The Bar 2014 Edition

[Savannah]

Were the security cams working? I'd love to see what the bots were up to during our absence.

I got some reading done; worked on a few crafts.

[MyDearFriend]

Lapbanned of Brothers

It's a new reality show combining basic training and bariatic surgery.

This made me laugh.

Thanks Trilo for rescuing us!

*pours another round*

[Elorrum]

The giant muffler man has my beer proxy tonight. Go muffler man!

[theCryptofishist]

Oooh. Can I send in a statue of Paul Bunyon to do mine?

[Elorrum]

Sure! He's best at opening the beers though.

here's a fun variant, "To the moon!"

[theCryptofishist]

I think that MDF has a John Frum statue for hers.

[VultureChow]

Soooooo.... Anyone have a good anxiety coping mechanism that does not involve getting blackout drunk?

And doesn't involve going outside.

And lets me get a few hours of sleep?

[theCryptofishist]

Re-read a favorite book. Skip to the best parts. Read in bed, until you're sleepy. Don't turn off the light--it will only make you wake up again if you move. Just don't have the light in your eyes.



Note: this works best if you're not sharing a room with someone who will be disturbed if you leave the light on.

[Elorrum]

I agree with Fishy, I'll add perhaps a hot bath and go to bed, read there, or just lie still. Going to bed is as good as getting drunk sometimes. Then the problem is waking up around 2:00 in a dread panic. Then read, or listen to the radio... repeat as needed.

[VultureChow]

I agree with Fishy, I'll add perhaps a hot bath and go to bed, read there, or just lie still. Going to bed is as good as getting drunk sometimes. Then the problem is waking up around 2:00 in a dread panic. Then read, or listen to the radio... repeat as needed.

I panicked at 1:30 am the other night. It was genuinely awful. Worst I ever had. I got back to sleep by not just counting numbers but adding the digits of the numbers together as I counted.

1=1
2=2
...
127= 10

I keep telling myself that this is just money and we've lost money on deals before. But all I can see now on the deal are the warts. Not the good parts. I'm not handling it too well. Kinda disappointed in myself. I want to ask my dad how he's learned to deal with the feeling, but I'm not sure how he'd take it.

[Elorrum]

I agree with Fishy, I'll add perhaps a hot bath and go to bed, read there, or just lie still. Going to bed is as good as getting drunk sometimes. Then the problem is waking up around 2:00 in a dread panic. Then read, or listen to the radio... repeat as needed.

I panicked at 1:30 am the other night. It was genuinely awful. Worst I ever had. I got back to sleep by not just counting numbers but adding the digits of the numbers together as I counted.

1=1
2=2
...
127= 10

I keep telling myself that this is just money and we've lost money on deals before. But all I can see now on the deal are the warts. Not the good parts. I'm not handling it too well. Kinda disappointed in myself. I want to ask my dad how he's learned to deal with the feeling, but I'm not sure how he'd take it.

oh, honey... I think talking to someone who's had the same experience is a good idea, someone who loves you is not a bad place to start. Think about the next thing, and remember, this won't last.

[GreyCoyote]

Soooooo.... Anyone have a good anxiety coping mechanism that does not involve getting blackout drunk?

And doesn't involve going outside.

And lets me get a few hours of sleep?

One trick I use is headphones and some old, old rock and roll burned to CDs. This is the stuff that was playing when I was in grade school, Jr. High, etc. Journey. Rush. Styx. Kansas. You get the idea.

For me it takes me back, lets me remember the good and aimless times, lets me revisit old friends and places and foibles, and always puts a smile on my face. It's soothing, perhaps because the past is so *sure*. And then I wake-up a few hours later better able to cope with Real Life.

It's definitely a crutch, but IMHO it's a harmless one, and it gets the 2 AM Monsters to stop howling long enough to get some REM sleep. Try it with a benadryl and glass of decaf chai tea!

[delle]

Soooooo.... Anyone have a good anxiety coping mechanism that does not involve getting blackout drunk?

And doesn't involve going outside.

And lets me get a few hours of sleep?

Lately I've been doing some light yoga before going to sleep. Deep breathing (in and out thru the nose only) and good relaxing stretching.

When I start to panic when already in bed, I do the deep breathing again... but with one twist...

I have a fan running at night - just because - When the bad thoughts start to come in I start to focus on the sound of the fan. I've gotten pretty good actually at that being all I hear or think about. It's kind of a meditation technique - replacing actual thoughts with nothing important.

