Desperate for sleep

[Rocco Rex]

As title says, I've become desperate for sleep. Ive tried melatonin, benadryl, listening to different things on YouTube, and the meds I'm on often make people drowsy (seems to only happen during the day for me). Doc had strongly suggested mental health, but that is my absolute last resort....almost ready to say **censor** it and do it
Anyone have anything that helps them sleep?

[Vosur Aekira]

Going through the physical treatments, have you checked into a sleep-study? Usually they're able to find out if you have problems breathing while you're asleep or if something else is going on.

If all else fails, then you could follow up with looking into mental health.

[Rocco Rex]

Never heard of sleep study. Can you elaborate?

[Vosur Aekira]

A sleep study is where they will have you sleep in a room and monitor how you sleep (breathing and brainwave activity through monitoring equipment, ect.) If you request a sleep study, they can elaborate further.

[anoni]

Some milder things you can do (but may not help) that apparently help.

1. You should remove any sense of time, time creates anxiety and causes you to not sleep. No clocks, try to remove sources of light like windows and what-not, etc.
2. Obvious one but worth mentioning just in case, don't go on your phone or electronic device, even on night mode the light from screens can keep you up.
3. If you find yourself just lying in bed for a long time, move somewhere else and lie there, and then go back to your bed when you're feeling tired. The idea behind this is you start associating your bed as a place for good sleep rather than a place you stay up for, for a long time.

Melatonin only has a very mild effect and the effect is only really noticeable for older people so it often won't help. Benadryl is a cough medicine and probably shouldn't be used for sleep. Check to see if the medication you're on doesn't have sleeplessness as a possible side effect. I would not recommend taking sleeping pills (even over the counter ones) cause they're quick to cause dependence, although when I was having great insomnia (wasn't able to sleep for days, and when I did sleep it was only a few hours) I took them for important events only. Still wouldn't recommend it.

If your sleep is caused by anxiety it isn't a bad thing to seek mental help, mental health shouldn't be a stigmatized thing, treat it simply as a potential means to get what you want, which is a good night sleep. Doing a sleep study as vosur said can also be effective.

[flurry]

Some good advice so far.
I think it depends on what works for you but I will make a few suggestions in case you want to try any of them.
Drink something relaxing like chamomile tea or milk.
Sometimes actually a bit of an open door or an open window actually helps sleep if you don't like the dark, for others a completely dark room.
Listening to some quiet radio or music.
For some people exercising till tired or reading a book to get sleepy helps, though it might not be always good to exhaust yourself to much.
Maybe your mind is overactive, so observing your thoughts can help.
Try not to do mind intensive activities before bed.

What helps is if you are not trying to force yourself to sleep, just naturally falling into the state of sleep. Or thinking of having to wake up in the morning but wanting to sleep longer helps some.
Also some people require less sleep than others or have different sleep rhythms, take all that into account when you sleep.

[Rocco Rex]

A sleep study is where they will have you sleep in a room and monitor how you sleep (breathing and brainwave activity through monitoring equipment, ect.) If you request a sleep study, they can elaborate further.

Medical here is beyond terrible. No way they'd do that

Some good advice so far.
I think it depends on what works for you but I will make a few suggestions in case you want to try any of them.
Drink something relaxing like chamomile tea or milk.
Sometimes actually a bit of an open door or an open window actually helps sleep if you don't like the dark, for others a completely dark room.
Listening to some quiet radio or music.
For some people exercising till tired or reading a book to get sleepy helps, though it might not be always good to exhaust yourself to much.
Maybe your mind is overactive, so observing your thoughts can help.
Try not to do mind intensive activities before bed.

What helps is if you are not trying to force yourself to sleep, just naturally falling into the state of sleep. Or thinking of having to wake up in the morning but wanting to sleep longer helps some.
Also some people require less sleep than others or have different sleep rhythms, take all that into account when you sleep.

I live in the barracks. Making tea isn't an option
We aren't allowed to open windows. If we do, we get charged for disobeying an order
I already have stuff playing in the background from my phone
I'm always tired. I just can't actually get to sleep. Making myself more tired will just further degrade my daily perfomance

[Vosur Aekira]

It's still worth a shot when a chance arises. If they can't get you in through medical, you might need to take leave to have it done.

[Rocco Rex]

We aren't allowed to take leave except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and verefied emergencies

[Vosur Aekira]

If this is early into your career (AIT primarily), I can understand that... but if you're established at your first true base, then you definitely should be able to take leave or else you'll have use-or-lose. I remember that you're given 30 days a year for leave (DOD established, does not vary from branch to branch), so you should be able to use one or two days for this.

As for emergencies, this can become an issue that would be putting you in sick-call every other day if you don't remedy it.

[Rocco Rex]

Still stuck at the schoolhouse. Even though I graduated back in September, I was denied being granted a better status by Master Sergeant and Captain. I have some respect for MSGT and quite a lot for CAPT, so I'd prefer to not tell them to go **censor** themselves and jump the chain of command to squadron/unit XO/CO


I don't go to medical often because I have nothing but distrust at their gross laziness and negligence. My back has begun hurting and I have a weird lump that has appeared, but I'd still rather take my chances than go to medical

[Vosur Aekira]

I would recommend you do not "take your chances" with your back, that can actually get listed as an emergency. Get it documented in your medical records before it does serious serious harm to you. As for the chain of command, if they are not helping, you do need to go one step above them if you need to go somewhere (if they are the ones denying you).

[Rocco Rex]

I have very few gripes with my COC. It's all the **censor** Navy pulling all the BS. Day I get out, that's the one thing I will miss the least. The Navy. Not getting up at zero stupid in the morning, being undermanned, hikes, etc, the Navy


I take my chances because I do not have faith they'd do anything. It'd be here, have some ibuprofen and, if I came in multiple times for it, a referral to physical therapy. First time I went in for my feet, I said what was going on, explained my father has X, and said I was worried I had developed it. They didn't even test for it, they absolutely blew me off. 7 or 8 months later, guess what? Neurologist says I have it. No **censor** shit

[Vosur Aekira]

Even if you think it is a waste of your time, it will help you out when you do get out. The Veterans Administration/Veterans Affairs may not seem like much, but if you get the paper-trail (doctor's appointments to show you did at least try to get it looked at while in and showing number of times you were having this issue), it will benefit you even if you get out with a regular Honorable Discharge.

As for the now, if you don't try to get it looked at, there's a 0% chance they will do anything.

[Rocco Rex]

As for the now, if you don't try to get it looked at, there's a 0% chance they will do anything.

Very valid point. I'll try to remember to call and set up an appointment today/tomorrow