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Comment by UnoriginalGuy | Hacker News Reader

I hate articles such as this. They talk about stress and lack of sleep like you can just magically solve them once you know it is unhealthy - which I'm afraid is not reality.

I would love to sleep well; I give my body over ten hours to try and get some but it never happens. I get about one or two good nights sleep a year and shocker: that makes me more on edge and stressful.

So studies which show I am going to get sick and die sooner aren't exactly comforting. Actually it makes me more stressful, perhaps I won't sleep tonight!

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I'm equally sick of people who just blindly accept the fact that they don't sleep well.

Like any hacker endeavor, do the research and put the time in. If you keep digging, you will eventually find something. I have my sleep issues under control mostly, and it changed my life. In my case, I found I have chronic sinusitis that inhibited my ability to breathe at night. I take allergy medicine before bed, and arrange my pillows a certain way to support my neck.

Sleep is mysterious, but it's not black magic. The Zeo was helpful in diagnosing a lot of things.

Some hackers prefer fast iteration, or perhaps the ADD-ness of many hackers can't focus on anything less.

For people that prefer to measure their testing times in milliseconds, trying to 'debug' your sleep patterns, where it may take weeks to notice anything is just not going to be feasible. On top of that, trying to divorce your sleep issues from the rest of the issues in your life to isolate root causes, it just becomes a losing battle for many of us.

I can't agree more. I never got a zeo, but I did test multiple factors in isolation trying to end onset insomnia.

All my sleep troubles went away when I jailbroke my iPhone and installed f.lux. Already had it on the computer, but blue light on the phone turned out to be the weak link.

I find that people are surprisingly willing to dismiss personal shortcomings as "just my nature" instead of taking the time to address said shortcomings. With regards to problems sleeping, this doesn't involve just visiting the doctor and ending up with sleeping pill prescriptions. It involves putting time and effort into getting better sleep every day. Eat a little earlier, stop working a little earlier, turn off the TV and computer a little earlier, and see what makes it easier and easier to go to sleep every night. Most importantly, prioritize personal health.

You're right. "Just my nature" is usually rationalization for "I'm lazy." (I say it too.)

Nobody seems to talk much about wellness. Instead, healthcare focuses on dealing with the 'inevitable' illnesses, despite the fact that your body gave you multiple symptoms leading up to them.

If sleep is that difficult, you may want to see a doctor. There are many reasons for insomnia, some more serious than others. Sleep apnea (difficulty breathing) is a common cause. Sleeping your back can aggravate breathing difficulties.

Small doses of melatonin and avoiding "screen time" (computer or TV) for an hour before bedtime can help, too. I recommend reading Dr. Andrew Weil's recommends for insomnia:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02004/insomnia

I used to have that opinion.

Than I realized I'd do anything if it helped me enjoy life more.

I mean honestly, when my sleep starts getting shitty I start changing things in my life. Quitting jobs, taking breaks from relationships, creating new ones, trying new programming languages, anything.

Burnout can be fucking terrible, and I will give up every possession I have before I endure that again.

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