How to take advantage of my middle-of-the night insomnia?

November 21, 2015 4:14 PM

I've been having trouble staying asleep. I would like to know how to take advantage of this.

I have always been an early-to-bed, early-to-rise person ever since I was a kid. I value my sleep, but lately I've been having trouble sleeping through the night. This began in 2012 and has been going on and off since.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, I waste a bunch of time either trying to fall back asleep or getting up and watching Netflix. I would like to be more productive, but I don't know how. I know the obvious answer is just to do it, but... I don't, even though I could be studying or working. I don't want to force myself to stay awake when I'm exhausted, but if I'm awake for a few hours anyway I feel like doing actual things instead of bingeing Suits would make me feel less worthless.

Those of you who manage to work late into the night, how do you do it? How do you make yourself work through the night? Do you have techniques to motivate yourself? Do you find certain things easier to do in the middle of the night than others?

How can I be more productive through my insomnia?

posted by Enchanting Grasshopper to Grab Bag (23 answers total)

I usually get out of bed, lay on the couch and read. I think reading is generally productive, and it gets my mind off sleeping, which usually helps me get back to sleep.
posted by tenaciousd at 4:27 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I put on headphones, drink coffee, and cut out distractions. I usually get into the zone at night, though. I can't work for shit in the morning. You might just be a morning person who will never be great at working at night... my boyfriend is.
posted by easter queen at 4:29 PM on November 21, 2015

I lie in bed and think about math, because thinking about math is my job. Is there any part of your job you can do while lying in bed in the dark?
posted by escabeche at 4:38 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty useless in the middle of the night, but sometimes when I'm having trouble sleeping because I'm stressed about something, the only way to get back to sleep is to deal with the thing I'm stressed about. So, for instance, if I'm stressed out about a project, I'll get up and map out a plan to get it finished.

If you're going to be watching Netflix or reading anyway, could you watch or read something that would feel a little more productive to you? Maybe watch some documentaries to learn about something that you missed in high school and/or college?
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 4:38 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I recently found that this situation is the perfect time for reading a book that I really want to read but is longer and less of a page-turner than I'd usually go for (currently Anna Karenina, but I've read some non-fiction studying-type books this way too). I keep my kindle by my bed, and if I can't sleep then I put the kindle backlight on low and read, still lying down with the room lights off. That way I get through the book, but if I'm getting sleepy again I don't need to do much, just drop the kindle and nod off.
posted by amerrydance at 4:58 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I listen to work related podcasts. Keeps my mind from falling into anxiety, but not so enjoyable that it keeps me awake.
posted by bimbam at 4:58 PM on November 21, 2015

My mom would either clean house or bake. So, from the perspective of my childhood self, it was awesome, because I often got strawberry shortcake for breakfast.... I have myself done laundry and tidied when my daughter was small and my sleep patterns were all over the place. I think the prevailing wisdom is to read something (non-electronically), so you don't rouse yourself more than necessary. Is there a long book you've always meant to read? Keep that by your bed. That's how I got through War and Peace. Worth it!
posted by chocotaco at 5:22 PM on November 21, 2015

I'm going to go against the grain and suggest you focus on shortening that time you're awake. Having had insomnia off and on, the thing I tried to do was something strenuous, get me back to the point that I'd want to collapse in bed again. A quick set of crunches or pushups, tidy a room, something that was relatively mindless and didn't involve screens; bright lights are a sure recipe for making nighttime insomnia last longer.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:40 PM on November 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

FWIW, sleeping some, waking up and doing some stuff for a little while, then going back to sleep is a pattern called "segmented sleep" and many historians believe it was likely the default way of sleeping before the Industrial Revolution. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. Arguably, it's entirely natural.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:09 PM on November 21, 2015 [4 favorites]

I've had periods of segmented sleep like this, and I have at times made a point to use the time productively. I made sure to go to bed early enough that a 2-4 hour wakeful period in the middle of the night was not going to kill my total sleep time, I moved out of my bed (to the couch, generally - still reclined and comfy, but different than where I sleep), I used low lighting and I tried to focus on things that don't require super deep thinking or that aren't likely to get me worked up emotionally. So, reading for work, especially things that are a wee bit dry, or making to-do lists or writing general instructions for something. I stayed off the internet both because of the light and because of the likelihood of going down the wikipedia wormhole.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 6:10 PM on November 21, 2015

Calming, meditative yarnwork? You could crochet baby blankets or granny squares to make into afghans. It's soothing, repetitive action that won't stir your brain too much. The end results can go to friends/family or be donated to Project Linus.
posted by cadge at 6:46 PM on November 21, 2015

This is how we slept before electricity, in two cycles. Most folks got up and prayed, meditated or read (the bible).

