I have had 12hrs of sleep in the past 4 days. Last night I had a few drinks..to knock me out. It didn't work. Now I have a full body ache on top of being tired. I work 2 jobs. Neither employer will let me out of work....I am drinking some coffee...and I had a B-Complex...what could be done?...I need energy and I need to work until 11 tonight.
2007-02-09 02:36:16 · 2 answers · asked by Win 4 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Lay off the coffee and drink LOTS of water. Coffee will perk you up briefly but the crash will be much worse. Water will hydrate you which keeps your body and mind alert, it will also clear out the toxins from the alcohol and the caffeine and make it easier/less painful to slog through the day till you can get some sleep. As for tonight... don't have any alcohol because it's pure carbs and as the carbs are digested, it dumps a lot of sugar (pure energy) into your bloodstream. That sugar blast is probably what kept you up last night.
For the rest of the day, stay away from sugar, caffeine, no red bulls please, and stick to light meals that do not contain much carbohydrates. Your body is already very tired and the carb-coma will kill you. No matter how tempting it may be to have some red bull or coffee, don't. You'll feel better for about 40 minutes, and you'll be miserable this evening.
If you have a chance to hit a co-op or health foods store today, pick up some Star of Bethlehem--- it is a light spray made from a flower, all natural, and it really helps me sleep when I need to. It doesn't knock you out, just kind of helps you over the edge where you're tired but just can't quite fall asleep.
2007-02-09 02:47:00 · answer #1 · answered by dcgirl 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
For energy right now, caffeine is usually most effective, and staying away from too many sugary snacks. Just stop the caffeine at least 8 hours before it's time for bed, or it will interfere with your sleep & you'll be just as tired tomorrow.
If it's at all possible, try to stick to a set schedule - go to bed at the same time every night, and get up at the same time every morning, even on your days off. When you first get up in the morning, expose your eyes to bright light for a little while - go outside without sunglasses on, or sit in a sunny window, or turn on your brightest lights. The bright light will help to reset your body clock so you can go to sleep at night.
Before you go to bed, eat a small meal or snack that is high in carbohydrates and drink a big glass of milk or take a calcium supplement (don't eat a lot, though, or that will make it hard to sleep). Then take a warm bath. The bath will raise your body temperature, and the drop in body temperature after the bath will help you sleep. The carbohydrates in the food and the calcium in the milk will also help. If you can find one, a balanced calcium/magnesium/zinc supplement is best. Magnesium will help your muscles relax and cut down on the body aches.
If you've gone to bed and your mind is still going too fast, get up and go into another room, turn on a very dim light (avoid bright light in the evening or it will keep you awake) and write down what is bothering you, or write a list of the things you need to do if that's what's keeping you up. Writing this down sort of gives you permission in your own mind to let it go & not worry about it so you can sleep, knowing you have it written down to think about the next day.
Avoid caffeine at least 8 hours before bedtime. Avoid alcohol - while some people think it helps them get to sleep easier, it actually disrupts your natural sleep patterns and reduces the quality of the sleep that you do get.
If it's possible that noises outside your room or living space could be bothering you without you really realizing it, try turning on a fan or white noise machine, or using soft foam earplugs to block out noises that may wake you up. Just make sure your alarm clock is close enough that you'll still hear it.
If you're desperate to get some sleep, take a dose of Benadryl (diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in most OTC sleep aids) before you go to bed - but ONLY do that if you have 8 hours to sleep, or you'll have trouble getting up in the AM and won't be safe to drive.
If you can pick it up at your library or book store, or online, this book is very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/How-Sleep-Soundly-Tonight-Sleeplessness/dp/1580173144
2007-02-09 03:00:55 · answer #2 · answered by Bess2002 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
WELL I THINK YOUR BODY IS SCREAMING AT YOU.
You just have to go to bed and get some sleep ....YOu will end up crashing big time if you dont
2007-02-09 02:41:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