Any other insomniacs out there?

[devoidapop]

I have managed my sleeping trouble for almost 30 years and really do pretty well at home without meds. On backpacking trips, not so much. I usually fall asleep around 3 am and wake up around 6 am whether I'm in a tent, hammock, or on a shelter floor. I'm not at all scared of being in the woods at night. I just have trouble shutting my brain down.

Anyway, the result is that with each consecutive day of my trip I'm a little more worn down and need more rest breaks.

So, if you have insomnia, do you eventually adjust and get into a more regular sleep cycle after a certain number of days out? I'm not looking to hike for months on end. Just go from 3-5 day trips to 1 or 2 weeks. Also not looking for pharmacological solutions. Really don't want to ambien walk off a cliff.

[tdoczi]

I have managed my sleeping trouble for almost 30 years and really do pretty well at home without meds. On backpacking trips, not so much. I usually fall asleep around 3 am and wake up around 6 am whether I'm in a tent, hammock, or on a shelter floor. I'm not at all scared of being in the woods at night. I just have trouble shutting my brain down.

Anyway, the result is that with each consecutive day of my trip I'm a little more worn down and need more rest breaks.

So, if you have insomnia, do you eventually adjust and get into a more regular sleep cycle after a certain number of days out? I'm not looking to hike for months on end. Just go from 3-5 day trips to 1 or 2 weeks. Also not looking for pharmacological solutions. Really don't want to ambien walk off a cliff.

no insomnia in "real" life at all, but i usually have a terrible time sleeping out hiking. unless i wear myself out to the point of total exhaustion i don't really sleep at night much beyond a couple hours. it doesnt seem to bother me any as i guess just laying "in bed" for 8 or 10 hours even if 7 of them are awake is rest enough. every so often i end up needing an afternoon nap.

i do wonder what would happen were i to ever attempt a multiweek trip during which i didnt have the ability to sleep in a real bed at least once a week or so what would happen, but in all honesty i'll probably never find out.

[FreeGoldRush]

Sounds just like me. At night I have gotten up to go for a short walk in the woods. Often more than once. Just a hundred feet or so. That can be more relaxing than just laying down when you can't sleep. A bit of wind blowing helps a lot. The silence that is interrupted by squirrels running through leaves makes it hard for me to fall asleep.

The thought of sleeping in a shelter is concerning. Will I be the guy that keeps waking others up by climbing out of the shelter four times in the night?

Shoulder and hip pain from side sleeping on a 2 or 3 inch inflatable pad doesn't help either. So I own five pads in an effort to find just the right one.

The following day has always been ok so long as the pace is kept up. The lack of sleep becomes apparent when the heart rate slows. The lunch break can turn into a short nap in the shade.

[Uriah]

I've been one my whole life, but after a week or so on a long hike, fatigue typically takes over and sleep is had. Cares of the "outside world" and my own messed up head drop away.

You might look into melatonin and other possible herbal solutions (etc), as well as trying to avoid all stimulants throughout the day, including anything that spikes blood sugar levels. Also, toss the electronic lit-up stuff; we already know what it does to the brain.

[Puddlefish]

On any given night I can be wide awake, home or away. In my case due to racing thoughts where I just can't get past stupid anxieties. Inconsiderate noisy campers also have the potential of annoying me.

- Bigelow Sweet Dreams tea, doesn't make me sleepy, but helps me focus on a single thought, which I get to choose (I like to visualize batting practice at Fenway with baseballs disappearing into the night sky,) which let's me relax enough to sleep. Best hot, just inhaling the steam vapor. But a dry tea bag works well enough for camping. Could be all placebo effect, in my head, but at long as it works for me. It could just be the process.

- Noises from inconsiderate people also can set me off. Sporadic noises are worse than constant noises, because you never know when they'll end. You might get 20 minutes between hyena outburst laughs at a campfire, just as you were dozing off and thought it was safe to sleep. For this, I go into a hike telling myself I will not get pissed at the nice person at the campfire who's just having fun. They aren't trying to annoy me. I can join them, chat and enjoy myself, before ever so smoothly announcing how exhausted I am, and wandering back to my tent. I alternate this behavior with sleeping miles away from any other human on alternate nights. It's really about managing my expectations.

