-- Posted by OodleNoodle at 3:38 am on Aug. 20, 2008 I have been having trouble sleeping lately. For the past couple of months, I've had a really weird sleep schedule. I've gotten to a point where it is extremely difficult for me to get to before 2, 3 in the morning - I just can't seem to force myself to get to bed. Now, I know that THAT isn't insomnia, but when I get to bed, I can't sleep. I toss and turn for hours, drifting in and out. Now, I am totally exhausted. This has been going on for the few days (probably a week) and I feel like a zombie. Is this insomnia? Could I have brought it upon myself by having such a weird sleep pattern, or would that be unrelated? How can I solve this myself? Do things like lavender oil work? Or should I go to a doctor and get sleeping pills? -- Posted by Ho Lee Fook at 4:09 am on Aug. 20, 2008 Well going to a Doctor and talking to him I do recommend. Some Doctors hand out pills like sweets and some will delve deeper into your problem to establish if that is the right course of action. I have just finished a course of Phenargan which did me the world of good (also known as Promethegan, Romergan, Fargan, Farganesse, Prothiazine, Avomine, Atosil). Make sure that if you have had little sleep not to sleep at any point in the day because an unhealthy sleeping pattern will emerge. It is a ficious circle... Another thought: It has been proven scientifically that it is healthier for humans to have two four hour periods of sleep that one eight hour period. Just a thought. Good Luck! -- Posted by Poker Shark at 4:13 am on Aug. 20, 2008 Yes that's insomnia. Lavender oil doesn't really help you sleep but if you like the smell that might make it easier, I don't know. I think you should see a doctor for advice and to see if it's a symptom of something more serious. Sleeping pills are good if you take them occasionally/intermittently rather than every night. If you take them every night they stop working. -- Posted by my name sucks at 4:33 am on Aug. 20, 2008 it could be, might not be though. i had a weird sleep schedule and i had really ridiculous symptoms to the point where doctors thought i had a brain tumor, i started getting a proper sleeping pattern (not that i thought it would help, i just wanted too) and now everythings fine. seriously though, i used to pass out and lodes of other stuff. kinda different to what your experiencing but i think sleeping patterns have a lot to do with how you feel and how you sleep. i could get between 7 and 12 hours sleep and still be tired all day. and it would take me about 2 hours to get to sleep. -- Posted by twizlstikz at 4:46 am on Aug. 20, 2008 yeah well in the holidays i get like that. sleep in till afternoon and stay up all night, and i feel like shit. i think it might be your sleep patterns... are you getting enough exercise/eating well. because that coulld contribute to your tiredness -- Posted by Karaden at 4:51 am on Aug. 20, 2008 What are you doing that keeps you up so late? I've noticed that the activities that I perform before I lay down almost always contribute directly to whether or not my insomnia is aggravated. I would take note of what you do, how easily you fall asleep, how well you sleep and try to distinguish a pattern. -- Posted by OodleNoodle at 9:02 pm on Aug. 20, 2008 No, I'm not really exercising as much as usual. I'm recovering from a shoulder injury, so it's really difficult to do much of anything. Even running and biking jar it a bit too much. Plus, it's summer, so I'm being lazy. I do eat well though, so it's not that. And what I'm doing to keep me up - nothing important. Just reading, trying to finish books and then time catches up with me, usually. I guess I'll visit a doctor. Thanks for your help!