I’m looking for suggestions that zombie-me could follow through with. The problem is I can barely bring myself to get out of bed, let alone do a useful task. It just wastes typically 2–5 hours of my life as I wait for tiredness to finally (re)take hold.
I did cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia years ago, and at the time had the same issue with waking up and then laying in bed for hours trying to get back to sleep. It led to a horrible cycle of anxiety about whether I’d be able to sleep, which of course made it harder to sleep. The most important rules are to try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. If you’re awake in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep after ten minutes, get out of bed and do something quiet with no screens. I recommend hand washing dishes, dusting, or folding laundry. This is productive, calm and quiet, and boring enough that you will be happy to go back to bed when your body says you’re ready. When you start doing this, you’re going to be even more tired during the day. Just suffer through it, don’t take a nap and don’t try to counteract it with caffeine or other stimulants! That will only exacerbate the cycle of insomnia. I also recommend keeping a journal of when you go to bed, every time you wake up, and when you’re finally up for the day. You might find that you naturally wake up less if you give yourself a different bed time window.
I’m graduating this month at 31 and my friend, you have made a great decision for yourself! It’s incredibly difficult as an adult, but it’s going to feel completely worth it when you’re at the end. You’ll open up a new world of job opportunities, and if you ever have kids or take on a mentor type role for one you will be a living example for them to get through it too. I spent the first two years of college making jokes to my classmates about doing it a decade too late, but now I’m owning it. Those whipper snappers should try doing it alongside a full time job and a kid and a house with a currently flooded basement!
You’re going to do great. And, even if you don’t do great, all you need to do is PASS. That’s okay too!
What are some productive things to do when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep for a few hours?
I’m looking for suggestions that zombie-me could follow through with. The problem is I can barely bring myself to get out of bed, let alone do a useful task. It just wastes typically 2–5 hours of my life as I wait for tiredness to finally (re)take hold.
The tedious part of war [Goat To Self] (startrek.website)
TIL past psilocybin use is strongly associated with working less overtime hours (www.tandfonline.com)