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I'm not quite as bad, but I have a semi-related experience. When I was young, my sleep patterns were like the average person. Sleep about 8 hours a day. If there was no alarm and it was dark enough I could sleep in up to 10ish hours. I felt refreshed in the morning.

As time when on, college happened. I would frequently have to skip sleeping because of work load. It became an habit. I eventually graduated, started working, often would pull really long shifts, etc. A year or two later I got into a situation where I could take a long sabbatical, and because of my bad habits, with nothing really holding me back, I would sleep roughly 1 night out of two. I'd skip altogether one day, then the next I'd sleep 10-12 hours.

And then it was 9-11 hours. Then 8-10, then 7-8...one day out of two. I dunno if I did permanent damage or what, but I was never able to go back to a normal sleep schedule. I've always been a very light sleeper. Everything would wake me up, but then it got worse. Any kind of light, any kind of noise, any kind of stress... it would take me 2+ hours to fall asleep, I'd wake up 4 times a night, if not more.

It got a little better over time, but never "good". To this day, I take forever to fall asleep, wake up a lot, and by 8 am I'm as awake as can be no matter what time I went to bed. And I constantly feel like I need sleep, so I feel like shit.

Talked to doctors, no one can find anything wrong with me. It affects my productivity drastically, which stresses me out, which in turn makes it harder to sleep. At work, I'm a fraction of what I was 10 years ago and only make up for it with experience. If I could have sustained even half of my productivity, I'd be way further in my career...but alas...

I just want to sleep more >.<

I'm also an incredibly light sleeper, even when my system is OK letting me sleep it's always been hard for me to fall asleep. I've been wearing a sleep mask to block out all light for the last 15 years or so.

About 3 years ago I started using a program on iOS called Brainwave, I haven't found anything that works on Android. I use my old 3GS and very small inexpensive in-ear headphones, Philips SHE3590BK usually around $9. They fit completely inside my ears so I can sleep on my side. I use the Deep Sleep option, with the Medium Rain Ambiance, I keep the volume very low for ambiance and brain wave, just enough so I can pick up the lower tones for the brainwave.

When I started using Brainwave I needed to use the Deep Sleep/Wake up option, and I needed the volume a bit louder because it would still take me a long time to fall asleep. Wake Up mode means it's running until it's time to wake up. After using it for about 9 months I was able to switch to the Deep Sleep option and have it run only for 60 minutes. Now I'm down to running it for 15 and 95% of the time I fall asleep in less than 15 minutes, if not I just pull out the 3GS and give it another 15. Once I fall asleep the in-ear headphones block most sounds, like my wife's snoring.

I don't think it's good for my hearing/ears to run the program in Wake Up mode, which is why I switched away from it as soon as I could. I've recommended the program to normal sleepers for the napping option, so far everyone has said it's great, it lets them fall asleep fast the program wakes them up and they feel refreshed.

The program is supposed to be binaural beats, but I'm sure people on this form can explain why it's not, but I don't care. The program disrupts the constant dialog in my head, quietening my brain, allowing the sleep process to kick in. The program has been a god send.

>During my junior and senor year of college I started smoking pot, and I started sleeping on a regular basis, going to bed about 1-1:30 and getting 6/7 hours of sleep. I'm not really sure if I was happier, or more productive, I was definitely more relaxed, it was probably the pot not the sleep. Of course once I graduated and started getting drug tested I needed to give up smoking pot. I hope soon my state will legalize and maybe I can find a strain that helps.

I hope so too - alcohol is slandered for causing sedation rather than true high quality sleep, but the research is still uncertain about marijuana.

I've tried zinc, magnesium, melatonin, sleep masks, earplugs - many things. Cannabis is the only thing that works.

>I'm not really sure if I was happier, or more productive, I was definitely more relaxed, it was probably the pot not the sleep.

I'm inclined to believe that sleep is the key here and pot helps by inducing it. That's my gut feeling though.

I'd agree that sleeping is better than no sleep, but cannabis definitely does affect how you sleep. Granted it's anecdotal, but talk to any regular smoker who took a tolerance breaks. One common thread that always seems to be there is how vividly the dreams come back while they're on a break.

I can't remember the specific episode of JRE, but he had on a sleep expert who claimed cannabis prevents you from getting into deep REM sleep. From personal and anecdotal experience, I'm inclined to believe that's true. I have no idea what that actually means as far as sleep and life quality goes. I felt perfectly fine when I was an every day smoker. I just wanted to point out that I do think it has a major effect on the type of sleep you're getting and talk about how crazy it is when the dreams come back. Especially after years of not having them. I don't mean to prescribe any lifestyle changes, merely highlight an interesting anecdote.

Yes, he had the author of "Why We Sleep" on and the research is clear that marijuana reduces REM sleep - the health impact of _that_ - of reduced REM sleep - is yet unclear, AFAIK.

Like you say:

>I'd agree that sleeping is better than no sleep

That's pretty much where my standpoint lays now.

Hey, you might want to look into CBD. I haven't done the research myself, but I've heard many anecdotal reports about its efficacy as a sleep aid. It's a cannabinoid which doesn't get you high at all, and also doesn't show up on drug tests.

A very small fraction (<<1%) of the population has a genetic variant that may allow them to survive with less sleep according to Matthew Walker, who runs a center for sleep research at UC Berkeley. It is discussed in his book or you can watch him talk about it here: https://youtu.be/pwaWilO_Pig?t=5581

Wishing you the best in getting the benefits of less sleep without any health consequences. You might want to contact him to discuss.

Holy shit, that is incredible.

Did you make an alt account just for this comment? Do you feel embarrassed by your lack of sleep for some reason?

I imagine admitting drug use wouldn't do them any favours if they work at a job that drug tests.

I'm a reader of this forum, I've never really felt the need to comment on anything else.

Anyone who knows me could identify me from this post, there aren't a lot of people who have my relationship with sleep. I've met people who have insomnia, and they fall apart during day two of no sleep, it wears them out. Me, I'm just awake, I don't start slowing down because I'm awake for 72 or 96 hours. I worked 5 days straight with no break, everyone else worked in shifts,I was always observed there wasn't a period where I could sneak off and have a nap. It freaked everyone out that I was exactly the same on day 5 as I was on day 1, and they were all beat down because they were doing long hours with reduced sleep.