E-paper: Cure for insomnia?

[Fourl29]

I feel for you buddy, as we are in the same - extra sensitive when it come to sleeping (lightboxes, melatonin, a few tens of books on sleep, the works) - boat.
And I too, if I let myself go, and sit in front of computer at night, that's what I get. It wrecks my insomnia. The ipad to, that's why I don't keep it at home and have reverted to my kindle. I also use flux on the computer, but that's not that much help what with the delayed sleep onset.

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

I listen to audio books all night long. I have either earbuds or a flat speaker over my ears. When I frequently wake at night, the slight drone of the books puts me back to sleep.

The downside is, I have to listen to books I have listened to many times. If it is a new book, I stay awake listening to the story. Thus I have many old books I have heard many times, and once I get into bed and start my mp3 player, I'm asleep in no time.

Last night my ear buds broke (as they do occasionally) and I couldn't sleep again until I got up and got another pair.

But audio books have allow this insomniac to sleep again.

AJ

Same here! And I too do much better with books I 've already listened to.

No non-insomniac can relate to what we go through.

@Katsunami
Very well said, about the normal life, being, well, "normal" for us.

[arjaybe]

At the risk of sounding like a self-plug (I will remove it if it offends,) I recorded my book. 13.5 hours of sound sleep?-) Free. I'm not providing a link, because that might be rude.

[gabby98]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

......
The downside is, I have to listen to books I have listened to many times. If it is a new book, I stay awake listening to the story. .....
AJ

That is probably what my proablem was when i tried this...as much as I just tried to use the noise as background (turning the volume as low as possible until i could only just barely hear noise) i still sound myself focusing on the story. I hate golf so someone told me to get a self help golf audiobook - oh the (in)humanity

Originally Posted by Katsunami

......
A normal life is not really "normal" for me.

Some light reading before bed. It might kill you, however.

I hear ya... I bought that book too. Not only because he's my fav but the title kinda made me feel better. still have yet to read it though lol

[Sydney's Mom]

Sorry, duplicate

[Bob Russell]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

I find audiobooks very helpful for my insomnia. Listening to 10 or 20 minutes will generally lull me to sleep.

I also find audiobooks great to fall asleep. Hadn't thought about using books I've already listened to, but that's a great idea. In my case, I fall into an "almost sleeping" state. So the book content registers just enough to be familiar if I listen again, but not clear enough in my mind to be comfortable going forward the next day without backtracking. Even worse, I never know at what point I've slipped from conscious listening to slumbered listening, so I don't know where to go back to. A familiar book should fix that!

Also, with regard to PW vs backlit (in my case a phone), I found a PW puts out too much ambient light into my eyes and even into the room, so it was useless for me at night. But my phone with black background and red letters in night mode is great. I use FBReader which makes it easy and I don't have to worry about bright bits around the edges. Unfortunately, the bookmarks don't appear to be fully customizable colors so I end up getting too much light with the bookmark highlights as well as from the "goto page" popup when I try to see what page I'm on. Still, it's the best solution I have and works great if the book isn't too addictive.

[Sefiriot]

I'm currently on Valdoxan, which works on melatonin for my insomnia issues (and other issues, which aren't really that germane)-- suffice it to say that my sleep patterns haven't been normal for several years now. I've used f.lux since it was first released, and as far as I can tell haven't had much luck with it and my sleep patterns, though it does cut eyestrain from my ultrabright laptop screen. I'm hoping that by the time I need to have a new pair of spectacles made, which should be another 3-4 years, special yellow tinted lenses that filter UV and blue light will be cheap enough I can afford them.

I've been using music to fall asleep to: the Liquid Mind CDs work well when at a low enough volume they're not too distinguishable. My phone is ridiculously bright in the dark, but Moon+ solves that by letting you turn screen brightness down even further than the normal system setting would. I keep it at around -25% or so.

[Fourl29]

Originally Posted by Sefiriot

I'm currently on Valdoxan, which works on melatonin for my insomnia issues (and other issues, which aren't really that germane)-- suffice it to say that my sleep patterns haven't been normal for several years now. I've used f.lux since it was first released, and as far as I can tell haven't had much luck with it and my sleep patterns, though it does cut eyestrain from my ultrabright laptop screen. I'm hoping that by the time I need to have a new pair of spectacles made, which should be another 3-4 years, special yellow tinted lenses that filter UV and blue light will be cheap enough I can afford them.

