Sleepwalking Through Life: HELP!

[mypatel0918]

Hi Everyone,

I wasn't sure where exactly I could post this so please let me know if it is in the wrong section. This is in response to Steve's ever so popular series on sleeping and waking up early. I was a very smart child growing up, very self disciplined, and had a natural sleep/wake cycle. It sounds weird, but before my teen years, I remember always feeling "in balance" and therefore always did well in school because I intended it and it manifested. When I was that age, I could even feel the energy flowing through me during activities as small as bingo games and raffles. (I almost won every time.)

I don't know what happened during my teen years exactly. Teenage angst, maybe? Either way, I saw my sleep schedule almost suddenly grow out of sync. Even though I'd get a full 8 hours of sleep (even more at times), I'd still come home dog tired and take a 3-4 hour nap to recharge. Then I would stay awake for maybe 2-3 hours, enough time to eat dinner and do a little homework, and off to bed again. This really took a toll on my school work during high school and to this day, I cannot describe how my life suddenly declined over something silly. I prayed that doctors had some answers for me but they almost always attributed my excessive tiredness it to my growth spurts, etc... But as this whole system began to erode, my life grew out of "balance" and now I'm 23 and STILL LOST.

My sleep quality and habits have not changed at all since and have taken an equally challenging role in my life as a college student. I just want to go back to that disciplined student I once was. I know that I'm very smart and can do whatever I want and have a huge impact on humanity like I had always wished. I've even been told this by several of my past teachers, especially the ones that were constantly perplexed by my school absences due to my lethargy/odd sleep schedule. I want to get that energetic feeling I once had that made me feel that everything I intended would manifest.

How do I piece my life back together and be completely balanced like I was over a decade ago- or is it just silly wanting to be what I was when I was merely a child? Any advice? I just don't know where to start. I'm working on the sleeping issue by experimenting with melatonin, B12, and light therapy, but it has been hard playing with my sleep schedule while in a student. I tried all the tips on Steve's articles, but I can't manage to maintain new habits using those methods....

[cdn2wheeler]

It's perfectly natural and normal for a teen to require a different sleep schedule. Odd sleep cycles due to changes in the body and the brain manifest themselves that way.

Now that you're in college, you're taxing your brain and that, too, has a powerful impact on the amount and quality of sleep you need.

The long and short of it is that what you're experiencing is perfectly normal.

[Rose of Cairo]

Just two ideas:

1) how much do you exercise?

2) what do you eat?

I have found out that exercise and food have a huge impact on the amount and timing of sleep I need. Maybe you're sensitive to that too.

I recommend a 30days trial: eat no dairy, no meat, no sugar and drink no coffee for 30 days, and move in a relaxed manner (going for a walk is enough, doesn't need to be real exercise) outside for two hours a day. I bet your sleep pattern will improve

(I'm not telling you to do that forever, it's just a trial to see what happens)

[mypatel0918]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I just started biking to school most mornings when I actually get up early enough. I really enjoy it and it is a great, natural workout. My eating habits definitely need work, but my problem is that I just have trouble controlling them. Any suggestions? I just cannot get through the day without something sweet... I feel like I'm in a mindblock until I have something chocolatey or pleasant that ups my mood. I know this falls under emotional eating, but I can't figure out a way to control it.

Thanks,

Meera

[cdn2wheeler]

Originally Posted by mypatel0918

I just cannot get through the day without something sweet... I feel like I'm in a mindblock until I have something chocolatey or pleasant that ups my mood. I know this falls under emotional eating, but I can't figure out a way to control it.

Actually, yes you can.

Really.

You have a choice. You can pick up the chocolate thing or you can pick up an apple. You can choose some candy or you can choose a peach. You can reach for some sugary stuff or you can reach for something healthy.

Choice is, as it always has been, yours.

[Rose of Cairo]

emotional eating, or do you have a problem with sugar?

Do you feel depressed?

If it's an emotional thing, you could use EFT.

In any case, I recommend you stop eating sugar. Sugar can lead to depressions, neurological disturbances and hypoglycemia. Eat fresh fruit instead. When you really crave sweets, you could eat dates and dry figs or apricots.

Additionally, you could try acupuncture.

[Bene]

Have you lived at the same place all this time?

[Andrew Brunelle]

I know what it is like to sleepwalk through life. Ever since I had a brain tumor, I haven't felt quite right with respect to my previous "normal" state of being. But as things oscillate between good and bad, between consciousness and unconsciousness, I am eternally grateful to still be here, in the flesh and in the spirit. Gratitude for everything in your life, even the negative, to this point and a conscious effort to better your current circumstances is what is moving me along. In the last five years since my dreadful sickness, I've made significant strides in consciousness and physical well-being. I'm not saying this to brag, but I am just showing you that no matter how bad things get, there is always a way to improve. Start slow. Take it one day at a time. Embrace each present moment. Never forget we are here as spiritual beings and we are here for a reason. It may not be one we can see right now, but listening to your body, to the signs you get out in the real world, and by the strenght and perseverence of your soul, you can find the way again. Just get on the good path with upward spirals. The high may not last forever, but you'll feel much better for taking this road.

[Amadeus]

Take all the gluten (wheat, barley, oats, all breads) and all dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, milk chocolate, pastries) out of your diet and tell us how you feel in a couple of weeks.