is perfect... for you.

My sleep doctor and the specialist he referred me to, are obsessed with rising with the sun. I've been going to bed at 2 am every night for 20 years. So you know they can go stuff it. Rising with the sun may (or may not) be a good rule for the majority, but it is not for me. Therefore, screw them and let the sleep police try and get me. (Imagine me childishly sticking my tongue out at the doctors.)

LOL - I am on my way to Whitehorse today - sun sets at 23:35 and rises at 4:27 today

[JointPain]

That's my habit as well. I don't see why reading a laptop is bad but reading a book is good. If I get hooked on a good book, it's much harder for me to put it down and turn off the brain. Checking emails, forums etc. is usually lots of small things with no incentive to keep reading and reading, so I do a bit of checking and turn it off when I'm sleepy.

I guess the important thing is to have a regular, not particularly stimulating activity that you associate with going to sleep. Checking email and forums does it for me.

Occasionally I do read something that wrecks the process, such as a particularly exciting or upsetting story or email. Most recent one for me was when I read here that OBL had killed. I had to get up and watch the news. Stuff happens. I could have just as easily heard about that some other way (e.g. the wife who goes to sleep much later than me might have had the TV on).

[robysue]

A word about "illegal bedtime routines":

Basically if you don't have any real problems with insomnia, you don't need to worry (too much) about such things as using the compute in bed. It's rather like telling a NON-Diabetic that sugar is a No-no.

For a diabetic, watching sugar levels and avoiding things that adversely affect sugar levels (such as eating lots of sugary foods) is critical for dealing with their condition. For the rest of us? Serious restrictions on consuming sugar are not really needed since most of us can handle the sugar we eat with out many problems.

Same thing with insomniacs: For someone who cannot get to sleep in what they regard as a timely fashion, who cannot stay asleep through the night without multiple awakenings that thoroughly disrupt the subjective quality of their sleep, and/or who consistently wake too early and cannot get back to sleep, paying attention to sleep hygiene is an important tool in managing the insomnia. Sleep hygiene is not the only tool, but it is a very important tool.

But for the rest of you----the folks who routinely get to sleep without frustration, sleep through the night with only minor awakes that don't bother them, and consistently sleep until they want or need to get up the next morning, insomnia is NOT a problem. And for a NON-insomniac, things like using the computer in bed (a la the OP) or watching tv in bed (as many folks do) until you get sleepy and then falling asleep (hopefully after you've turned the computer or tv off and turned the lights off) is not a problem---any more than a non-diabetic eating a candy bar or two a day is problem for a non-diabetic. It might create problems in the future, but if these behavior pattens are not creating problems now and you don't regard yourself as suffering from insomnia, then enjoy those bedtime pleasures and routines the same way I, as a non-diabetic, enjoy my daily candy bars.

[louspeachy]

The repetitive clicking of my match 3 game is what makes me sleepy I think. Whatever, it works.

[robysue]

The repetitive clicking of my match 3 game is what makes me sleepy I think. Whatever, it works.

Exactly: You get to sleep in a timely fashion when you want to, you sleep through the night well enough, and you wake up more or less when you want or need to. And you wake up feeling like you got a decent enough night's sleep.

Hence, no real insomnia problems. Your match 3 game is to your sleep habits what my daily candy bar is to my diet. Perhaps not the greatest thing, but certainly not something that's doing you any harm and you derive some significant pleasure out of it. Nothing "illegal" about that at all.

Now---if you were to find yourself needing to play that match 3 game for 3 or 4 hours before getting sleepy on a regular basis, or if you were to notice that on the nights where you played the most that you also were waking up multiple times in the middle of the night not being able to get back to sleep easily, well, that might indicate a developing problem. Just like if I were to notice my weight beginning to creep up, that would indicate I need to cut the candy bar munching.

For now, enjoy the fact that you aren't an insomniac and that you CAN enjoy the daily pleasure of you nighttime match 3 game! Sweet dreams with your game.

[archangle]

I've always thought it should be legal to kill cheerful early risers.

[louspeachy]

I've always thought it should be legal to kill cheerful early risers.

My kids said that for years and now my husband does.....

Louise

[Shellie_p]

Im a periodic insomiac. As my doc calls it. Meaning i can go months without an episode then suddenly for 2 weeks straight for no reason I can't sleep. And it don't happen when life is stressed either.

I tried the *Bed is ONLY for sleeping* A couple times over the years. Didn't help me much. BUT also I can't sleep at night either. I can force it over a week with use of my sleep meds (perscribed as needed for insomnia) But when I do sleep at night and wake early I'm 10 times MORE tired all the time then if i just Let my self go naturally. And I tend to sleep WAY more then just 6-9 hours.

When my kids were younger and in school. I tried. Light therapy, sleep hygiene, perscriptions you name it. Now that the oldest 2 are out of the house and the youngest is next. I go to bed when most are waking up 6-8 am. And I get the best rest this way.

And the computer. Often if i'm having insomia good old spider solitare or majhong will get me headed for sleep. Better then most meds lol
And I have the computer at the foot of the bed. I have to since i have to keep my legs up a good portion of the day(sit indian style) or they swell horribly.

Pain though for me is one of the big things that can really keep me from sleeping. Wken my knees ache I can't keep em still. But it never happens when I have a sleep test so doc says it must not be sleep related. go figure lol

[xenablue]

I guess I'm illegal also then. I've never had real trouble going to sleep, but sometimes my brain is mulling over things and it's hard to turn it off.
My pre-sleep ritual is watching a DVR'd episode of Jeopardy. Sometimes I don't even make it to Double Jeopardy LOL. Just tuning my thoughts into something other than solving problems, already masked up and comfy in my bed is enough to lull me to sleep, which is contrary to what a lot of people might think. I don't try too hard to get the answers, but I do try to remember the answers to ones I don't know - it's trivia so not vital I remember.

Cheers,
xena

[louspeachy]

That's it! Something that gets your mind off the bad stuff. For ME anyhow!

Louise

[RN1959]

This is funny to me ( in a way ) there are so many people doing way worse things before bed than going online to look at a forum, or play a game. With the crime rate so high, we shouldn't worry about the little things !
I do have a TV in my bedroom, and I actually use it ( I'm sure I'll be arrested tomorrow ) I enjoy the relaxation, and the drone of the sound. When I feel myself totally relaxed, I turn it off, the dog is happy...and I usually sleep well ( IF I use my cpap). The exception has been on the few and far between nights that restless leg interferes. I stretch them in bed, and if that doesn't help, I get up and walk the house a bit. Last night was one of those nights, I worked all day today, and I'm thinking that I'll sleep well tonight. By the way, what are you all doing for restless leg ? I don't have it often, but it sure is annoying.

I hope that you sleep well too !
RN

PS: If I don't sleep well, I'll give it 30 min, then get out of bed and check the forum a bit....the alarm will still go off at 6:00 as I'm on call this weekend. I try not to stress too much over being sleepy....just keep doing what your suppose to do, and sleep will come. Oh, and I'm on the witness protection program....LOL

[So Well]

With the crime rate so high, we shouldn't worry about the little things !

The vast majority of crimes are created by government at all levels - federal, state, local.