Obviously, you'll have different reasons for not sleeping. Maybe you can adapt one of my methods. After the first week, I was flat out exhausted from being out of shape. After a month, I was sleeping better, because I was in shape and getting enough exercise. After a month, I was also evaluating myself better each day, to see if my mental state required company or solitude.

[devoidapop]

Puddlefish, focusing on a single thought really does help. That is my main coping method at home. I also remind myself that sleeplessness, like all things, will pass. Often the anxiety associated with insomnia is the worst part.

[devoidapop]

I am sometimes jealous of people who are snoring within minutes of getting in their sleeping bag, but I also enjoy all the little things that come with being an insomniac. I get to listen to and sometimes watch those little critters that creep around camp at night. I can break camp and find the perfect spot for breakfast. And it gives me an excuse for a siesta. Thanks for all the encouraging responses. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one out there.

[Puddlefish]

Also, to build on what Uriah said. This article has some ideas about intelligently using/not using electronic devices. (https://www.fastcompany.com/3042717/8-ways-to-use-your-gadgets-at-night-and-still-get-a-good-nights-sleep) I have an original Kindle, but I love to read, and have been known to read until dawn, just to finish a book. So, I turn the brightness down, and only read when the campfire folks are really noisy. May as well be semi productive instead of just stewing in my tent. Also, earplugs.

[MuddyWaters]

I dont sleep well at home
I sleep great in woods

[JPritch]

I have trouble getting a good night's sleep in the woods. I get this dull ache in my hips that keeps me up. Some Melatonin and Ibuprofen before bed helps, but I still wake up and toss and turn through the night. I was thinking of conditioning my body to sleep on my sleeping pad prior to hitting the trail to see if that helps.

[Leo L.]

Not really suffering from insomnia, but at times its hard to sleep the full length of hours where hiking is impossible or impractical.
I try very hard to avoid sleeping during the day, as tempting as it may seem sometimes (love my noon nap at home though)
And I've had bad experiences with sugar rush so I take only one candy after dinner, not a bag full.

When I feel comfortable at a given situation, I'm that guy who starts to snore the moment my head touches the pillow.

[Red Sky]

I have problems as well sleeping during a multi-day hike. I've found that 5 mg melatonin works pretty well if I'm really tired, but if I combine it with listening to an audiobook, it almost guarantees some sleep. It also helps mask the little noises that might contribute to sleeplessness.

[TexasBob]

I fall asleep pretty quickly but wake up after 3-4 hours and I am wide awake. I listen to the radio with earphones and that helps me fall back to sleep. The radio shuts its self off after an hour so the batteries don't run down and it is tiny so I take it backpacking also.

http://www.sangean.com/products/product.asp?mid=128&cid=

[chknfngrs]

I find Tylenol PM and earplugs do the trick. I’m a light sleeper at home, but my away sleep game needs that help.

The guys that fall asleep instantly and snore the night away suck

[BowGal]

For years I had trouble getting a good night sleep...always tossing and turning because of anxiety.
My doc prescribed me Trazadone..it’s a non addictive sleeping medication. I sleep 9 hours a night now.

[peakbagger]

Ear plugs for me and the realization that I am very much a very early morning person. I want to be up and going at or before sunrise. Not a big issue as when I sectioned I hiked away from the bubble and normally had the shelters mostly empty. I do find that it takes a few days before I stabilize into good sleep and no matter what I wake up more often.

[trailmercury]

My doc prescribed me Trazadone..it’s a non addictive sleeping medication. I sleep 9 hours a night now.


It's actually an older antidepressant med that has a side effect of somnolence. Not a sleeping medication like ambien or lunesta etc.

[devoidapop]

My doc prescribed me Trazadone..it’s a non addictive sleeping medication. I sleep 9 hours a night now.


