Up for 27 hours now and not sleepy, what the hell?

Kamar

So, I woke up yesterday at ~1pm, and despite two attempts to go to bed because it seemed like I probably should, I'm not the slightest hint of tired. I'm also missing out on my normal 'stayed up too late' symptoms, i.e. getting jumpy, irrationally anxious, thinking I see something a bug or shadow moving out of the corner of my eye. I'm not tired or irritable or slow to react either, the only thing I'm experiencing at all of note is dry eyes. Which happens to me often enough when I'm not skipping sleep.

It doesn't really matter, per se, since I work on my own schedule, but it's weird enough and random enough that I'm worrying about it. It's normal for me to shift a few hours forward, staying up 18 hours instead of 16 before a normal 8 hour night, but this is well beyond that.

The only thing I did that seems even remotely possibly related is drink a pot of normal coffee when I've been drinking half-caff and decaff, but that was 16 hours ago now.

I'm not really sure whether I should be waiting until I get tired--I have to eventually, right?--or trying to get to sleep every few hours even if I'm not tired.

Iruka

Have you tried to wind down and reduce stimulants for an extended period of time? Screens and lights and all of that? Or have you been just shrugging and deciding to keep working?

Have you been eating normally?

Assuming by "I drank a normal pot of coffee" you mean you actually had multiple cups of normal coffee when you usually have decaf, thats probably a decent uptake in your caffeine intake.

Kamar

Iruka wrote: »

Have you tried to wind down and reduce stimulants for an extended period of time? Screens and lights and all of that? Or have you been just shrugging and deciding to keep working?

Have you been eating normally?

Assuming by "I drank a normal pot of coffee" you mean you actually had multiple cups of normal coffee when you usually have decaf, thats probably a decent uptake in your caffeine intake.

I killed the lights and laid in bed trying to sleep for about an hour the first time (about 9 hours ago) and 45 minutes the second (about 4 hours ago). I read on a dimmed warm-colored phone between the first and second, though normally I can go straight from monitor to sleep. Hell, I usually sleep with a light on in my face.

Nothing weirder than usual about my diet. Some homemade chicken noodle soup with lentils, cream cheese, two brown potatoes, and a salad. A bit less than I normally eat, maybe. Only new thing in my diet overall is lentils, which I started eating a week ago. Doesn't seem like a likely culprit?

I normally drink half-caff in the morning and decaff otherwise, with maybe a few cups of half-caff if someone else wants regular throughout the day. Ran out of decaff and made a pot of normal and drank most of it before the caffeine made me feel gross. I'd assume that were the cause, but it's been at least 16 hours now since I had any caffeine. And normally I can down some caffeine and go straight to sleep.

tastydonuts

I believe that it takes about 5-6 hours for half of the caffeine in a cup (8oz) of coffee to be filtered out.

Depending on how big your coffee pot is, you've taken in a ton of the stuff relative to your normal intake... and anything else you've taken/eaten that could also impact how quickly you process it. So it's probably just going to take time.

Also you may have to deal with withdrawal issues from spiking like that.

Iruka

If you are low on general physical activity, I suggest kicking that up a little, along with your water intake, and then really committing to cutting off the stimulation at bed time. Go through your normal routine, and then if you are laying awake do something that's audio only, or read an actual book (no screens). You can do the reduced stimulus outside of your bedroom if it drives you crazy to be awake in bed. Studies show that's better for you too, anyway.

As a person who wrestles with insomnia, I might have to cut off stimulus for a few hours before my brain will let things go if I'm already having trouble sleeping. Also sleep trouble tends to compound on itself, so it might take a few days for your body to catch up to really feeling tired and getting your full nights of rest.

PLA

Even if I can't fall asleep, I figure it's probably a good idea to lie down and do nothing every once in a while.

ceres

If you still haven't slept by this point, chances are there's nothing you have going on right now that's more important. If you really can't sleep, stop what you're doing and lie down. Even if you aren't trying to sleep, doing something relaxing in bed like reading a book or whatever relaxes you can help. Stretch out and then relax all your muscles, and just lie there resting for a few hours. If your brain isn't going to sleep, at least give your body a chance to rest. Sometimes just giving your body a chance to unwind can help how you feel even if it doesn't make you tired.

E.Coyote

When I was re-adjusting my sleep schedule working nights I had some pretty bad insomnia, chamomile tea helps a bit.

dispatch.o

I've regularly had severe insomnia, though less frequently since I've been in my 30s. If you stay awake for a few days sleep deprivation can be enough to keep anxiety about not sleeping from letting you shut down.

My solution was get a big blanket and go into the walk in closet and sit in total blackness and try to avoid all stimulation. Being in the bed and unable to sleep just made it worse.

Find a spot no one will bother you and get rid of all the light you possibly can. You probably won't fall asleep as much as wake up confused, but you'll feel much better.

Kamar

So, I finally got tired and went to sleep at about the 29 hour mark. Slept fine, woke up after about 6 hours feeling fine. Unless it happens again, I figure that hitting caffeine intoxication also means processing caffeine slower. Anxiety probably played its role too past a certain point.

I'll follow up if I have any more trouble. Thanks for the advice, guys.

bowen

Anxiety will absolutely play a role in sleep. Caffeine will amplify the effects of that too since it's a stimulant.

Stop drinking coffee by mid afternoon.

CelestialBadger

Maybe you should switch to decaf or herbal tea if caffeine has such a powerful effect on you.

Kamar

I said that I drink decaff everything in the first post.

zepherin

Psychosis and hallucinations set in about hour 40. It might be wise to take a Tylenol pm or zzzquil. Normally I don't advocate using otc sleep aids they are addictive, but other side effects are bad sleep deprivation and driving is super dangerous.

Iruka

Glad you got some sleep kamar. closing this out, you can PM a mod or make a new thread if it comes back up.