Anticipating that this is your sleep pattern, perhaps line up weight tones to read. Improving books. Journal, study, draw, paint. A quiet activity.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:49 PM on November 21, 2015

I've developed a more segmented sleep pattern as I've gotten older and got myself a set of sleep headphones (they're like headphones and a fleece head band had a baby--search the online retailer of your choosing) and use that time to listen to audiobooks or podcasts.
posted by soren_lorensen at 7:45 PM on November 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Make yourself a list of things to do. Better yet, make two. One for the "I might be able to fall back asleep if I do this for a while", and one for the "to heck with it, I'm awake, I might as well be ultra-productive".

For example, my first list includes things like crocheting and reading. My second includes things like cleaning the bathroom, organizing kitchen cupboards, mopping the floor...

The first list has been a standby for me for years, and works well. The second got invented last spring when a medication change gave me a solid week of wide-awake, no chance of sleep no matter what I did, nights. Irritatingly enough, the night after I made the list I finally slept - and I'd been looking forward to having all that peace and quiet to work on projects without four teenagers demanding my attention!

Still, if it happens again, that'll be the first thing I do. Update those lists.
posted by stormyteal at 7:48 PM on November 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

Why be productive? Think of it like a snow day. You are not required to do anything so why not take some time and do nothing? I use my early am awake time to catch up on the silence that I do not get during the day. I zone out looking at fb or metafilter, or I play candy crush and other apps. It's the only time that I can really goof off and not feel guilty about it. Some days I look forward to my insomnia, just for the me time.

On a side note, I've noticed that it happens more when the hypoglycemia is acting up. I eat some candy upon waking, drink some water, and I am able to go back to sleep quicker than just sitting it out. The joke is that I can't sleep if there are cookies in the house because they wake me up, needing to be eaten. The truth of it is that I ate them during the day, throwing my blood sugar off, and causing my body to need more sweets in the middle of the night.
posted by myselfasme at 8:01 PM on November 21, 2015 [3 favorites]

I clean the fridge out.
posted by AnnaRat at 9:01 PM on November 21, 2015

Response by poster: Thanks for the great suggestions!
posted by Enchanting Grasshopper at 1:11 AM on November 22, 2015

I used to have interrupted sleep like this and it stopped after I ate a more low carb diet. No need to go crazy, of course. It seems that as the blood sugars drop off, the person gets a surge of adreneline at night that wakes them up. So now I just try to keep my sugars pretty stable.
posted by Coffeetyme at 4:33 AM on November 22, 2015

Aw, no, don't do this. It'll just make your insomnia worse and you less functional for daytime stuff. (Exception is if you're paid to work at night on an actual night shift, which is still bad for you and to be avoided if possible.)

Don't watch Netflix - binge-watching engaging shows is guaranteed to rouse you, not help you sleep. Are you sure you'd be "up anyway" if you didn't do that? Even people without insomnia lose sleep when they get into a Netflix binge, the temptation is too strong.

Put something boring on, at least. (On cable TV, not Netflix.) "Boring" for me would be something like "How It's Made", or crappy talk shows. If you're online-only, instructional YouTube videos might have a sopoforic effect. Actually yeah, maybe that way you'd bore yourself tired while absorbing something possibly useful. Or read something meh.

If you're tossing and turning, leave the bed and rest on the couch until you're tired.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:41 AM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Good time to catch up on audiobooks or podcasts. I just subscribed to Audible for this very reason.

Stay away from big screen TVs if you must watch, or put them on a timer. I just bought one and my sleep pattern is much better if I DON'T fall asleep while watching.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 7:39 AM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

I have nights like this often, and I actually cherish them. First, I have a ritualized treat: I make a cup of warm (soy) milk, with a dollop of yogurt and a teaspoon of molasses whisked in. While I drink that, I watch something pretty but not very lively like nature or travel videos. If I don't feel like going back to sleep then, I do some 'Insomnia Task' that I've set aside: sew on loose buttons; dust, clean or organize small fussy stuff; look up pictures on the internet of places mentioned in a book I'm reading; brush the cats; draft letters or emails I've been putting off (but I don't send til they're approved by my daytime brain). Whatever sort of work or chores you're doing during the day, think about setting aside a few small, discrete chunks that you could tackle on their own if you're up during the night -- ideally something you can do slowly, mindfully, without too much exertion, that will occupy but not stimulate your mind until sleepiness comes around again.
posted by Corvid at 4:25 PM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

I fold laundry, it's monotonous and doesn't require much thought and I either finish and have laundry done or get bored and go back to bed. We are a three loads a day house though so ymmv.
posted by julie_of_the_jungle at 6:03 PM on November 22, 2015

I listen to books. I've slept through Wuthering Heights three times. The reader's voice is so soothing. North and South got me off to sleep in seconds, which is a shame as I haven't actually read that one yet and want to know what happens.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 11:54 AM on November 25, 2015