It's actually an older antidepressant med that has a side effect of somnolence. Not a sleeping medication like ambien or lunesta etc.

It was somewhat of a miracle drug for me when I was younger and had more debilitating insomnia. I am glad to be done with it now, as there are minor but annoying side effects.

[SWODaddy]

Same problem. I can never seem to sleep more than an hour or two. Melatonin was the solution...then I developed an allergy to it. :/

I usually take zyrtec now, which makes me quite drowsy - though that can sometimes continue into the morning. For others, it doesn't make them drowsy at all.

[HooKooDooKu]

Exhaustion and Benadryl work for me...

I used to have problems sleeping in the woods, but that was when I would drive upto the Smokies and stay in a hotel the night before a weekend try where I was only doing 5 to 7 miles per day.

Now I wake up about 3am to give me enough time to drive to the Smokies, and start hiking that same day doing 10 to 14 miles per day. I started using benadryl at night because the night-time cool/cold air would cause a stuffy nose. But I've since found it helps me sleep thru the night as well.

[dcdennis]

Cannabis sir.

[shelb]

I've been one my whole life, but after a week or so on a long hike, fatigue typically takes over and sleep is had. Cares of the "outside world" and my own messed up head drop away.
.

Ditto... it takes me about five to seven days on the trail, but then I start to sleep like a hiker~ "out" at "hiker midnight" and up before sunrise - naturally!

[Nameth]

I find Tylenol PM and earplugs do the trick. I’m a light sleeper at home, but my away sleep game needs that help.

The guys that fall asleep instantly and snore the night away suck...and they contribute to keeping me awake.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Nameth]

I have managed my sleeping trouble for almost 30 years and really do pretty well at home without meds. On backpacking trips, not so much. I usually fall asleep around 3 am and wake up around 6 am whether I'm in a tent, hammock, or on a shelter floor. I'm not at all scared of being in the woods at night. I just have trouble shutting my brain down.

Anyway, the result is that with each consecutive day of my trip I'm a little more worn down and need more rest breaks.

So, if you have insomnia, do you eventually adjust and get into a more regular sleep cycle after a certain number of days out? I'm not looking to hike for months on end. Just go from 3-5 day trips to 1 or 2 weeks. Also not looking for pharmacological solutions. Really don't want to ambien walk off a cliff.I'm the same, but usually by the 3rd night, I'm so exhausted I just fall right out.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Harrison Bergeron]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned pillows. I tried a bunch of blowup hiking pillows and none worked. Turned out all I needed was a decent pillowcase to put over my clothing stuff sack, which I discovered at the outfitter in Franklin. Thermorest makes it. After that, I never had any more trouble falling to sleep than I do at home. It would be easy to make one.

Also, benedril helps.

[rocketsocks]

All day to get up
all night to get down
nick knack paddy whack
give yur dogs a break
time to git up again
oh for pete’s sake

[rocketsocks]

Time to make the doughnuts!

[NSHSDad]

It takes me two or three days, and then I sleep like a log, but the first day or so, there are worries about the next day, the weather etc that keep me up.

[maindigs]

Deep breathing is a practice that I have used at home that translated well into camping. I've talked to people who have taken the dive with some green herbals but I have not done it personally.

[BuckeyeBill]

I actually have more problems sleeping at home than I do while hiking. I use a hammock on the trail and I know several people have hung hammocks inside their homes, but my home doesn't quite incorporate a hammock as part of its decor, I gues is the best way to put it.

[devoidapop]

I primarily use a hammock. Doesn't get me anymore sleep, but it's much more comfortable to lay awake in a hammock then on a sleep pad. well, as long as it's not freezing cold out...

[cmoulder]

Melatonin, ibuprophen, ear plugs. If ya gotta pee, don't put it off. If yer cold/hot, take care of it now. If the air mat isn't comfortable, let some air out.

[chknfngrs]

I primarily use a hammock. Doesn't get me anymore sleep, but it's much more comfortable to lay awake in a hammock then on a sleep pad. well, as long as it's not freezing cold out...

