Woodworking induced insomnia!

[Gary Herrmann]

I'm gonna sue, sue I tells ya!

Soon as I figure out who.

I'm taking decongestants for that nasty little virus going around. Woke up around 12:30. Briefly thought about what kind of edge profile I was going to put on my bookcase top tonight, then thought about the faceframes, finish etc etc etc.

At 1:45 I realized I wasn't going to get back to sleep so I got up and read. Finally at 3:15 I felt tired enough to sleep.

Dang I hate insomnia. I think I'm getting it more as I get older. Maybe when I have a shop that isn't in the basement I'll be able to do something constructive when I get it...

[Matt Meiser]

Sudafed does that to me--only I almost become obsessive thinking about stuff. I probably would have thought about it for two hours.

[Mark Singer]

Go sharpen something in your shop....just a thought

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I get it too! Those last few minutes before you fall asleep are very constructive for me! :) It does suck when you don't fall asleep though!

[James Carmichael]

Same here. I've been known to head out to the garage in nothing but my skivvies to do a little work. Good thing there's no windows :eek:

[Robert Johnstone]

The same thing happens to me often when I have a project going. I either get up and read (something that will divert my attention from the project) as you did or go out in the shop and work it out of my system. Fighting for hours to get back to sleep never seems to work. On the up side, I often get good ideas or solve woodworking problems while laying awake. Unfortunately, then I become obsessed with putting those ideas and solutions immediately into action in the shop.

[Tom Hintz]

Insomnia doesn't hurt, all the time anyway.
I have been getting up at between 1 and 2 am for a few years now. It's nice to get some of the email out of the way by 3 am, a bunch of writing done by 7 am and then on to the shop for the noisy stuff!
Of course, I can turn after email if I get tired of writing for a while....

[Jim O'Dell]

Decongestants raise some people's heart rate. Try some melatonin (over the counter-health food store) It helps me when I can't get to sleep. Jim.

[Greg Mann]

Go sharpen something in your shop....just a thought

Good idea, Mark. It is always a dilemma, if you make noise, then you wake up the loved ones. Sharpening tools can be easy to put off when one ducks into the shop with a free moment during the day. Doing it while dealing with insomnia means that those same tools are ready to go when we need them. I also wondered how many others have trouble sleeping at times. For me, it usually happens when I am in the creative stages of a project. The wheels get turning and then won't stop when I go to bed. Three hours later...

Greg

[Jonathan Szczepanski]

Gary -

I have been a long sufferer of insomnia, and when it hits me, it happens in the same way. I will go to bed for the night, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, my brain seems to go in overdrive. Granted it is very frustrating, but sometimes it is a blessing. I think I get my most creative ideas then.

So what do I do to help stop the insomia insanity? I keep a notebook/sketchbook, a pencil, and a light next to my bed. When I get an idea I right it down. If I have a great concept, I sketch it out.

By writing down my ideas, it seems to eleviate my brain from trying to remember it, then I seem to settle down.

Now it doesn't work all of the time, but it works most of the time. Plus I remember some really good ideas. Of course some mornings I take a look at my notes from the night before, and I have no idea what I wrote.

Hope this helps.