Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Anyone else that can't sleep?

Falling asleep is my problem once I do sleep is good for a few hours.

Not very much trouble since I retired, have a bad night once in a while. I sleep about 6 hrs, sometimes a nap in the afternoon.

Yeah - think you are on to something there.

Insomnia is just another burden of aging IMO. Maybe there is a component of your working career too, among my circle of friends the blue collar physical workers seem to suffer more from sleep disruption than the paper pushers. If we are having a get together for a shoot and want to get an early start when it's cool and the winds are calm, the paper pushers howl like banshees for having to get up early (for them, early is before 0800).

I sleep on average 4 hours a day.

No problem sleeping here, at least 8 hours every nite and take a nap every afternoon. My grandmother used to tell me, “Teddy you can sleep on a picket fence”.

That’s when you go from sound asleep to awake and screaming with a soaking wet diaper in a nanosecond.

For those with sleep problems that need a push, I feel your pain. I had a really bad case of insomnia when I discontinued opioid pain meds. Like went 30 days with maybe 12 hours sleep max. Amitriptyline. It’s a mild antidepressant most often these days prescribed for sleep issues and chronic headache. I initially was using it as prescribed by a Neurologist for the aftermath of severe headaches from a level 4 or 5 concussion in a car wreck. Took it on that basis for years until I didn’t need it. No withdrawal or bad after effects of any kind.

In the past 6 months I’ve been using it as prescribed by my PCP for sleep. It doesn’t put me to sleep, it lets me sleep. No morning hangover, sleepwalking, nothing like that at all. Ambien should be illegal. Melatonin works for some but gives me Alice in Wonderland Down the Rabbit Hole weird, weird dreams. Anyhow, works for me.

There is a melatonin called Back to Sleep. It really works for me if I wake up say around 1 or 3 AM.

Sleep is overrated, never have slept much. Figure I’ll get plenty of sleep when I’m dead.

Hard deep sleep for about 4 hours, then toss and turn for about 2 more hours, then maybe another 2 hours of light sleep.
Tried about every OTC sleep med out there, non really worked, Doc. gave me a scrip for sleeping, med. for depression that is also used as a sleep aid, big 0, even ordered a bottle of Relaxium Sleep, just some more snakeoil.
Only thing that comes close is Sominex Sleep Aid (little blue pill), good for about 6 hours straight, but leaves a hangover the next day that requires a nap to go way. Wife say's it makes me act weird.
At almost 78 it's not sleeping that's a concern, it's waking up. ;>)

I normally go to bed at 2 am.
Takes a half hr to fall asleep.

Wake 2 hra later, damn near to the minute. Then toss n turn for 30 mins to an hr or more, then sleep for an hr. Up an hr then sleep another hr.

3.5 to 5.5 hrs.
Never in one chunk.

Kids n stuff, I wake at 6 and 8 am even on weekends.
My kids and ol lady are clueless and dont give a chit.
Can sleep anywhere, nod off in 5 mins. And stay asleep for 12 hrs.

Diff school and work schedules.....ol dad nobody cares about.

Shut up and pay the bills sucka.

Sooner or later this chit is gonna start affecting my sunny disposition

Yrs ago my job was high stress and crazy hrs.
Mountain Dew was a staple.

Work 72 go home sleep for 6 and come back and work 48. That was my biggest run.

Work 12 or 16 and do it again after 4 hrs sleep was common, for years. Was a lot younger then.

Didnt have all these aches and pains that conspire to ruin what little sleep i got.

I slugged the Nyquil last night and got 4 decent hrs sleep.
Woke up w insides whacked.

Didnt eat before bed either
...that helps w sleep.

My job is hot and physical. So takes me hrs to wind down.

Per Shootem, "Ambien should be illegal." My MD sister agrees with you saying that it is a very dangerous drug. For one thing 10 mg is too strong for most people and I would bite the generic equivalent Zolpidem in half as needed. I do remember one time when the kid announced that we were out of milk for his cereal the next morning after I'd gone to bed and taken an Ambien. No way that I should have been driving. I striped the side of my truck driving into the garage with the side mirror on the car and the worst part was that I didn't care! What works for me now if I can't sleep in an hour or so is an over the counter allergy relief Equate, a cheaper pill like Benadryl. It is the 25 mg of Diphenhydramine HCI antihistamine that does it for me.

Ambien put me to sleep within 15 mins.
Was up like a rifle went off, 4 hrs later.
Felt like Id nodded off 5 mins ago.

Nope. 4 friggin hours. Gone in a flash.
No weird stuff.

Quit after couple weeks and had a nasty headache for a couple days.

Not worth it.

I take Amitriptyline for some nerve pain/numbness in my hands. I’ve learned to take it at least 3 hours, usually 4-5 before going to bed. I hit the bed and I’m gone.

If I forget the lead time it usually takes a while to get to sleep or I’ll get to sleep and wake up a few hours later and have a hard time getting back to sleep.

Melatonin doesnt do [bleep] for me

Never been able to fall asleep very well. Dr. put me on the generic for Ambien years ago. I don't take it every night but when I do, it works well. Only half a pill is enough to allow me to fall asleep.

The nights I don't take it I may take 2-3hrs of staring at the ceiling before I settle down enough to sleep.

Almost always awake by 5:00 with or without it.

Wife can fall asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. Wish I knew how she does that.

Elk Country

Blessed, as it's never an issue. I think I'm typically gone within 60 seconds of my head hitting the pillow. Can just barely remember going to bed most nights. Sleep even more soundly on campouts. Could usually go a little longer, but our dog thinks it's his duty to dictate our waking hour (05:45) regardless of his needs.

Ditto.