Dear bonzo,thanks a lot for your post, you are so right about all the advice here and ofcourse taking days off which i never seem to do (carry my phd everywhere with me) .., its great to have been able to find this forum, I hope your PhD is going well too..

Mira - no bothers. I think this forum is great, even if its only to point out that you are not alone and that if in need of help, people are willing to give their time.
I hope the sleep has returned to normal and if not, don't worry but do get a bit of help and take that time off (even for a few days). Took two days off last week to go to a gig and it was a right pick-up ... a couple of friends, a great gig and a few pints and pi*s-taking afterwards. Reminds ya that there's more to life than journal articles and the ilk.
My own PhD is going a bit late and could be trouble with funding, but we have a solid research idea and so what if it goes over the time limit. Was all over the shop for a while but fought against my own natural inclinations and got a bit organised (actually writing down what has to be done for each week and sticking (roughly) to that).
Good luck with your own stuff and hopefully you'll have good news for your next posting.

Hey Bonzo, you are so right, this fourm has been grt, i have been contributing ot the accountability thread and really enjoy the feeling of connecting with people in the same position as i am ..

also good you took time off...I did so too ..recently went to Sicily ..was a grt break...
my funding runs on this September and its going to be hard going there on..

but well done on being so well organized and being able to stick to it ..my phd is in short bursts

hope it will get better soon...hope your phd is going well

I always have trouble getting to sleep so I know how you feel and I often feel drained in work... This really weird thing started happening to me lately, either when I am falling asleep or just after waking up that I get paralysed for a few minutes. Yes you heard me, paralysed... it is the freakiest thing ever!!! I can't move a muscle or make a sound even I am struggling like crazy to move or speak... but then after a few minutes it just stops. I actually thought I had had a stroke the first time it happened :-( Very scary... but I looked it up on the good old Internet and apparently it is called 'sleep paralysis' and can happen to 60% of people!!! At least now I know it is nothing serious but it's still odd... Has this ever happened to anyone here?

You probably only are paralysed for a matter of seconds, but it feels like minutes cos it's so scary.

I get minor hallucinations when I'm on the verge of sleep, esp. when I'm stressed.

At least you don't get the "shocks" ... you'd be asleep when all of a sudden, you'd feel a shock like grabbing an electric fence across your chest and that would wake you. Typically I'd get it with the DT's (Delerium Tremens or drink shakes), so yeah, it is kinda self-inflicted, but has happened once or twice on normal nights

It is scary that with sleep accounting for nearly 33% of your life (slightly less for us insomniacs), that it is so undervalued and misunderstood. Talked to a few friends here doing PhDs and it is frightening to see them stressed out and having the same sleep problems (waking up before hitting deep sleep and not being able to get back to sleep until 7-8.00). Not taking this thing as seriously as I was, which is really paying dividends. Work to live, not live to work!

In my opinion, I think that if having sleep problems caused by stress, you should say "to hell with work" and take those few days off to sort out the surrounding problems. Then go back to work with a somewhat clearer mind. If the supervisor has a problem with that, they aren't worth talking to.

Hope Mira and other insomniacs/over sleepers are getting a better nights sleep these days ... and here's a thought for ya - who the fudge came up with the rather incorrect saying "slept like a baby"?

Well, I think it's natural that people worry a lot about work because in this culture, work is tied to almost every aspect of your life. Lose your job = lose your home = possibly lose your marriage/family.

Sorry to be even more depressing...but for many people I think that's the reality:-(

Juno, I completely agree with you although Bonzo and Lara's view is the one to take ...I am back again with my insomnia..slept at 5 this morning ...i am tired but lie in bed wide awake ..sometimes with heart pounding ...

...so today i am absolutely knackered ....

hahaha bonzo its true the person who came up with the saying must be dippy!!

well i'm off to the gym hoping that will put me to sleep ...

how is everyone else doing ???

cheers
m

Well, I was feeling crappy when I sent that message yesterday. Don't take my moaning too seriously ;-)

Juno - half the reason for this forum is for the moaning so moan on. I take your point that it is easier if you don't have a family or partner or other outside influences whilst doing the PhD so, yeah, there is added pressures to deal with. It isn't easy to unwind and everyone has a different means of doing it. But I honestly do think that the disposition of the majority of PhD students makes us prone to getting stressed i.e. usually are considerate thinkers who over-analyze everything and anything. We also forget that while we value the judgement of our peers, the real people that we should be concerned with is ourselves and family and friends.
At a wedding y'day so DT's kicking in (it was a class wedding so no complaints). Taking a few days off before the onslaught of the new term (and teaching) so gonna just take a stroll in the local park and then head into a few bookstores/record shops to chill.
Dunno if I said it before but a great book for remembering the beauty of life, "The Tao of Pooh & the Te of Piglet" ... basically explains the concepts of Taoism thro' Winnie the Pooh (although us academics don't fare too well). A bit unusual but if read with an open mind, it is a great read.
Mira - hope the gym is working out well and helping the sleep. Its great to be able to go that extra bit on the rowing machine/threadmill every few days.

Hey Bonzo and everyone,
how are you doing ? i was away on fieldwork and am just back...it was quite a disaster as I ended up with food poisoning but am back in the UK now...

Bonzo how has the new term kicked off???  thanks for letting us know about the book , will look out for it ..

cheers
mira

Yikes - sorry to hear of thar Mira. Take it easy for a while.
Hope the sleep is getting back to normal and the exercise helping - after another hectic weekend so looking forward to the game of indoor soccer tonight. If still having problems sleeping, another remedy is tea & honey, with a slice of toast or two. I know tea is a stimulant, but with honey it relaxes the head and the toast fills the empty stomach. Have a bit of light reading also. Surely there is a change of your sleep pattern by now.

Term has started and to be honest letting the teaching take over for a bit (well, waiting on a bit of a major decision from the supervisor). Am enjoying the teaching and if anything, it is giving me a reason to carry on - that and after speaking to a few people, getting a bit of shape to the PhD. Using the forum to get much needed advice and encouragement.
How is the new term affecting others? Are ye busier/happier with the undergrads about and the extra teaching?