Definitely less swollen and puffy in my face after a night in my hammock. Can’t tell you how rested I feel compared to the ground. And affirmative on the “lay awake” tip.

[Dogwood]

What Uriah said.


All this helps me: quitting coffee on trail, I might drink some matcha though in the a.m's, consuming all stimulant supplements before 5 p.m. ie; ginseng complex, ginkgo, B vitamins- B2, B12, acetyl-L-carnitine, maca, huperzine-A, vinpocetine, alpha lipoic acid, ...), chocolate, high amounts of omega 3 fats containing foods, although I switch it up as a night hiker, chamomile tea, light reading, ditching electronics after 7 p.m., belly breathing,...


I try to start hiking early before sunrise and going until after dark...like a chugging along at a moderate pace but enduring diesel locomotive. I like rest stops to get my mind off moving though focusing deeply on Nature at these times. This gets me tired for sleep. When I stop hiking I'm in my bag within 20 mins and asleep within an hr after a warm meal. If I'm not tired enough to sleep I keep hiking until I'm ready for it. Hiking for 20 hrs straight is not out of the question. Stealth camping solo helps cut down on sleep distractions. A small warming solo campfire helps me sleep.

[rocketsocks]

One thing I wouldn’t do while hiking is take ambein...that stuff made me groggy and my gate was that of a potato head. If I really can’t sleep I design my dream home in my head, the more detail the better. I got houses all around the world, I just finished a one room log cabin over looking the White House.

[BuckeyeBill]

One thing I wouldn’t do while hiking is take ambein...that stuff made me groggy and my gate was that of a potato head. If I really can’t sleep I design my dream home in my head, the more detail the better. I got houses all around the world, I just finished a one room log cabin over looking the White House.

I am similar to you only I design various custom cars. I did read a story about an American POW during the Vietnam war who designed his dream house while being held. By the time he was released he knew exactly how many board feet of lumber he needed in each sized, how many sheets of dry wall and even how many nails. Since he had no other family, he had a rather large sum of pay awaiting him upon his release. He found the perfect lot and bought all the supplies just as he remembered and built it with a little help from friends.

[devoidapop]

One thing I wouldn’t do while hiking is take ambein...that stuff made me groggy and my gate was that of a potato head. If I really can’t sleep I design my dream home in my head, the more detail the better. I got houses all around the world, I just finished a one room log cabin over looking the White House.

My understanding of this technique is that it works because you are focusing on a linear thought wth a start and finish. Insomnia is often described as feeling spun, one or more thoughts coming to mind over and over without resolution. It is an excellent technique for calming your mind.

[rocketsocks]

My understanding of this technique is that it works because you are focusing on a linear thought wth a start and finish. Insomnia is often described as feeling spun, one or more thoughts coming to mind over and over without resolution. It is an excellent technique for calming your mind.also like to invent things, like a better stink bug trap, retreevil system for a drone stuck in a tree (still workin’ on that one).

[BuckeyeBill]

also like to invent things, like a better stink bug trap, retreevil system for a drone stuck in a tree (still workin’ on that one).

12 gauge shotgun with a deer slug. Just shoot the branch.

[rocketsocks]

12 gauge shotgun with a deer slug. Just shoot the branch.even eye been known to miss, to many houses around.

[BuckeyeBill]

even eye been known to miss, to many houses around.

I got faith in ya

[rocketsocks]

I got faith in yai don’t know, 4 nor’easters couldn’t bring this thing down, maybe a spring tornado.

[rocketsocks]

I did have a local squirrel on the peanut payroll, but he got hit by a car.

[BuckeyeBill]

i don’t know, 4 nor’easters couldn’t bring this thing down, maybe a spring tornado.

You can practice your bear hanging technic.

[maindigs]

Try mixing in some deep breathing / meditation. Helps me fall asleep at night.

[Runner2017]

I had insomnia for about 10 years. Finally I cured myself by adopting a vegan diet, quiting anything that contains caffeine or refined sugar, and limiting my screen time after dinner.