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I am at work right now and I keep NODDING OFF I can't help it. I'm so tired! At around 12 am last night I was wide awake and could have spent hours playing Shadow Hearts and my guitar which I restringed last night. I forced myself to go to bed at around 12:30... Try as I may, it just took AGES TO GET TO SLEEP even after a hot bath and reading... So it gets to be 10 in the morning, 11, 1 or 2 and I zonk out for a few seconds, screw up on what I am doing and thank all in heaven that I don't operate heavy machinery or drive a car or a plane because this is becoming a PROBLEM!
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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If you're wearing a sweater, take it off. Making yourself cold sometimes helps. Ditto a bathroom break where you splash cold water all over your face.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Listen to music, that you like but not too calming.
Heh, I fall asleep almost always when I ride in a car, I guess when I was little a trained myself for car trips.
Posts: 503 | Registered: May 2005
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Sometimes at work I have that problem and I usually eat a few Hot Tamales - the "fiery cinnamon-packed taste" is rather stimulating. Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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It sounds like the problem is your breakfast. A high sugar/carbohydrate meal spikes your blood-sugar levels. That high blood-sugar level causes your body to overcompensate to counteract that spike, which causes low blood-sugar level. And the low blood sugar level causes you to want to sleep.
Whatcha need is a farmer's breakfast : ie a meal with high protein, lots of fiber, some fat/oil (but not transfat), and some carbohydrates. A balanced mixture containing some of the following: eggs, lox, bacon, oatmeal, brown rice, apples, orange juice, toast, yogurt, milk, etc. The protein, fiber, and fat/oil mix with the carbohydrate slows down absorption of the sugars produced by the digestion of carbohydrates. So your blood-sugar won't spike; and hence your body won't try to counteract that spike, won't overcompensate and put you into sleep mode.
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So then why do I find myself nodding off all afternoon after having pork chops and salad for lunch? LOL
I've been battling the snoozes all day too. And yes I had a carb-loaded breakfast today, but I'm feeling much more disconnected and floaty than I normally do after a Pop-tart morning. This is almost like a Benadryl-induced haze, except that I haven't taken any Benadryl in three days and I'm not actively nodding off at my desk just yet. And yes, even 2.5 hours after pork chops, I'm still hazy.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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When I fall asleep during the day it's usually because I went to bed too late/got up too early.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Except for teens (whose normal body-clock says they shouldn't even wake up much before noon), there is a natural tendency for the body's circadian rhythm to signal a need for a nap/siesta in the afternoon. This is especially true for those "morning lark"s with bodies that tell them to wake up around dawn.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Sounds like you might need to try falling asleep before midnight for a bit, see if that helps... no caffeine after 7, start relaxing well before you want to sleep... If you're falling asleep at 1 or 2 and waking up at 7 to get to work, of course you're nodding off at your desk! Posts: 1681 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Caffeine affects the body's production of melatonin, for the negative.
quote:Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment Advisory Service in London, said insomniacs attending his clinic are advised to stop drinking coffee from midday onwards. "It normally takes two to three hours to metabolise caffeine and reduce it in the system. But if you drink a lot of coffee in one go, it takes longer for the blood to break it down."
And if you drink a lot throughout the day, figure around 3hours per mug before your system gets back to normal
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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It works. I'm a heavy coffee drinker myself : usually a bit more than half a pot per day, and almost never less. But then, I set my own working hours.
Just a warning not to get too dependent on caffeine to keep awake, cuz too much will keep you up a LOT longer than you want.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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Coffee doesn't seem to work anymore. I was up to about 3 cups with cocoa powder in it and I'd STILL fall asleep... Plus I'd drink tea too! i need a strategy for coffee and the breakfast idea sounds quite good Plus I'll try to go to bed at at least midnight
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I get super-dozy when my iron levels are low or if there's some virus screwing with my immune system. I've had quite a few illnesses where the only symptom was nodding off.
If you can't fall asleep at night it might be anxiety and an overactive brain. Cut down on late night stimulation and try to relax before bed.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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I am chronically sleep deprived, due to lifestyle issues. And I do get sleepy at work sometimes. A coffee break is good. Getting up from the desk and taking a brisk walk around the parking lot can jerk your brain out of sleep mode. But you know what works the best for me? A nap. Yeah! During the work day. It is a stealth nap. I go out for my lunch break, get in the car, drive to just out of sight (like the parking lot of the next building over), recline the seat in the car and nap for 15-20 minutes. And when I wake up, I can go for the rest of the day without a problem.
Also, be sure that you are properly hydrated. If you are drinking nothing but coffee, you might not be. Avoid carbohydrates, because they can be soporific. There is a cold noodle with sesame sauce dish that they sell at the Chinese restaurant that is like Chloral Hydrate to me. Totally makes me Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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