I've been using music to fall asleep to: the Liquid Mind CDs work well when at a low enough volume they're not too distinguishable. My phone is ridiculously bright in the dark, but Moon+ solves that by letting you turn screen brightness down even further than the normal system setting would. I keep it at around -25% or so.

Do take care buddy to check the status of your liver regularly with valdoxan. Most probably your doc already informed you to do so, but just a heads up in case you are not aware of it. I was on it for a while and although initially I was very excited about it, my experience, as well as delving more deeply into the research behind it, had me conclude that it's really a bs med. Still, it's the only circadian/ad acting med on the market, so that's something at least. At the moment I handle my insomnia with the occasional time released melatonin and on and off periods of hypericum.

There are also low light light boxes available, that can help in the morning with delayed sleep onset. But everyone should stay away from the blue light ones. They can be very detrimental to eyesight, I learned this the hard way, not heeding the warnings, and going with the assurances some less than honest docs offered....

[Sydney's Mom]

Just want to report my 4th night of normal sleep. I really wanted to read my book last night, so I fought it for as long as I could.

Please, anyone who is having issues, try putting the back-lit devices away. I am just surprised that the white letters on black background, brightness turned all the way down, is so different from the PW.

I understand the listening to already "read" audiobooks--I used to have old movies (B&W) very quietly, and they had to be movies I had already seen. Washington Square was my favorite.

It is almost the weekend, insomniacs. We can all stay up until 3 and sleep until we naturally wake up!

[Prestidigitweeze]

I've learned that playing with my Galaxy S4, or dinking around on my laptop, will keep me awake for hours. Reading on my Aura HD, however, will put me out before you can say groggy stalactites.

It might be partly due to the kind of lighting used by the Aura, but I think it's also due to this:

The passivity of reading versus the active engagement of tablets (web surfing, texting, etc.).

When you read a work of fiction, you're the projectionist, the sound system, the CGI team, the vintage special effects crew, the cinematographer and the actors; you're effectively performing a work of fiction in your head. But in another sense, you're a child in the back seat of a truck being lulled by your Uncle Goren's story about his boyhood: It can put you out instantly. Spoken daydreams can hit you like verbal tranquilizer darts.

[gabby98]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

.....
It is almost the weekend, insomniacs. We can all stay up until 3 and sleep until we naturally wake up!

Sometimes it saddens me how much i look forward to this

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by gabby98

Sometimes it saddens me how much i look forward to this

Ain't it the truth!! This is what I look forward to the most on vacations, and every time I have to get up at a "normal" time, I count the years until retirement. At least I can count it in years, rather than decades, but that gives you an idea how long I have been looking forward to not getting up at a "normal" time.

[gabby98]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

Ain't it the truth!! This is what I look forward to the most on vacations, and every time I have to get up at a "normal" time, I count the years until retirement. At least I can count it in years, rather than decades, but that gives you an idea how long I have been looking forward to not getting up at a "normal" time.

I know it;s weird...went to FL a few years ago on vacation. Woke up earlier than I have in a long time and with no alarm, hit the hotel gym and felt like I could do so much more than I normally would (but didn't push my luck). I wanted to say maybe it was the benefit of more sun exposure (extra Vit D), but I have migraines and light sensitivity so I doubt thats it. Even had a migraine the day before that so.....

I just don't know anymore, but i still have to count retirement in decades so here's hoping I don't crack up first!

[elemenoP]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

It is almost the weekend, insomniacs. We can all stay up until 3 and sleep until we naturally wake up!

Some of us cannot! How old is Sydney, Sydney's Mom??

eP

[Sefiriot]

I'm still a student, so the weird sleeping rhythms are actually mostly normal for me. I am NOT looking forward to getting a job and having to force switch to waking up early though. >.>

@Fourl29: No worries there yet. I did ask my doc about the side effects, but she says I should be fine. Anyway I've only been on the minimal dosage of Valdoxan, and it's only been just under a year. In any case my recent bloodwork says my liver reports back as functioning okay. Maybe it's a BS drug, but it does seem to help, so...

[Purple Lady]

Most of you will probably think I'm nuts, but I need the radio on to sleep. Maybe not the radio part but the stations I use - Metal Assault Radio or Death Metal. And it has to be loud enough to hear because if the internet goes out I can't get back to sleep! Luckily my husband is understanding. Part of the reason I need it is because the ringing in my ears is so loud it keeps me up.