With the breathing, I find it gets me back into a state where I can fall asleep again much faster than if I don't do it.

Good luck!!!
Insomnia sucks...

[trilobyte]

@VultureChow - anxiety and stress can cause physical tension - a hot shower/bath before bedtime can be helpful in reducing it. Silly as it sounds, so can warm milk (though not a big glass, or you'll be up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night). From there, I recommend putting on music (preferably a favorite album) at the lowest volume you can manage. As low as possible, so you can only really hear it well if you lie there still. Then do that, lie there still and just enjoy the music.

Another thing that I find can put me to sleep (regardless of whether I'm suffering from high anxiety or not) is a good BBC documentary. That's not to say the shows are boring, but their shows aren't produced to constantly hype things and play dramatic music leading into or coming out of every commercial break. I think my favorite is one that the BBC did a few years back called Planet Earth. I think Sigourney Weaver narrated the US version, but if you can find the UK version it's presented by David Attenborough. Man, that guy's a rockstar at presenting fascinating material in the most soothing of tones.

As for me, I'll definitely be up late tonight - heading into Middle Earth. Midnight screening of Desolation Of Smaug, I'm very excited about that.

[Savannah]

I'm sorry you're feeling poorly, VultureChow. (I have had exactly one panic attack in my life some years back when I was recovering from bronchitis and it was astonishingly scary.)

Melatonin might help get you sleepy enough not to wake spontaneously. I remember Junglesmacks loves the stuff.

This is just Wikipedia, but it's a good starter resource. It's (apparently) good for a lot more than I knew.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Some others, a little better:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... l/940.html <-- in which I note it is use to reduce anxiety before surgery.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melato ... ts/AN01717

I might try it myself; my sleep schedule is unusually bad right now. I can sleep enough if I can just get going . . . but I keep wanting to stay up later and later.

[tattoogoddess]

I don't know where to gloat, this seems like a good place. Just found out my boss's band came in at #4 on paddy rocks top albums of 2013. They came in above drop kick murphys! We have been trying to convince them to go back out on tour for the past 2 year. Jackasses lol. If you come by our camp, yes they are in rotation, we love our Celtic punk and rock,
He is the best boss I have ever had. (I'm lead bartender at an Irish pub) drinks all around.. Whiskey of course. Bushmills or Jamie?

http://www.paddyrock.com/home/best-of-c ... -for-2013/

[tinymystic]

Melatonin might help get you sleepy enough not to wake spontaneously. I remember Junglesmacks loves the stuff.

This is just Wikipedia, but it's a good starter resource. It's (apparently) good for a lot more than I knew.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin

Some others, a little better:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drug ... l/940.html <-- in which I note it is use to reduce anxiety before surgery.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/melato ... ts/AN01717

I might try it myself; my sleep schedule is unusually bad right now. I can sleep enough if I can just get going . . . but I keep wanting to stay up later and later.

Melatonin is great stuff! I use it several times to sleep. It helps me to be able to fall back to sleep right away, cuz, I wake up a lot during the night. If I don't take it, I have a really difficult time getting back to sleep. Also, it doesn't make be groggy and listless the following morning. But, you can't take it every night, because you build a tolerance, so, got to break it up a little.

[AntiM]

I don't have trouble falling asleep, I can't stay asleep anymore. Six hours, tops, but then I want a daytime nap. I reduced the light sources in the bedroom with blackout curtains and covering the face of the bedside clock, and that helped immensely. But yeah, when I'm stressed and the monkey mind is swinging branch to branch, it is difficult to find a way to calm things down and let go enough to sleep.

[Elorrum]

I've been waking up at 2 or three, or 12:30, for the last three weeks. Finding something soothing to listen to on the radio, or on my tablet, helps pass the time. What I aim for is to stay relaxed, and willing to sleep. I don't mind that state too much if I can't fall back to sleep, it's still sort of pleasant if it doesn't involve hard anxiety. I also use the getting up early time to have as nice a start to the day as possible. Have a nicer breakfast with my coffee. Make a thermos of tea to take to work. Iron a shirt since I have the time. check eplaya. I'm glad it is Friday, but there's too much to get done today. I'll do my best.
AntiM, I like your decorations. I think I'll drive around tonight and see who's got lights.

[Simon of the Playa]

happy friday the 13th!


eggnog for EVERYONE!

