I’m doing OK now, Bosda. The advice, suggestions, words, and - most of all - good wishes have helped a lot. Especially the many e-mails I have received. However, the thing that has helped the most recently is that I have been on a retreat in England the last 10 days, and my Fierra has been taking care of me there. I mentioned it in passing in another thread, but didn’t make pains to advertise it. I’m back now, and I will see how I do without her.
I have a question that you shouldn’t take the wrong way at all, Anthracite, but have you given up any drugs lately? Any at all? This type of sleep disturbance is something I see pretty frequently while I work nights in detox. Since I don’t think you’re a hard-core coke user, you haven’t be any chance switched to decaf lately? It might be affecting your sleep patterns some (and not always improving the quality of the sleep, as one might suspect).
It’s a longshot, but I thought I’d mention it. In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying more restful nights. Best wishes.
FD.
Hmm. I wonder if this question was prompted by yet another snide aside made by someone who should know better in another thread (or else the little boy is going to get his ass kicked and hard)… That aside, FunkDaddy, I don’t do any illegal drugs, never have, never will. And have made no changes in any prescription drugs I have to take.
Dear, you may notice that FunkDaddy is not merely referring to illegal and prescription drugs, but is using the broadest, and, for this discussion, most useful, definition of a “drug.” He specifically mentions caffeine, for instance. Many non-prescription drugs can screw up your sleep patterns every bit as effectively as the hard stuff.
Sure, I noticed, and my comment was not for FunkDaddy, who did nothing whatsoever to offend me by his question.
The long answer is - no, nothing has changed. Alcohol consumption is unchanged at about 2-3 servings (drinks) a week, no tobacco use, coffee use and type unchanged (4-5 a day, caffeinated), tea use and type unchanged (3-4 a week, caffeinated).
I did OK last night, for the first time asleep back, but part of that was that I was exhausted from my 30-hour day of travel back from the UK.
You know, caffeine has a really good way of depriving people of good sleep. That is, even though you no longer have the caffeine buzz it can stay in your system (it takes a few hours to metabolize) and though you can get to bed and fall asleep, like all drugs, it interferes with good sleep. Drinking alcohol close to bedtime will have a very similar effect. You get plenty of sleep, but are still tired.
IIRC, caffiene takes over two hours to get out of your system… more detailed information was actually found at HowStuffWorks, which was interesting.
I doubt that this alone would account for any nightmares, of course, but it may contribute to poor rest in the first place. I try to stop drinking caffeinated drinks a good four or five hours before bedtime.