Insomnia is a sleeping difficulty. "Do you experience difficulty sleeping?" It is common in the elderly. I understand it is a sleep disorder not attributed to medical, psychiatric, or environmental causes.
SilverHairsClub has a number of members who cannot sleep at night, especially between 3 and 5am. I had a discussion with some of them, to find out what they can do about it. They watch a movie or they just toss around on the bed. Some take sleeping pills, and this became a habit. No one whom I spoke to, went out for a walk because other members of the family are fast asleep.
Cannot make a cup of coffee or tea, as this will make the situation worse. Some advise me to do some work at that time, for example, to do some end-of-day US trading.
They tried all kinds of concoctions but non work.
Are you one of those with sleeping difficulties during the early hours of the morning? Any suggestion on how we can do something or take advantage of the time looking at the ceiling? Perhaps, we can come up with some good ideas to make night into day. Look forward to your suggestions and ideas.
Terence Seah
Terence
I usually do some exercise (at least two hours before bedtime) and I will have a good night’s sleep.
However, if I can’t sleep, I bake a cake, iron the clothes, clear the clutter in the fridge or go to the 24hr NTUC Fairprice near my home to get some grocery items. Its definitely time well spent than tossing and turning in bed.
Cheers
Carly
Hi Terence
(1)I try to do as many sit-ups as i can. The waist/stomach will be so tired that i can’t get up so i have no choice but to remain horizontal :)
(2) find a book that has small print (font) – so that my eyes gets tired, then i’d give up and go to sleep.. (joke books work fine with me too because it relaxes me)
Terence
In the last few years, indeed, I find that I am sleeping less and less. Sometimes, cannot sleep until 2-3 am, so I watch the US market (ha!ha!). However, I do get sleepy in the daytime. However, I don’t agonise over it unless it really becomes a health problem.
sb
I can sleep soundly like a log anytime and anywhere on a ground sheet at a camping site or on a stone bench at the seaside. I don’t differentiate between places where I am going to sleep as long I can get a place to sleep without being disturbed. I don’t need to exercise until dead tired before sleeping. I can sleep standing up, leaning against a pillar or sitting down, leaning my head on a desk. The reason why I am able to do this is that formerly I worked on shift rotation in an oil corp.
The exception to all of the above is I can be awaken by mossies buzzing around me and sucking my blood. Itching from mossie bites are terrible enough waking me up to scratch them before applying medicated oil.
Although I don’t speak for others except for myself, I’ll won’t spray insecticides or light mossie joss sticks as these are made from petroleum based highly toxic chemicals. Over-exposure to such dangerous stuffs by some at night may lead to their attracting lung or nose cancer.
Are you all aware that petrol kiosk pump attendants have to go for stringent blood test for toxicity, if I am not wrong, once every six months. A pump attendant cannot avoid
petrol fumes entering his nose and lungs, poisoning himself in the process over the long term.
Blessings,
Blessings,
It is a good feeling when members share their issomnia experience. I now believe Caroline goes to the 24hr supermart when she cannot sleep. She must have a full fridge.
I think overtime, those who cannot sleep find sometime to do. Maybe Inez, maybe SB Khoo.
Is there anyway insomniacs can talk to other insomniacs in SilverHairsClub at 3 or 4 am? Or meet each other for mahjong, or cycle to the seaside together, and scream the hearts out before cycling home to sleep? Or come over to watch Taiwanese movies together.
Terence Seah
Terence
Yes, my fridge is always so full that my girls think I have some kind of “must buy” supermarket sickness.
You made a good suggestion about going for a ride on the bike, meet up for coffee, oops! milo at a 24hr kopi tiam or just place a mat on the beach and have an early picnic. We can have a list of different actitivies for members to leave their names and the people in the lists can give their contact numbers to each so that when insomnia creeps up in the wee hours of the morning, we know who we can contact.
Just some crazy thoughts!
Cheers
Carly
Terence & Caroline
If both wanna do past midnite cycling, pls jio me.
If i find it hard to sleep at night for one reason or another, i go to the computer and logged in SHC website and see if there is anyone else having the same problem. ..doing a posting or making a comment in this unearthly hour. Perhaps, we could go to this particular posting by terence and indicate we are available for a video SKYPE interaction at that time. It should be interesting to see who else is awak. No need to change from your pyjamas into cycling gear or get out of the house.
Keep the ideas coming in on how to pass this insomnia hours. For those with insomnia, can you share if insomnia happens EVERY night, or does it come randomly. We will collate these ideas and maybe some will come out. All ideas can work.
Charles’ idea is good. Let’s also think how to do this suggestion. The SHC insomnia group. Any body likes to join this group. I hope the rest of the family wont get annoyed with your laughter at this time of the night.
