ne and insomnia...

[Lady_X]

so...i have issues sleeping when i have things i'm working out, excited about or worried about...i'm guessing this is a ne issue...but it sucks! and...it's affecting my life! i'm late for work because i just fell asleep an hour or two before my alarm goes off...this sucks...advice...a lil pat pat or what :/

 

[nomadic]

masturbate, then u just konk out.

 

[BlueScreen]

hehe, the global ENFP solution.

 

[Thalassa]

so...i have issues sleeping when i have things i'm working out, excited about or worried about...i'm guessing this is a ne issue...but it sucks! and...it's affecting my life! i'm late for work because i just fell asleep an hour or two before my alarm goes off...this sucks...advice...a lil pat pat or what :/

I recommend you pop a dose of melatonin about 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep. Also, follow nomadic's advice.

 

[Lady_X]

very helpful thanks...fucking enfps

haha... i'll keep that in mind.

 

[garbage]

I woke up at 3:00 for no discernible reason and then stumbled upon this thread. Lovely. ENFPs

This is a very common problem for me, even after exercise, good eating habits, and attempting to instill some regularity in my sleeping schedule. I don't suffer from anxiety. I'm on melatonin now and it doesn't do the trick--it worked yesterday and didn't today--though it might be a place to start.

My friends have had some pretty good experience with some other medications, including Lunesta, amitriptyline, and Xanax (!). I have an appointment with my doctor today, and hopefully I'll get some more insight on these and other options.. I know that sleeping medications aren't something you just screw around with.

 

[edcoaching]

Um....I was at a conference session filled with Ni's one time and there was a high incidence of using set fantasies, linked to favorite childhood movies or books, to fall asleep. One man had pretended to be a French resistance fighter since childhood. Another, the RCMP owner of Silver Chief, Dog of the North. And so on. Using the imagination in these set patterns shut down the brainstorming/random connections Intuition. It was a rather bonding moment for the group, none of whom had ever admitted this technique to others...

 

[ajblaise]

hmmm yeah I guess I go on Ne binges that do tend to keep me up. I get a lot of my best brainstorms and ideas in the middle of the night when I'm in the zone, and that helps with work. And it's near impossible for me to go to bed when I'm zoning.

I don't have any schedule really that I have to follow, so it's so tempting to simply go to bed when tired, and get up when not tired. I have a couple reasons why I should be following normal time, though. So it's probably not a good thing. Good for creativity, though.

 

[PeaceBaby]

Helpful strategies:

Get up and write down everything that's on your mind. Or make a big list of those things. Then, tell your brain that there it is, on paper, so nothing will be forgotten and will everything can be picked back up tomorrow. Now, it's time for rest.

Think of a favorite memory in the real world. Like a vacation where you were swimming in the ocean and running through the waves. Or horse back riding. Anything that brought you pleasure. And replay those memories back in your mind. That will help you relax and keep your mind from over-engaging.

Get off the computer or TV or video games at least an hour before you want to fall asleep. If your mind is too stimulated before going to sleep, your brain can't just click off like a light switch. This seems to get worse as you get a little older too (not that you are.) But I find since I sleep a little more lightly than I used to I have to respect not getting my mind all worked up before I want to go to sleep.

Have a warm bath or shower - that triggers the natural cooling reaction of the body before sleep and the release of natural melatonin.

Do mind-writing: create a soothing catch phrase for your self, like "gentle relaxing night" and imagine writing it out in long-hand in your mind, while you're laying in bed. In between each time you write the phrase, count backwards from 97, and write that number out in your mind as well. So, the sequence: "gentle relaxing night" then "ninety-seven" .... "gentle relaxing night" then "ninety-six" ... etc. I've never gotten much further than somewhere in the 80's using this technique.

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Waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep - that's another issue. Is this happening to you, or is it mostly falling asleep in the first place, but once you are asleep, it's all good?

 

[Lady_X]

yeah it's really just falling asleep...when i fall asleep i'm out and could and have slept till really late afternoon.

but yeah my mind just goes a mile a min coming up with all these ideas or plans...it makes me nutty...it reminds me of someone on a major caffeine buzz or something but i'm not and it's like 4am you know?

i think i need to just plan on sitting in a dark room for hours before going to bed...whoohoo that sounds fun.

 

[entropie]

 

[Lady_X]

haha...yeah you'd think so but that just makes it more likely that i'll make someone else listen to all my ideas.

 

[Snuggletron]

I get this too. Bad. I'm about to start grabbin' pills here again soon but probably not since last time I got addicted for awhile and now all my classes are after 12 pm

although I think it's mainly anxiety, I'll wake up at ridiculously early hours even if I went to bed at 2-4 am (normal btw) and can't go back to bed. Usually only on days I have class or work.

 

[entropie]

haha...yeah you'd think so but that just makes it more likely that i'll make someone else listen to all my ideas.

Dont even try to be nice, I BREAK IDEAS ! And then I fix em !

 

[thinkinjazz]

Totally cheesy to quote oneself, but...

http://www.typologycentral.com/foru...nf-s-what-kind-activities-help-you-relax.html

I've managed to find a super reliable solution- the only one to date:

I try to go to sleep at 11 every night, but I don't. I HAVE to wake up at 6:30 every morning even if it's just to get out of bed to turn off my alarm clock so I can go back to sleep, this will still keep me REM cycle basically in check. Both bed and waking time drastically affect me (and everybody from what my doctors have told me), but waking time is the most important thing out of any of the things you could possibly do.

Ideally I'd dance right after I wake up too, but this is not really possible with my house and schedule. I wish I could say any rigorous physical activity work to wake a person up, maybe you're one of those lucky people, but I tried aerobics classes and running and just found them too boring. Dance is mentally and emotionally stimulating as well as rigorous for me and thus provides a much better kick- so if you can find something that fulfills these things for you that's your morning routine.

Also super super important: I wear earplugs and have curtains that will keep out any light (even in the daytime). These two things plus the 6:30 waking time have made sleep reliable for me where I was otherwise an stress-dependent insomniac. Now I can sleep even when I'm stressed- soo much better.

Oh, and the fan has to be on high, since temperature also really affects how you sleep, 65 degrees C is about right for me, the noise from the fan helps too. Having an open window may be good if you can, so you get the proper amount of oxygen when you sleep as well.

 

[Lady_X]

right...makes sense. my schedule has been all weird lately...but i don't want a sleep schedule...i want an off switch!

 

[ajblaise]

but i don't want a sleep schedule...i want an off switch!

It's like a semi-off switch.

 

[Lady_X]

oh yeah...i think i've tried that once or twice...yeah maybe i do need something like that sometimes....thanks

 

[sleepy]

Quit your job, that's what I would do.

 

[phoenity]

My ENTP friend and ENFP co-worker both talk about how they have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep. I feel bad for them, because I have no trouble at all.

I'm sure it's Ne.

ENTP friend resorts to trying different sleep aids. He says marijuana works best for him, but I notice it has its side-effects on him when he uses it regularly.

But I know his problem is not his mind, it's his physical body.

He doesn't know how to relax his body to fall asleep. Unlike me, he lives in his mind, not in his body. His body is just a vehicle for his mind.

I keep telling him he needs to look into meditation or yoga before bed. Anything to take his focus off his thoughts, so that he can release physical tension built up from his racing thoughts.

Also, if you've got a good friend with healing hands, I'm sure they can make your tension melt away with a massage.