[H.G.Crosby]

*serious face*

i know it's illegal still in most states, but in all honesty, i would NEVER sleep if it wasnt for my green meds.

seriously....i am an insomniac and will go for 4-5 days until the cray cray world engulfs me and i have to be "put down"...

just a thought, and i dont want anyone to get in trouble with the Law, but it does work, i do sleep, and it helps me to do so.


*serious face off*

[unjonharley]

Friday the 13th it is..I'm lucky, the CPAP meter reads I sleep average 9 1/2 hours a night..I do take a drug that controls a medical problem.. I go to sleep 5 hours after taking it.. I wake up wide awake in the morning.. Also I can function if woke up in the middle of the night..

[tatonka]

i get 4 hr max a night , 6 on a lucky night .

[ygmir]

*strolls in, makes CEC*
Hi gang.
I've been a lucky sleeper. Seems I can sleep anywhere, any time. 8 ish per night if allowed, and can just sit and sleep in moments, if napping is needed. I can also stay up a couple of days if necessary, and or cat nap to last.........
though the doc says I have sleep apnea. I'll know more when I get new insurance and change docs, hopefully all in January.

and yes, it's Friday!! thankDAWG!!

*strokes Juke, heads for IBBOD*

[media]

[AntiM]

When I was in the Navy, I could keep ridiculous hours. Awake with only catnaps for up to 72 hours. I could sleep anywhere, anytime, because a sailor never knows when the next sleep period arrives.

[lucky420]

*strolls in, makes CEC*
Hi gang.
I've been a lucky sleeper. Seems I can sleep anywhere, any time. 8 ish per night if allowed, and can just sit and sleep in moments, if napping is needed. I can also stay up a couple of days if necessary, and or cat nap to last.........
though the doc says I have sleep apnea. I'll know more when I get new insurance and change docs, hopefully all in January.

and yes, it's Friday!! thankDAWG!!

*strokes Juke, heads for IBBOD*

[media]

I have seen you fall asleep sitting up a couple of times. It's wonderful!

[bedlamdoll]

Morning all!

Sleep-I've pretty much been functioning on four hours of sleep a night since my teens. Not necessarily intentionally, and I've tried a lot of different methods to fix it-Ambien just makes me silly and certain green natural meds just making me slow down a lot, but not enough to be sleepy. I've resigned myself to it-at least I get a lot done while I can't sleep?

[delle]

Sleep.

There's been much talk on the nets (especially facebook) these days about how we're actually doing it wrong

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

Giving yourself 12 hours - 4 hours sleep, followed by 4 hours awake, followed by another 4 hours of sleep, appears to be more what the body requires. It's a format which occurs naturally in many people, but that we tend to fight because it's not what we were taught was proper.

The trick is to use those 4 middle awake hours properly. NOT dwelling on shit. NOT just lying there trying to get back to bed.

One of my doctors recently told me -- without alluding to this process -- that it is important for me to get out of bed once it has become obvious that all I would be doing there is letting my wild brain drive me to distraction. If you allow it to let off its steam properly, it will settle down and get back to a rested state, so you can get those additional, needed hours in.

[MyDearFriend]

I second Trilo's suggestion about Sir David Attenborough. That man can talk me to sleep anytime. He is so interesting and so unselfconscious that he completely turns off all my self-concerns and blocks all intrusive thoughts. And he shows me beautiful things.

Another great resource for me is the pod-cast "Welcome to Nightvale." It's theater-of-the-absurd disguised as a small town community radio show, and, yup, takes me to a whole 'nother world.

Also: warm milk. I put vanilla sugar in mine.

Also, what Delle said: Get out of your bed if you can't sleep. Don't fill your pillow with poisonous thoughts.

((((VultureChow)))

[delle]

Don't fill your pillow with poisonous thoughts.

My original reaction to this was the thought that I should probably have just fucking BURNED my pillows a hundred times at least over the last year.

Then I remembered how much they cost me. I do like a good quality feather pillow.

THEN I remembered a little trick I used to do religiously, and then somehow spaced. (having nothing really to do with sleep, but more with bedding maintenance)

Did you know that if you put unwashable things like feather pillows, or duvets or couch cushions or mattresses (feather or otherwise) outside when it's colder than -22c it kills all the dustmites that have accumulated in there?

Guess whose porch is now full of unlikely stuff???

I like that the ultra cold has a usefulness other than getting me to sweep the floor and do the dishes.