Terence Seah
Gosh, I just came back from seeing a client. It’s 12 midnight; and I am so worried that tonight, I will have insomnia and wake up at 3am. The problem is I begin to get sleepy at 5am, and then wake up at 7am.
Is this an old man’s problem? I know good old Sam Goh wakes up at 4am. Geraldine seems to be most alert at 4am too.
I am looking for other insomniacs. Anybody? Dont be shy, you are not alone.
Terence Seah
Usually I can sleep like a pig. If sometimes I cannot sleep I will go online to play chess with players from around the world. At the same time I will goggle for golden oldies to listen to while playing.
Another interest is playing Solitaire or “Big Two”. There is boundto be a lot of thing to do and fiddle with on the computer. Surf the net and you can be transported round the world without moving from your seat.
A bad habit I got is to sleep late. When I feel sleepy I will have a snack and I will be wide awake. Seems there are so much to do and catch up.
Terence, look like we can start an Insomniacs group and go gallivanting the street after midnight.
Dan
Terence
When I saw this post, I giggled cos I wonder what prompted you to write this but it’s refreshing. Better than some of your other postings which bore the crap out of me and make me even more wide awake. Gosh.
Yes, insomnia is a sleep disorder (clap, clap, very clever of you) and for people who fall asleep just like that will neverr, everr understand what it’s like not being able to fall asleep.
It’s nice to read members’ sharing and hope one nite I can join Baby Goat Caroline at the supermarket (I love supermarkets).
I like Charles W’s idea but no video please and as you said, how will the insomniacs’ families put up with loud laughter like, rite now??
I shall take you up on ‘Or come over to watch Taiwanese movies together.’ when I am finally home (sooner than you thought). See, careful what you wish for…….it may come true….mwahahahahaa.
Should we have a SHC Insomniacs (this kinda turns me on), we shall gallivant the streets after midnite as per Dan’s comment, join you for Ai and whatever shiat. Your Halloween thing is a good start.
You know, there is an untapped market out there for us in the wee hours. Bet you have a hardon now.
Tender Cow
I love supermarkets too. When I am on holidays overseas, I visit supermarkets more than the fashion shops. Someday when you are back in town and cannot sleep at 3am, just call me and we can go walk the supermarket :)
Cheers
Carly
I can feel for those who have to work full time and having insonmia even I’m not. I use to sleep by 11pm but once in a blue moon get to wake up about 3 or 4am not know why. I tell myself not to stress about not sleeping but instead did “mindless excersise”. It work for me. Try to explore ideas that calm one minds so that one can be centered, effective during the days, and sleep soundly at night. Bosses will be happy! Haha! :)
Stay Healthy! Be Happy! :)
Let’s try.
If you are an insomniac, and would like to help coordinate a group of insomniacs within SHC, please raise your hand.
If you are unable to sleep between 3am and 5am, you can be an ideal person. You can be our Insomniac coordinator. Your help will help insomniacs feel that they are part of a group, and hopefully minimise their sleep difficulties.
Terence Seah
Hi All,
Re: Insomnia
If all else fails, please try………….
1)Drinking beer or whiskey until you are so full and tipsy that you can drink no more. Such drinks can knock you out sooner than you think. Warning: excessive drinking may lead to an heart attack, liver cirrhosis(failure), hypertension and diabetes. Moderation is advised.
2)Plugging earphones linked to a walkman playing casette soothing classical music. Not too loud though as it may induce deafness.
3)Two hours before sleep, dance twist for one full hour, wait for a few minutes for the body to cool down before taking a bath. After coming out of the bathroom fully dressed, fan yourself dry before going to bed. By then, you are so dead tired that you can scarcely open your eyes.
4)Maybe during the day, tension has built up in your body and so lie down on your own Momi Momi machine and turn it on. After a full body massage you are completely relaxed and should be able to sleep. Alternatively, you may go to a massage parlour.
5)Seek medical attention and ask your doctor for sleeping pills prescription. If you take sleeping pills over an extended period, you may fall into a dependency on them which may boomerang on you.
6)Read a novel until your eyes are tired. Through it all, you may significantly improve on your command in English in the long run and power up your vocabulary in tandem. After a considerable period, stunned friends should be amazed by your super-charged words and flowery sentences they have not heard before. They’ll be bugging you “how you did it!”
Disclaimer: As with all solutions on a case by case basis, some may work for certain individuals, but not for others. Please try at your own risk.
Blessings,
Ya, I think the idea of skype is great! We don’t always have to talk, we can always “chat online”.
And if you happen live near each other and if someone has transport, you can even meet for a early breakfast at some popular breakfast places if the time is right.
A small input.
