Posts by Jessica Doyle8

Last night, I had a dream—it was the day before my entire company was scheduled to head out on a massive business trip to Alaska. It wasn't just any trip, though; we were going on a corporate cruise. For some reason, I realized I absolutely needed a diving suit. In this dreamscape, Alaska somehow stretched all the way down to Patagonia, and a polar night had taken hold of everything. I knew I had been there for work before, yet for some inexplicable reason, I couldn't recall a single detail about the previous trip—a fact I spent the entire dream trying to explain to everyone else.
Then, I finally make it to the airport, only to realize I can't actually go anywhere because I forgot to apply for my transit visa to enter the United States (in the logic of my dream, Alaska was its own separate country).

Rosemary oil is definitely worth looking into—it really does make a difference. Alternatively, you could try finding a high-quality shampoo infused with rosemary extract; generally speaking, the more natural the ingredients, the better the results.
The problem with those overly aggressive shampoos is that they tend to strip the scalp of its essential moisture and throw off the natural pH balance—which, frankly, only makes things worse.
I wouldn't recommend washing your hair every single day, either. The constant massaging of the scalp that comes with the washing process inevitably stimulates oil production, which can lead to more issues down the line.

It stands to reason—and I believe this should be a serious point of consideration in any discussion regarding sleep hygiene—that individuals who practice meditation regularly do not require nearly as much sleep as the average American.

Exactly—this is precisely the kind of information I was looking for!
To reiterate my earlier point: I am not actually suffering from insomnia; rather, I am dealing with an erratic schedule and a certain anxiety regarding sleep itself. In principle, falling asleep isn't particularly difficult for me. I believe I touched upon all of this in my opening post, but I truly appreciate the well-intentioned advice regarding insomnia!

Unfortunately, there hasn't been any progress with my newly established routine. I spent a few days staying active and watching some television, and now I find myself heading to bed after midnight again—which, I suppose, is a marginal improvement over my previous habit of going to bed just before dawn. Regardless, I intend to try and exercise some discipline by aiming for a 9:00 PM bedtime for at least a week straight.

I recall reading about a specific study where volunteers lived in recreated environments designed to mimic the conditions of our ancestors prior to the invention of electricity. They would retire to bed once darkness fell and such things. During the winter months, this meant heading to sleep around 4:30 AM and getting roughly twelve hours of rest. However, the quality of that type of sleep is fundamentally different from the standard eight hours characterized by regular REM cycles—it involves these prolonged periods of semi-waking states, which likely results in altered states of consciousness. It reminds me of what people experience during deep meditation.

I am going to head online now to see if I can find more details on that topic.

Michelle Patel78 & Kate Jackson68

Of course I have issues. I’ve had them my entire life—but let’s be clear: those issues aren't actually what's keeping me awake at night.
Because, as I’ve said before, I don't suffer from clinical insomnia in the strict sense. I am capable of falling asleep; it’s more that I have this lingering anxiety that I *won't* be able to. My one real bout of insomnia actually kicked off when I started a new job that required an early morning commute—I became so preoccupied with the fear of not getting enough rest that, predictably, I couldn't sleep. It's a vicious cycle.
And honestly, I find the whole ritual of going to bed somewhat depressing. You turn off the light, and then what? It feels a bit too much like facing the void. Me don't like.
There are quite a few psychological layers to unpack here.

Rachel Walker56—you're absolutely right about all of that. However, getting outdoors for a walk isn't always a viable option when you're working full-time, especially during the winter months. There just isn't the time.

What I find fascinating about this strange rhythm I'm currently living in (though, to be fair, I did head out yesterday and didn't hit the sack until around 1 AM) is how vital that early morning sunlight seems to be. It appears to have a profound effect on my physiological functions—perhaps even more significant than the actual quality of my sleep overnight. It makes me think that, in this era of constant electricity, our natural circadian rhythms are completely out of sync. Anyway, I have to head into work now, so I'll expand on this later.

rustymoose54 said:Sorry for going off-topic here—is Benjamin Moore some kind of automotive component?🤣

Don't take offense, I'm just asking.

I suspect you're actually thinking of Getrib. It's a common misconception.
In reality, one might find traces of Benjamin Moore everywhere—for instance, when you're adjusting your window blinds.

Oh, please... who actually goes out and tests their IQ anymore?

Honestly, I’d prefer to remain untested myself—given how much my own quotient has plummeted lately.

For quite a few years now, I’ve been struggling with sleep issues—problems that actually traced back to one brief episode of insomnia. It was short-lived, yet somehow catastrophic, because ever since then, I’ve developed this irrational fear of going to bed. Actually, looking back, it isn't entirely irrational—I am terrified of the fact that I won't be able to fall asleep, which does happen from time to time—so my primary method of prevention is simply waiting until I am absolutely, physically exhausted before attempting to turn in.
Ultimately, I don't have any sort of healthy routine; I spend most of my time sleep-deprived and living in a constant mental fog, which I usually try to compensate for by catching up on sleep during my days off.
I still manage to function, though I have noticed that my scores on intelligence tests have been steadily declining lately—I suspect there might be some kind of secret connection there.
However, I recently recovered from a bout of the flu—mostly just staying curled up in bed at regular intervals—and now my sleep rhythm has become truly bizarre. For several days now, I’ve been drifting off around 6:00 PM, and depending on whether it's a workday or not, I’ll either settle in right then or perhaps a bit later. Usually, I leave the TV running and the lights on—it looks like a scene out of a Christmas movie in here. Then, I find myself waking up around 3:00 AM, if not earlier. I end up being somewhat semi-active—watching a movie, surfing the web, and things of that nature—and then I might squeeze in another couple of hours before dawn, or maybe I won't.
Why am I even writing this? Because I find it fascinating that I am actually getting plenty of sleep. It feels significantly better than those times when I would go to bed at 3:00 AM and force myself to get eight hours straight.
Does this have anything to do with what they call the circadian rhythm? Is it true that sleep occurring before midnight is somehow higher quality?

I once had this dream where I was riding on a tour bus headed toward San Francisco with my favorite mother figure by my side. We’re just cruising along—really taking in the scenery—when we hit a breathtaking stretch of the coastline. We even had one of those professional tour guides with us, narrating everything about the landscape, and suddenly, the view opens up into something so magnificent that the entire bus erupts into spontaneous applause out of sheer awe.