h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I enjoyed all the historic references
While I've never found a cure for my insomnia, I did run across a simple trick that works occasionally. A few years back I had to spend an unexpected night in the hospital with my teenage daughter. It was not insomnia that kept me from sleep that time, though. But...the nurse noticed I was tossing about and brought a very warm sheet and wrapped it around me. I was asleep soon after. Since then, when I am sleepless, I will put a load of laundry in the dryer (hate to waste energy just heating a sheet) and when it's done, take it all to my bed, dump it on top of me and start to fold. Usually I get only halfway through before my eyelids are drooping And if I fall asleep with laundry on me, so be it. And if the trick doesn't work...well at least I got something constructive done!

P.S. Quote is Shakespeare, MACBETH (I think)

i find myself suffering from insomnia quite often as well...from what i have found i tend to have more 'episodes' of it when under a great deal of stress or when i am upset about something.....i must say that when it comes to the warm sheets this has worked quite a few times for me as well when this doesn't work i find something peaceful to do while i am sitting there awake....even if i do not manage to go to sleep i at least am relaxing and this helps me get through the next day.
it is nice to see an article on this subject, i do hope that those who suffer from insomnia will stop by and leave their cures behind as well ...
monsy

My favourite trick is to move all my pillows and stuff to the other end of the bed, which works sometimes. But I still spend many happy nights staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, jumping up and down (dunno why I do that) and generally feeling like crap . But I've learned to sort of survive on about three or four hours a night, even though it's really not very good for me .

Unfortunately I have no fail-safe cure. My insomnia seems to manifest itself more at this time of the year. I tend to go for days without sleep.

Background noise only works part of the time. Reading Lord of the Rings in bed seems to be working this week.

I put my sleeplessness to good use though. I paint and stretch canvases. I draw and I pace around the house.

The best depiction of insomnia I have ever seen is in the film "Fight Club". "your'e never truly asleep and your'e never truly awake". "You move through life with the volume turned down".

very good depiction ...i will have to remember that one ...
as for putting the lack of sleep to good use, i find that when nothing seems to be working i do the same thing...beats the heck out of tossing, turning and staring at the ceiling ....i have done some of my best artwork at 2am
monsy

Sometimes (after finaly passing out) I wake and have no real recollection of making the things sitting on me easels. It's a very strange feeling.

LOL!! tell me about it ....it is a spooky feeling to know that you can do something like that and not remember having done it....my work tends to be with ceramics so it gets a bit spookier especially if it is dealing with the cleaning of the greenware which involves a knife like instrument....not remembering using this item tends to worry me but so far i have had no little accidents so i figure it is pretty safe
monsy

It is a small miracle that NM has survived thus far then! LOL
shazzPRME