Can't stay asleep

It does sound like the overload in your job is what's keeping you from having a good night's sleep.

Any chance you could ask your boss to ease up on your work load?

Maybe you could tell him, your workload doubled when one of the staff quit, and that you're having to do twice the workload.

Will he listen to reason?

How are your communicative skills?

Could you tell him it's hurting your sleep at night?

Could you tell him the part about when you didn't have to work the next day, you slept very well the night before?

How do you sleep on weekends when you don't have to work?

cilly:

have you ever tried a health food store item for sleep?

I'm not suggesting you go off your ambian for sleep pill that you take take, but I'm just asking.

Tim Tam, sorry about that, I didn't see that I got a response.
When we lost that employee, I literally picked up 90% of her duties! I am SO grateful right now because there's a part-timer who has offered to help a few days a week. Just a few hours of her time will save me a heck of a lot of time and stress. I'm hoping for the best from her!
I had that great night's sleep last week and thought I might on Saturday night too, but that wasn't the case.
I'm scared to see my doctor but I know I'll have to soon and will hopefully talk to her soon.

MusicforLife:

I just mentioned communications skills because I'm just getting through with about 8 years of people in the neighborhood coming after me, and the ones that were the worst were the ones who couldn't just ask me a few questions or what.

So I'm wondering if you could just talk to your boss and get the problem straightened out?

Why are you scared to talk to your doctor, about a sleep aid?

In a way, I didn't want to stress going up to your boss and complaining about your working almost 2 jobs, because you co-worker quit and you are now working almost 2 jobs, which affects your sleep.

In a way, I didn't really want you to do that, out of concern your boss might overreact.

But in another way, I'm wondering why your boss didn't realize you're working 75% more, but not getting an extra cent in pay, or in consideration of what it is doing to you to almost double your workload.

So, I was caught in-between, also. You know your boss, your job, your financial needs more than I do. But I didn't want to see you stressed out to the point it was affecting your sleep, and maybe cause other health problems.

I was hoping your boss would see how valuable an employee you were, and lighten your work load.

You wrote:

"I had a meeting with my boss and a co-worker today and it did not go well. I wrote a two-weeks notice and will sleep on it because that's a huge decision, I need money in the worst way, and I don't want to be too rash."

You can change your mind after writing a 2-week notice?

That might be the best, you'll have to make the decision. What are the prospects of finding another job?

I'm glad you wrote back.

That explains a lot of things.

So you didn't put in your 2 week notice, you just filled it out but didn't turn it in. That's good. I want you to make the decision.

What did your boss say when you told him I'm working 75 per cent more job, but not getting paid for it?

Of course, you said a co-worker is helping you out with maybe 50 percent of that increase in work.

You said, "Sometimes I suspect it's my brain punishing me for not having a backbone."

That's a good description of your job situation, and of life in general.

Stay positive, believe that this can work itself out one day, stay the good person that you are, don't let the SOB's get you down, as you say, keep your options open for another job, another boss, another opening in the plant.

Everybody goes through what you're going through right now. It is not fun.

Stay positive.

Now, maybe I can get a little sleep knowing you didn't actually quit.

You said:

"At this point I plan on just keeping my head down and continuing to work."

That's a good plan.

You said,

"One day, hopefully I'll get the guts to speak up, huh."

Now, I have to talk my way out of this one, also.

When I said, the people in my hood who have been giving me trouble, never came up to me to talk about it. The ones who did talk, I got along with OK.

I was just going after those after who wouldn't come up to me to correct the problem. They just held it in, and I was angry with them and letting off steam here.

I didn't really mean you had to go up to your boss and vent. I just thought, well, maybe you could tell him what the problem was, so you could get your sleep back.

You said:

"I've been with this company for almost 4 years now and would hate to leave it...."

Four years with the same company? Three was the tops I got, and I had some luck involved there. I have manic-depression and it was tough for me to keep a job.

So you are...the man. And you have plenty of backbone.

Oh, as far as speaking up to my boss when I was employed, I didn't do that at all. I was very timid. So I was halfway advising you of something I couldn't do.

How long before your appt. with the psy?

You said, "I'm still sleeping wretchedly." I'm hoping that will get better.

"I hope you stay positive as well--and sleep well!" I thought I was supposed to be preaching to you.

As far as sleep, knowing you didn't turn in your two week notice, yeah, it makes me sleep better.

MFL,

I am hoping you can carve out some time and get an appointment with your doctor soon. For now, please do take advantage of your Resources...and work those relaxation/self help skills available there.:) (and let me know if I can help you with any other material...Binaural Beats, or other links for coping skills)

Keep us posted, so we can keep you in support!

S.C.

Well, if a doctor/pharmacist thinks a sleep supplement would help me stay asleep, I have to say I'd be sorely tempted. I can still get to sleep fine, but it's tiring waking up just SO much!

The helper we got at work has helped with the workload some, but in other ways it's hard too. She helps but she makes mistakes (she's new, after all) that I alone have to find and correct. I'm hoping with time she'll get better. But I told her the other day, "If it were socially acceptable, I would hug you!" because I was finally getting some help.

