iwrotesomeofitdown:

bannableoffense:

trombonesinspace:

conquerorwurm:

spooniecollection:

unpretty:

inkstainedchocolateeyes:

unpretty:

thank god for the mythbusters though because it used to be that whenever i knew i had insomnia i’d just kind of accept it and stay up doing whatever until my morning classes and spend the day feeling like shit

but then they did an episode where they established that even just fucking laying there for a half hour, not even sleeping just laying there and not even for an hour, makes a significant difference and you’ll feel way better

it has made a huge difference in my life to know that it’s okay if i can’t fall asleep, it takes a lot of the pressure off and ironically helps me fall asleep better

…i did not know this, thank you

If anyone wants to look it up, the episode was specifically the Deadliest Catch crossover ep, and the myth was that it’s better/safer when working a 30 hour shift to take a 20 minute nap every six hours rather than try to power through. They did an obstacle course test, one without naps and one with, and even though they couldn’t even sleep half the time the naps resulted in their scores doubling.

So actually I undersold it, even if it’s 7:40 and your alarm goes off at 8 just lie down and shut your eyes and it will still be better than nothing

This is what my mom always tells me: “You’ll rest even when you’re just lying down”. Good to know for everyone who has problems sleeping. 

This is really important to remember!!

Allow me to add…

A few years ago I had a bout of insomnia (the kind where I could fall asleep, but not stay asleep) that lasted for months, and ended up spending a night in a sleep lab so they could monitor my brain waves while I slept. 

The result? Well, they didn’t find out what was causing the insomnia–but they did find out that during the early hours of the morning, when it felt to me like I was just lying there awake, my brainwaves showed that I was actually drifting in and out of sleep. If you lie there and rest, you may be getting at least some sleep, even if it doesn’t feel like it!

I found it very encouraging.

Works better when you close your eyes, but yes. This is a True Thing.

I also heard on a podcast from a British sleep expert that lots of people think they haven’t slept in several hours when experiencing insomnia, especially in the early hours of morning (3 am onward), but they do drift in and out without consciously noticing, so it is more restorative than getting up and doing „awake things“ instead. He recommended mindfulness or grounding exercises (focusing on the tactile sensation of the pillow/bedding, relaxing your muscles etc), because it encourages light sleep that is better than none.