Can't Sleep

[Magneto]

Alright this is for all you freight dogs out there. Have any of you ever worked a long night and gotten home ready to hit the sack and you just can't fall asleep? I'm living that nightmare right now.

I don't know if maybe it has something to do with me going to bed with the sun already up or what but it is pissing me off. This is the first time this has happened.

What I'm afraid of now is that when I go back to work tonight I will hit the wall, dead tired. No pun intended. Any ideas or suggestions on how to prevent this from happening in the future?

 

[apu]

I used to put blankets over my windows to trick myself into thinking that it was night. Worked pretty well.

 

[Airpiraterob]

the sleep cycle.

are you taking naps at any other time of the day? even a 30 minute or hour nap in a recliner somewhere? if so.....don't do that.

otherwise, i'll ask how long have you been doing the current schedule youre doing? <how long on the job?>

keep in mind this. i talked to a sleep therapist a while back about my former schedule and she couldnt believe i was alive. you have to have a full nights sleep. short term cycles of split sleep are alright but constant permanent schedule of splitting sleep is not healthy and your mind will suffer as well as your body. do it long enough and youll find yourself getting sick more often and nodding off at altitude for 5 seconds at a time. as well as your personal alarm clock adjusting to waking you up every 4 hours preventing you from sleeping more than that.

good luck.
coffee.....coffe.....coffee...

 

[wmudriver]

F'ed up sleep cycles

I always hope to get home before the sun comes up so I can fall asleep while its still dark but that never seems to happen.
To try and fall asleep when I get home from a trip I shut the house up so its dark and watch some boring TV...that always seems to work. Nothing like blinddate or MXC on Spike TV.

 

[CrewDawg]

I had this same problem when I was in tech school, I was on the night shift so to help us sleep during the day we would put aluminum foil over our windows. This method worked for me.

 

[AK737FO]

Bitter memories...

Dude, I feel your pain... you are in for a long night tonight.

I spent many years as a FR8 Dawg, fly all night, sleep (or don't) all day. It stinks...

I came to the conclusion long ago that some guys can adapt to the grave yard shift pretty easily, while others of us will stuggle with it no matter what we try. I know that I am one of those guys who will never be able to work the grave yard and stay well rested, healthy and happy. I just can't sleep during the day.

Here are some things that I use to do.
Quad shot of espresso in a thermos. "Up time" herbal supplements. Tin foil on the bedroom window. Sleep with ear plugs and phone turned off. While flying, take your shoes and socks off (no problem for single pilots ops) and put those toes on the cold floor. If your plane has an auto pilot, you can hang a stop watch with a timer alarm around your neck, set it for about 5 to 7 minutes, take a snooze and when the alarm goes off, check that all is well, reset and repeat. If you don't have an autopilot then the altitude alerter will provide one for you - O the memories are so painful!
Other ideas I used (again single pilot) was to sing songs really loud, a spontaneous yell or scream from time to time, pinch your arm till you can't take it anymore, and yes - even the occasional self administered face slap will help for a few minutes.

An all nighter with a crew is easier, but I still end up with my chin on my chest from time to time.
Good luck tonight, fly safe, and find a day flying job ASAP!

 

[Guillotine007]

uh....i would not take a quick nap during flight, how many of us have slept through alarm clocks...i know i have.

Klein

 

[SquirrelDog]

Best ways to sleep

Best way is to start your nap before sunrise. Next is to make your room like a cold cave and hibernate for the winter. I this doesn't make you catch z's then there is the last resort. Now, if you don't mind the side effects of short term memory loss and sleepiness for a few hours after your up then pony up and take a couple tylenol PM's. This if for the must have to sleep occasions. Usually way after sunrise.

Hope it helps, does me!
SD

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

CANT SLEEP???

Have you tried rubbing one off? Works for me everytime.

 

[ACT700]

I keep emailing Mr. Burns to get his a$$ in gear and get that "sunblocker" working!
Then I won't have to put blankets over my windows.

Seriously, the key is, schedule permitting, to get to bed before the sun comes up. I love winters!

Good luck.