DT
Ancient wise men with intuition created methods of harnessing and utilizing energy to balance one’s organ system. Modern men prefer scientist to prove the many things they want to know. Biorthytm: Scientist discovered we have biological clock which regulates the flow of energy within our body in relation to both solar and lunar time measurement. Jet fatique is an example of how the body’s natural rhythm is disrupted as a result of long-distance travel in a short period of time. If insomnia causes one to wake up between 3 to 5am energy is at its peak in the Bladder meridian. Its is during this time interval that the bladder works the hardest.
Do this excercise. Sit with legs crossed or in a position most comfortable to you. Close your eyes halfway and look at your nose. Do this while holding head by lacing fingers behind the head and supporting with your palms. Click your teeth and deeply and slowly inhale and exhale nine times. Repeat this exercise for 5 to 30 minutes.
Harmless excercise without medication. Have fun and try to get more sleep.
Stay Healthy! Be Happy! :)
Maybe we can take the issue of insomnia further. Better still, can we have a show of hands who is awake for 3-5 am every day.
I am not a permanent insomniac. But, often I wake up between 3-5am, so it would be nice to find fellow members itching to have a chat. One of the reasons why I am aware sometimes at this time is to chat with my friends from the US and Canada.
Perhaps we could have a SHC insomniac group that connects via SKYPE. There could be others, and that is to follow the advice of those who offer their ideas on this post. Include calling Yew Kwong for a cycling run.
So, any one awake regularly between 3 and 5am?
Terence Seah
hi all,
Only last night,i woke up at 3am and could not go back to sleep. Why ? because… I had a severe headache, tingling behind my ear and was sniffing away. It was a prelude , a forewarning to an impending flu. That’s not a good reason to go skyping!
I was told we should develop good sleeping habits to feel refreshed the next morning… like keeping regular sleeping and waking up times. So,unless we are really insomniac, we should try to go back to our sleep whenever we wake up in the middle of our sleep.
Sorry folks for suggesting the skyping idea. I think on an adhoc basis, it would not sustain. It must be done on a regular basis. Maybe Geraldine can try to EO this activity.
Hey Charles W
No apologies needed as ideas are meant to be shared.
Hope your impending flu is under control with the rite medication. On the sides; whenever I feel the virus acting up, I’ll start medicating rather than for it to show me who’s the boss.
About your suggesting me to be the EO.
Thanks but no thanks as I don’t wish to sit here and suck my thumb while waiting for the insomniacs to either wake up suddenly, confused (Terence, especially, staring at the used condom in one hand n a whiskey tumbler in the other) and still forget the skype activity or those who can’t sleep and still forget.
That said, I do not mind if an insomniac hosts this and if I am awake, bwahahahaha, I will join in.
How about you, Sweets? Care to start the ball rolling? Or was your last nite a once in a life time thing?
Maybe on Halloween Night,we can all agree to wake up at 3am in the morning , put on our most eerie face mask and do a video skype where we can see one another. It should be an interesting and hair raising experience.
Hi Charles #22,
On the night of 31 Oct, I shall be in Kuala Lumpur and working at 3am. Think about, your idea is innovative and creative, and so if I get back to my hotel in time, I will log in to join a skype group to see monster faces.
Can we have some one to lead? Simply let us know your skype name, and we will contact you via skype at 3am. I may be late.
Terence Seah
CharlesW #22,
Hahaha! What a swell fun idea! How about we all agree, at the stroke of midnite 12am on 31 Oct, to do a video skype with our favorite mask on. Bet we’ll go to bed laughing, and sleep soundly! hahaha!
My skype name : yatsing1
Geraldine Ting, on?
Hi Yatsing,
Do you mean tonight? Ok, you log in before 12 midnight, and I shall come in to join you.
Nice of you to let your hair down. I encourage others to join in too. I am rushing to look for my mask in the closet now.
Terence Seah
Ok Terence, Yatsing i am on. 1 + 2 makes 3….more to come, much more. At the stroke of midnite, 31st Oct, you may have uninvited visitor/s, unknown to you but sitting beside you whilst you skype and appearing on our screens. Ahhhhhh!!
Hi Yatsing
Just read this message and went to log on but you weren’t online.
Guess the partay’s over…….
They say that to stay healthy one should do three things: eat balanced meals, exercise regularly and have ENOUGH sleep, hence i believe insomnia is not a healthy sign and insomniacs should find out the cause of their insomnia.
Meanwhile it’s good to be ‘fruitful’ during the sleepless, wee hrs. :)
2-ct’s worth.
Hello Shcians,
I am a part-time insomniac, if there is such a term. Sometimes I sleep very well yet there are times when I am an Owl.
Some foods and drinks eg coffee/tea, chocolate and more contribute to this condition.
Read today’s STimes. How timely it is for the papers to write up on night spots that are open up to 4 or5am. coinciding with our discussion on what to do when the attacks come.More Makan shops are open until the wee hours coupled with our 24hrs heartland kopitiams, we have a gd selection of foods. The most difficult function for most insomniacs maybe to get up and drive out in search of food.