Hacker News Reader

Comment by mratzloff | Hacker News Reader

I haven't used an alarm in probably a decade, outside of super early flights. I consistently wake up when I need to. I have no problems with insomnia. I don't need caffeine to feel awake and in fact haven't drank any in about three years. I wake up feeling refreshed and happy and looking forward to the day.

I say this because I used to have pretty bad insomnia. Weeks of almost no sleep. Let me tell you: when sleep is not going right for you, nothing is going right. Sleep does wonders for depression, too. So I looked at everything I was doing wrong and changed it all. I changed my diet, my work habits, everything. I don't do a lot of critical thinking an hour or two before bed (no work, no computer). I've trained my body to know how to sleep. I go to bed at around the same time every night, and I listen to my body. Barring those with actual medical issues, for the majority, it is a choice.

View on HN

> I was doing wrong and changed it all. I changed my diet, my work habits, everything...

I did all of those things too and it did nothing for either my insomnia or depression. There are a surprising number of us out there with, as you say, "actual medical issues".

He found his cure so he thinks it will work for everyone. It never works that way.

Or he may have "found" his cure but it was not one of the variables he mentioned. With that caveat, here's what I changed to fix my 25+ years of insomnia.

1) Always wear socks and semi-tight fitting pants and t-shirt.

2) I increased (yes increased) my calories by ~20% but I stop eating by 6PM.

3) If you suffer from PTSD or wake up screaming when someone tries to wake you, either A) get a dog or B) Do heavy weight training and learn a viscous form of martial arts / street fighting as it will make you feel safer.

4) Avoid toxic people. This one was the hardest.

But the author never claimed it would work for "everyone"

Re-read the last sentence of his post.

I did. Carefully. So did you though because you admit the medical condition.

So you must arguing about his statement about it not being an actual medical condition for the majority? (emphasis added to clarify what I think you're arguing about.)

So it would appear you're challenging him on his statement about population distribution. Your anecdote vs his. While ignoring the condition in his statement.

I think his point was that a lot of people first reach for medicine, when it's often a lifestyle issue.

I didn't see it as belittling those with actual medical conditions.

OP here. That's right. I know several people with medical conditions, and it's important to speak to a doctor when common sense changes don't improve the situation.

It's true that some people reach for medicine without trying to change their lifestyles, but I suspect many more reach for the grande coffee or the double shot of espresso in the morning or the beer or wine in the evening. I certainly did my share of that. Nothing wrong with any of those except when they are papering over dissatisfaction with energy level and emotional state. Humans didn't co-evolve with coffee.

So to be clear, you made sure you experienced a natural night - 10 hours of pure darkness (can't see your hand) starting and ending at exactly the same time every day, for at least four to six weeks? And no result at all? Realllly?

Just because you changed things doesn't mean you changed them for the better. You could have changed from hitting yourself in the head to hitting yourself in the crotch. Not really an improvement.

Dont depressed people sleep like 12 hours ?

Not all. Depression is highly different across people. Some depressed people don't sleep much at all (insomnia) Also, from what I've read, that 12 hours of sleep isn't restful to a depressed person.

It's not about resting, it's about escaping from life.

That's what I said, though.

A person I knew with depression complained that it was just impossible to sleep at the time when one needs most and then get 12 hours of a bad sleep when one better do other things.

Seems like bipolar ? Sometimes you don't sleep (manic) and sometimes you oversleep (depress). Maybe he was misdiagnosed (often are). But I'm probably talking too much from 1 sentence.

Depression makes sleep more or less impossible sometimes, and more or less unavoidable others. My SO has severe depression, and no symptoms of bipolar (which I would recognize due to my own diagnosis), but experiences times where he's dead to the world for 12-14 hours, but then also experiences times where he will lay awake for hours trying to fall asleep.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com