AwesomeDuck
03-27-2008, 07:19 PM
It all started at my knuckles. I was on Wikipedia, reading about arthritis, and that got me to thinking about my knuckles. I've always cracked my knuckles and always denied that they cause arthritis. So, I wikied that. Then, I read that they cause lower grip strength. Well, grip strength is apparently a major priority for me, because this was enough to get me to decide to stop cracking them for good. I stopped cracking them and after a few days, I didn't even feel like I needed to.
Since this worked so well, it made me suspicious about other bad habits of mine. Such as Chap stick usage. I have long held the theory that part of the reason I use Chap stick so much is because I started using Chap stick, and that if I stopped for long enough, my Chap stick usage would be cured. (Hey, those $1 tubes are fucking expensive.) So, I stopped that too.
Since I'm going to have school and job to worry about eventually (hey, I will eventually), I decided I should work on my sleeping troubles too. So, I'm supposed to go to bed the same time every night and work and take a power nap when I'm tired? Sounds good, I'll try it. One of the symptoms of my insomnia is being tired all the time, so I don't know how the fuck to nap when I'm tired, but I'll give it a go.
One night of good sleep, went to bed when I wanted, got up before my target time. Trouble falling asleep again. Looked up some sleeping methods. Think of something relaxing? Okay. Repeat a word over and over in your head? Okay. How about 'sleep'? Next morning, I woke up at 7 still a tiny bit groggy, but hey, I was up, figured I'd start my day.
I couldn't stop thinking. Every decision I made was based on conscious thought. No subconscious seemed to exist at all. The last thing I thought of was a power nap, mostly because I would have had to think to myself to think of it (and maybe even think of thinking of that). I lost management of time, memory, habit, caring, and laziness.
If I felt like I had to pee; I went to the bathroom and usually didn't pee. If I felt thirsty; I drank, which made me feel like I had to pee, so I went to the bathroom and usually didn't pee. If I felt like I had to eat; I ate, which made me feel like I had to poop, which made me go to the bathroom where I probably didn't poop.
Google didn't have much advice on 'how to stop thinking'. However it turned out that I didn't know how to breathe right. Something I didn't know; mouth breathing is associated with sleeping troubles. Wait! I breathe through my mouth all the time... looks like that also could help explain my acid reflux, my mucous, my poor circulation, etc. etc.
Not learning one bit from my sleeping problem, I decided the best way to fix my breathing troubles would be to breathe through my nose right then and there, so I did. Only one problem (other than the suffocation); anytime that I stopped thinking about it, the mouth breathing started back up; not helpful. So, I just kept thinking about it; not smart. All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe without thinking about it; not good.
I spent most of the day thinking about my breathing. Tried meditation; it helped. Tried convincing myself that it was purely a psychological problem; it helped. Well, nose breathing is more conscious of breathing. Throughout the day, I woke up more, subconscious returned, mouth breathing did as well. Fuck it.
Trouble sleeping again that night. So, while I was on the computer completely ignoring my new sleeping regiment, I started talking to a guy about my problems. Suggested meditation. I tried it; wow, that did help. By the time we got to that though, it was 5am. Too late to sleep, however, I know I'm tired now, so I guess it's a good time for a power nap....
My sleeping troubles are improving... I think. My breathing problems are improving... I think. I've been yawning more lately (which is supposed to be associated with mouth breathing). In case you didn't know, a yawn is a release of carbon dioxide. Guess what else is. Give up? Cracking your knuckles.
Since this worked so well, it made me suspicious about other bad habits of mine. Such as Chap stick usage. I have long held the theory that part of the reason I use Chap stick so much is because I started using Chap stick, and that if I stopped for long enough, my Chap stick usage would be cured. (Hey, those $1 tubes are fucking expensive.) So, I stopped that too.
Since I'm going to have school and job to worry about eventually (hey, I will eventually), I decided I should work on my sleeping troubles too. So, I'm supposed to go to bed the same time every night and work and take a power nap when I'm tired? Sounds good, I'll try it. One of the symptoms of my insomnia is being tired all the time, so I don't know how the fuck to nap when I'm tired, but I'll give it a go.
One night of good sleep, went to bed when I wanted, got up before my target time. Trouble falling asleep again. Looked up some sleeping methods. Think of something relaxing? Okay. Repeat a word over and over in your head? Okay. How about 'sleep'? Next morning, I woke up at 7 still a tiny bit groggy, but hey, I was up, figured I'd start my day.
I couldn't stop thinking. Every decision I made was based on conscious thought. No subconscious seemed to exist at all. The last thing I thought of was a power nap, mostly because I would have had to think to myself to think of it (and maybe even think of thinking of that). I lost management of time, memory, habit, caring, and laziness.
If I felt like I had to pee; I went to the bathroom and usually didn't pee. If I felt thirsty; I drank, which made me feel like I had to pee, so I went to the bathroom and usually didn't pee. If I felt like I had to eat; I ate, which made me feel like I had to poop, which made me go to the bathroom where I probably didn't poop.
Google didn't have much advice on 'how to stop thinking'. However it turned out that I didn't know how to breathe right. Something I didn't know; mouth breathing is associated with sleeping troubles. Wait! I breathe through my mouth all the time... looks like that also could help explain my acid reflux, my mucous, my poor circulation, etc. etc.
Not learning one bit from my sleeping problem, I decided the best way to fix my breathing troubles would be to breathe through my nose right then and there, so I did. Only one problem (other than the suffocation); anytime that I stopped thinking about it, the mouth breathing started back up; not helpful. So, I just kept thinking about it; not smart. All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe without thinking about it; not good.
I spent most of the day thinking about my breathing. Tried meditation; it helped. Tried convincing myself that it was purely a psychological problem; it helped. Well, nose breathing is more conscious of breathing. Throughout the day, I woke up more, subconscious returned, mouth breathing did as well. Fuck it.
Trouble sleeping again that night. So, while I was on the computer completely ignoring my new sleeping regiment, I started talking to a guy about my problems. Suggested meditation. I tried it; wow, that did help. By the time we got to that though, it was 5am. Too late to sleep, however, I know I'm tired now, so I guess it's a good time for a power nap....
My sleeping troubles are improving... I think. My breathing problems are improving... I think. I've been yawning more lately (which is supposed to be associated with mouth breathing). In case you didn't know, a yawn is a release of carbon dioxide. Guess what else is. Give up? Cracking your knuckles.