Haven't slept in 2 nights. What can I do?
Posted , 3 users are following.
So I haven't slept in 2 nights, I just came off holidays, where I was gaming till early hours in the morning (2-5am) and waking at around 11-3pm. I am started back to school after te holidays yesterday but didn't go to school as I had no sleep that night. This is now my Second night with no sleep and i don't feel really tired just slighty fatigued.
I have tried everything:
Music (loud quite, calming, not calming.)
Watching YouTube, a Moive or TV while laying down trying to close my eyes.
I have tried things like 2 or more hours just lying there breathing techniques and such with my eyes closed.
Im getting kind of scared of what could happen without sleep. Should I see my doctor about sleeping pills or try another night to get some sleep?
0 likes, 5 replies
lily65668 Mitchell2000
Posted
Give yourself a chance to settle back into your routine, Mitchell. Nothing terrible will happen if you don't sleep. You'll feel tired and have problems concentrating, but it won't do you any harm - unless you're driving, of course, when poor concentration isn't a good idea.
I think it would be better if you went back to school anyway, even if your concentration isn't good at the moment - once again, with the proviso that you're not driving yourself there. If you can get back into your normal routine, you'll find things will settle down again, though it may take a bit of time.
Watching non-stimulating movies etc. in the evening is a good strategy, but probably best not to watch TV or anything else that has a back-lit screen while you're actually in bed. The bluish light emitted by all these devices has been found to stimulate the hormones that keep us awake during the day. Audio doesn't have the same effect, so you could try some quiet music.
And please turn your phone off at night, or leave it another room. I know that's hard for your generation but it doesn't help if you're tempted to check it every few minutes when you can't sleep.
I'm sure you'll be back to normal in a few weeks if you just try and maintain a normal routine, however tired you feel. I wouldn't advise starting on sleeping pills at your age, unless it's for a very short time - max one week - to restore your sleep/wake pattern. The problem with all sleeping pills is that you very quickly develop a tolerance to them and they stop working. That's without mentioning the side-effects they can have - hangover, poor concentration, memory loss, even severe sleepwalking problems in the case of Ambien
Mitchell2000 lily65668
Posted
DClassic Mitchell2000
Posted
Hi Mitchell,
Coffee is okay, provided you don't take it too late in the day. To be safe, no caffeine after lunch. Energy drinks are disasters for your health regardless of how well you sleep. I would stay away from those period.
On the blue light / screens issue, there is an application called f.lux which has a blue light filter.
On the sleeping pills side, definetely stay away from anything prescription based. And even the non-prescription stuff is pretty dicey. There are a number of them which contain diphenhydramine (i.e. Benadryl), which induces drowsiness in alot of people. BUT the body quickly builds up a tolerance to it. I would call you doctor, and see what they think about melotonin or maybe Valerian root. Those are fairly safe, but check with your GP first.
Lastly, when you are actually in bed, don't think about sleep. Think about something pleasant. Or daydream.
Other than that, I don't have anything to add between what Lily has already said. Good luck!
Mitchell2000 DClassic
Posted
lily65668 Mitchell2000
Posted
Yes Mitchell - I agree totally with what DClassic says. Energy drinks are a total health disaster all round: caffeine + sugar + heaven knows what else! They might make you feel a bit brighter in the immediate aftermath, but they then produce a downer that just makes you want to drink more of them. They certainly won't help your sleep pattern and, overall, they'll make you feel even worse during the day. For the same reason, I'd say steer clear of Coke (or any other colas). Better to get a mild caffeine hit from coffee, with as little sugar in it as you can manage. And yes, not after lunch. If you can drink tea, that provides a much smaller caffeine hit which will perk you up slightly without keeping you awake all night.
The other thing energy drinks and colas will do is expose you to type 2 diabetes later in life. Well, not all that much later either - there are reports of 20-somethings getting diagnosed with this disease of old age these days, due to excessive sugar consumption! That goes for all other regular sodas. The "lite" versions don't contain sugar but artificial sweeteners are also incriminated in type 2 diabetes, albeit via another route and to a lesser extent.
I hesitated to suggest the first-generation antihistamines. Diphenhydramine is one, and there's also promethazine (Phenergan) and chlorphenamine (Piriton). (All capitalised trade names as per UK. They could be different elsewhere.) I used to take very small doses of one or other of these when I had trouble sleeping as a young woman but not for more than 3 consecutive nights. I was a very poor sleeper at your age, and found a small dose of antihistamine for a couple of nights in a row would reset my sleep patterns for the next few weeks.
However, if you do decide to try an antihistamine, remember they're not knock-out pills. You need to take it about an hour before going to bed, otherwise in the time they take to kick in you'll get anxious about not sleeping and they won't work. And don't take a second dose if the first one doesn't work. Even in very small doses, these things can give you a hangover, which will make you feel even worse.
Don't forget - it's the first-generation antihistamines you should ask for, if you do decide to try them. The modern ones are designed not to make you feel sleepy, so wouldn't work.
However, I think DClassic's idea of trying valerian first is better. Most pharmacies can also suggest mild sleep remedies. I'd hesitate about going to the doctor at this point. In some countries doctors are still too ready to prescribe sleeping pills. It's so easy to get hooked on them, which would be a disaster at your age. I'm saying this because the fact you're saying you've just got back from holidays and have just started back at school tells me you're not in the UK or north-western Europe.
I was interested to hear from DClassic that there's now a blue-light filter on the market. I'll remember that!
Good luck, Mitchell! Don't let yourself get too anxious. Most young people go through the odd phase of not sleeping, but it only rarely becomes a long-term problem.