I get them occasionally, but usually I get advanced warning and so know that I ought to lie in bed reading or watching stuff for hours until I'm knackered enough to go to sleep. (Y'know, when you're tired but not sleepy and you just know it's gonna take a few more hours for yu to reach burn-out stage.) It's rare for me to think, 'Yey! Sleep!' and then lie there for more than an hour.
If it happens again, here's what you do. The minute you realise you're not falling asleep, get up. Your neurons want to be awake, fine, but they don't get to do it in bed. Go into another room and do something useful but boring. Washing up, accounts, filing, reorganising the book case, whatever. Do not get on the internet or watch television! You must not give your neurons the impression this sort of behaviour will be rewarded with fun or stimulation. It's dreadfully anti-intellectual, but I like to finish off with reading a few pages of Kant. After about half an hour or so, if you're yawning, go back to bed. Hopefully, you should go to sleep now, but if not, try again. if you're going to be awake, it's always better to not be awake in bed because that teaches your brain to associate bed with lying awake being miserable. I
I've found it pretty reliable for that kind of sustained, can't-fall-asleep-to-begin-with insomnia. Just wish I knew what to do about the flickering-in-and-out of bad dreams kind. *sigh*
Sleep with a chainsaw under your pilow.* Ready, fuelled up and primed to make the nightmare monsters with they'd picked someone else's brain to crawl around in.
*Other methods of anti-demonic retribution are available
No, no, dear boy. Chainsaws rely on either electricity or fuel - this isn't a great thing in a 'aaaiiieee must strike now this instant when half asleep!' weapon, nor for a weapon that is in one's bed. Plus there's the long-standing tradition of deus ex machina - the ghost in the machine - ergh, it's just asking for trouble.
When I've really needed it I've found a cavalry sword works extremely well. It's bunt and safe enough that you're unlikely to decapitate yourself with it in the middle of the night inadvertently, and yet it is long-bladed, weighty, and business-like enough to ensure nothing takes the piss =)
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I hate having nights like that - I have them often unfortunately. And
not always caffiene induced either.
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Oh well, such is life and all that =P
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I've found it pretty reliable for that kind of sustained, can't-fall-asleep-to-begin-with insomnia. Just wish I knew what to do about the flickering-in-and-out of bad dreams kind. *sigh*
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Ready, fuelled up and primed to make the nightmare monsters with they'd picked someone else's brain to crawl around in.
*Other methods of anti-demonic retribution are available
Reply
Chainsaws rely on either electricity or fuel - this isn't a great thing in a 'aaaiiieee must strike now this instant when half asleep!' weapon, nor for a weapon that is in one's bed. Plus there's the long-standing tradition of deus ex machina - the ghost in the machine - ergh, it's just asking for trouble.
When I've really needed it I've found a cavalry sword works extremely well. It's bunt and safe enough that you're unlikely to decapitate yourself with it in the middle of the night inadvertently, and yet it is long-bladed, weighty, and business-like enough to ensure nothing takes the piss =)
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