Sleep

[LetYouDown]

This may be a bit of a stretch for the Psychology forum, but I believe that it affects me mentally, and has an impact on my poker game as well.

For the past 10 years or so, I have had the worst sleeping patterns you can imagine. I've had no defined sleeping schedule until I started working 9-5 (3-4 years ago). Even now it's loosely defined, as I'll stay up until 3-4 some nights and be absolutely destroyed the next day, which forces me to crash when I get home. On weekends, I stay up until I literally can't stay awake anymore because I can sleep in the next day. I generally sleep until at least 3pm, if not later, on Saturdays and Sundays. Yesterday I set my alarm for 11am, as I had to get up for an appointment. It was absolute torture. I went to sleep at 3am, and had a full 8 hours of sleep...but I was tired to the point of nausea when I woke up. I strongly considered not going.

I am constantly tired and feel as though I never ever get a good night's sleep. I'm dragging through the day constantly and it's really depressing me. If affects my poker game because I don't always have the alertness/stamina that I need to play long sessions.

I think it's finally time to do something about it, but I have absolutely no idea where to start. I get no exercise and feel hard pressed to start a regiment as I have absolutely no motivation. My diet is atrocious. I'll go two days without eating, but when I do eat, it's always awful for me. I'm a smoker, and I'm sure that doesn't help. I just feel completely lost and I have no idea where to start.

Anyone else have this problem and/or solve it somehow? I've grown so accustomed to it that I feel resigned to the fact that I'll live a life without energy.

[dutchbrodymoss]

I live like that too. no solution.

[purnell]

First of all, you cannot sleep unless you are motivated to sleep. I am undisciplined, and it sounds like you are too. Check your motivation, convince yourself that you want to sleep. That said, I had lifelong issues with sleep patterns, until I stumbled upon this concept. If a hypnotist's watch is like a tack hammer, binaural beats are like a ten-pound sledge. The best thing is you can make your own binaural beat recording, cheaply.

[USGrant]

a) quit smoking
b) start cardio exercising 30 mins. a day, 4 days a week.
c) see a doctor, don't ask for health advice on the 2+2 Forum.

[LetYouDown]

I wasn't exactly seeking a clinical diagnosis or a prescription. I've seen enough doctors regarding this to realize it's not worth even a $5 co-pay to hear the same canned response again.

I obviously realize that diet/exercise are a big problem here, as well as smoking. It's just incredibly hard to motivate myself to get beyond the first step of simply trying to overcome it. I'll have the occaisional day where I'll intentionally eat well or force myself to exercise but it never lasts more than a day or two. I'm beginning to wonder if this problem is just a psychological problem that manifests itself physically.

Thanks for the response purnell, I'll take a look at that on my next break.

[Al Schoonmaker]

One reason I moved to Las Vegas is that I have the same sort of problem, but perhaps less severely. When I had to schedule my time, I was often tired. Since LV is the original 24/7 town, I usually don't have to sleep, eat, get up, or do almost anything at set times.

It is not at all unusual to get phone calls at 2 AM, to meet friends at 3 AM, or to start playing poker at 5 AM. I love that freedom.

My idea of a nightmare is to have to return to working 9-5.

Al

[LetYouDown]

I'm with you entirely. I'd love to have that kind of freedom. Unfortunately, relatively low limit poker doesn't afford me that opportunity at this point. By trade, I'm a computer programmer...which does have a lot of contracting work available. With that, I can set my own hours, but I really need the financial stability that 9-5 offers me right now.

I've considered starting my own business, but I realize that it's quite the undertaking and would require more strict time management than even 9-5 does. I can't begin to count the number of business ideas, inventions, schemes to make money that have run through my head...but I never follow through on any of them, even if they seem perfectly valid.

I guess I just feel a tremendous amount of guilt for sleeping late and being "lazy". My parents were always of the early to bed, early to rise mentality and give me a hard time about it even now. I perpetually feel stuck in a rut...one day bleeds into the next, and then the year is just gone. It seems like yesterday that I was 20. It's a pretty hollow feeling.

[Stuey]

[ QUOTE ]
a) quit smoking
b) start cardio exercising 30 mins. a day, 4 days a week.
c) see a doctor, don't ask for health advice on the 2+2 Forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

d) quit sugar
e) quit caffeine

I did it you can. You will sleep 12 hrs a day for a week till your body recovers.

[Little Fishy]

I'm a swimmer and my competative season goes from september through march. the last month and a half of the season we back off the distances we swim, but we do everything at a faster pace. for the events I compete in this is called a 'taper'. what happens physically during a taper is that your muscles get a chance to rebuild and the taper is short enough and we keep the intensity high enough to prevent atrophy and to keep our cardiosytems strong. my sleeping patterns go out the window during taper. I won't be able to fall asleep till like 2-3 in the morning and i'll have to be up for practice by 6. the best method that I've learned to combat this is to take one or two hour, hour and a half long naps throughout the day. I'm in college however so I'm able to do this. I think the best way for me to maintain a consistant sleep patter in or out of season is to exersize (for about 1 to 2 hrs) about 3-4 hours before I want to go to sleep and then wake up early and work out for about 45 minutes before I go shower and eat and get on with my day. this is just for me however and everyone is different. If you aren't used to exersizing than you'll probably get the same affects (on your sleeping) without putting in as much time. Also exersizing really forces you to start eating better because you'll be able to feel it during your workouts.

you say you feel hardpressed to start a workout regimen. I think the best way to combat this is to join a group that exersizes on a regular basis. for instance I know there's a runners club and a couple groups of bikers as well as seniors swim groups. you might want to look into joining a group were you'll be able to work out with other people, it will keep you motivated and be more fun while you're doing it.

[A_C_Slater]

There's nothing wrong with you. There is something wrong with the 9 to 5 routine that the majority of Americans live day in and day out. There's nothing wrong with that. You have to make a living, but it's just not natural.

It is not the natural condiiton of man to live such a regimented routine. I think this condition has only come about in the last hundred years after the beginning of heavy industrialization.


I too wake up/ go to sleep whenever I feel like it. But the thing that isn't natural is your eating habits. You really shouldn't go two days without eating even if you're not hungry. You must force yourself to eat at least two meals a day. Maybe you have no energy because you have no calories to utilize.

I am 5' 8" and only weigh about 130 pounds, but I make sure to eat at lease twice a day, and no, I am usually not hungry when I do. But the only time I feel tired is the first couple of hours after walking up.