Sleep

[wren again]

Having section hiked twice, a total of just 200 miles so far, I was never able to sleep well either in shelters or in my tent. I was always in an alert but drowsy state. Did you ever relax or become exhausted enough that you overcame the anxiousness? Ideas?

[Lone Wolf]

Tylenol PM. it's what i used a week or so ito a long hike. it will help you to sleep

[Capt Nat]

I go through that for a couple of nights and then I think fatigue solves the problem and I sleep well. Once into the routine I seem to sleep lighter than normal but well. The first couple of nights out are always really hard for me to rest though...

[Malto]

Hike further each day. You will fall asleep from exhaustion.

[daddytwosticks]

I'm a light sleeper at home or on the trail. I'm used to it. Sorry I have no recommendations.

[fredmugs]

Nothing ever worked for me including ambien. I could do a 25 mile day and be dead tired and as soon as I try to sleep I'm on full alert. On my last couple of hikes I have taken my Kindle and could occassionally fall asleep for a couple of hours but that's about it. Reading is the only thing that has any effect for me.

[kayak karl]

for the first week i can't sleep or eat. after that i can't get enough of either.

[leaftye]

Yes. It takes me a few days to adjust. I often get less than 1 hour total of sleep during the first two nights.

[Creek Dancer]

Advil PM and ear plugs. Makes me sleepy and helps with the muscle aches that tend to wake me up. I also follow the same pre-bedtime routine in the same order as I do at home and that seems to help.

[jakedatc]

make sure you have a comfy sleeping pad and bag/quilt. if you are uncomfortable or cold it's going to keep you up.

[RCBear]

When nothing else works, benadryl always does the trick for me. my body cannot fight the urge to fall asleep after taking one or two. I wouldnt recommended it as a regular thing, but I also don't recommend not getting sleep regularly either.

[G.G.]

Ear plugs won't cut out the chatter in your mind but they do help with the outside world.

[gizzy bear]

i would be afraid to take something that is going to render me incoherent (as would the night time meds mentioned) ....i would like to at least hear if there is something going on around me...

[Creek Dancer]

Unlike Nyquil or something that completely wipes me out, I don't find the PM medicines render me incoherant. They just take the edge off.

[Zippy Morocco]

Melatonin is a more "natural?" alternative. It works for me on the occasions I need it. High wind is the one that got me last weekend. I kept thinking, if we make our tents out of sail cloth material what's going to keep it from taking off? I must have slept more than I thought though cause morning came pretty quick.

[snifur]

Never had the issue myself. I feel very comfortable when I am out in the elements. If I was not comfortable and had trouble sleeping i would have to think that there was something wrong with my sleep system. I would never attempt to medicate to sleep. That just sounds like a dark and dangerous path.

[gizzy bear]

Unlike Nyquil or something that completely wipes me out, I don't find the PM medicines render me incoherant. They just take the edge off.

i wish i wasn't so sensitive to sleep medications like i am...but if i took a tylenol pm...i wouldn't wake up if a bear was dragging me off...nor would my medicated boyfriend

[yellowsirocco]

i wish i wasn't so sensitive to sleep medications like i am...but if i took a tylenol pm...i wouldn't wake up if a bear was dragging me off...nor would my medicated boyfriend

Sounds about perfect to me. If a bear is mauling me to death I don't want to be coherent for it. On the other hand bears are the boogie man on the AT, it ain't going to happen anyways and I sleep with my food too.

[Slo-go'en]

The only time I have trouble falling asleep is when the person next to me is doing a chainsaw immitation.

You just have to learn to be comfortable in the new enviorment and realize that the chances of some critter eating you alive in the middle of the night is pretty slim. Unless of course, you sleep with your food...

[Creek Dancer]

Melatonin is a more "natural?" alternative. It works for me on the occasions I need it. High wind is the one that got me last weekend. I kept thinking, if we make our tents out of sail cloth material what's going to keep it from taking off? I must have slept more than I thought though cause morning came pretty quick.

hmm..I will have to try that. Might be a better alternative. What I don't like about some sleep medications is that they dehydrate me, which is not a good thing. They are basically antihystimins.
.