My co-worker really grinds on my anger, though, with her laziness. I have to force myself to try not to let it bother me so much... patience is needed! Thanks for listening, you're a good soul!

MusicForLife:

Oh, just shut up!!!

Next on the agenda.

I'll give you one of my sleep secrets at a reasonable price.

Here it is. I sleep with a heating pad. I know, it's stupid. But I do.

Here's what I noticed. Let's say I have some ear problems. Let's say, I put a moist heating pad (I moisten the pad that comes with it) over my ears, thinking, if it helps a sprained ankle, why won't it help my ears. It does.

OK, this is what I noticed. On nights when I go to sleep with a moist heating pad on my ears, say at 12 midnight, I often don't wake up until 6 a.m., and can then usually go back to sleep till 7 or 8 a.m.

I even made it all the way through the night 4 or 5 days ago, with a heating pad on my ears. I haven't done that in a decade.

Without the heating pad on my ears, I sleep maybe a couple of hours, 4 times a night.

I put the moist heating pad on my pillow, lay one ear on it, put the rest of the 22-inch heating pad over the top or back of my head, and put the other end on the other ear. I have it on high, I don't think you're supposed to do that.

You might try that to see if it helps you sleep longer.

Next on the agenda. You said,

"She helps but she makes mistakes (she's new, after all) that I alone have to find and correct. I'm hoping with time she'll get better."

What if I told you that you, and those caring people like you, are what makes America great and are holding up the country?

The fact that you care so much about your job. That is very good.

Next on the agenda. You said: "But I told her the other day, "If it were socially acceptable, I would hug you!" because I was finally getting some help.

When I read the sentence before that that she was helping you so much, I was thinking, "You ought to give her part of your salary to let her know how much you appreciate her."

You were thinking, "But I told her the other day, "If it were socially acceptable, I would hug you!" because I was finally getting some help."

Then you say, "My co-worker really grinds on my anger, though, with her laziness. I have to force myself to try not to let it bother me so much... patience is needed!"

Whoa! So we're going to give you extra credit for withstraining yourself. You need extra pay for that.

I'm only a good soul because you're such a good person. There is a correlation.

Post Edited (Tim Tam) : 10/27/2016 12:18:22 PM (GMT-6)

I've gone MIA again, I'm sorry. Sometimes I get notifications that I've gotten a response, sometimes I don't (I need to pay more attention to checking for that when I respond).

I looked into moist (wet) heating pads. I thought that was an interesting idea. I get hot a lot, though, so I wasn't sure. I don't think the idea would work just because all of my outlets are being used! I have a big plug-in plugged into the wall that has I think 4 or 6 available holes. Then, one of those plugs is an extension cord that powers my alarm clock and desk lamp. The original plug houses that, my cable, my TV, and my sound machine. On the far wall, I have a big fan and my phone charger plugged in. I couldn't believe how much I use those outlets! It can't be helped, though, because I need all of those things (my bedroom is where I can watch TV and I like to keep my phone close in case of emergencies). Whew. I also thought about it and I don't know if it would work just because of the amount of turning I do during the night.

I'm so glad to hear that the heating pad helps you! It's interesting how much it does help. It's probably a very good thing it has an automatic timer like that. I try to get chilly before throwing a blanket on to make myself nice and cozy, and it sounds like your heating pad helps you get there (and expands the blood vessels... wow!). I'm glad you found that that helps you.

This caught my attention as well.

Not because I think you are going to have an explosion...

...but because you may be spending too much time in your bed for activities other than sleep.

This is a habit that contributes to insomnia. The brain needs to associate the bed with winding down and getting into sleep mode.

By watching television, being on a device, or engaging in other stimulating activities...you could be sabotaging the hopes of a full night's rest.

Try keeping your bed a sanctuary for sleep only and see if that helps!

S.C.

Thankfully, the apartment I live in is quite new, and I can only hope I'm going to be okay when it comes to that area of concern. I need whatever it takes to help drown out the upstairs neighbors. Sometimes I wonder if I should use my phone as an alarm, freeing one socket. Maybe not using the sound machine and just the fan (scary to think about, though, not having that sound). Because I know you're right, Tim Tam.
I totally get it, Scaredy Cat, when you mentioned me not using one room for all of those activities. I wish I could separate them, but I live with my sister and, well, she hates football! My room is where I can indulge in that, and it's the only place I can keep my computer.


I'm sorry I went MIA again.
I wish I was kidding but I'm not. I GOT LAID OFF. FROM THIS HORRIBLY BUSY JOB.
Some backstory: in March, my company got a new software that was going to eliminate the main part of my job. I was told that in place of doing that job, it would become my responsibility to check each report in the new software and to do some other task that I never learned. The new software got pushed back more and more. So I kept just doing my job.
I lost two co-workers, trusted friends. My workload increased dramatically.
In early August, I was granted access to the new software: a username, password, etc.
I technically have two bosses: one for the one day I covered switchboard on Saturday, the other for every other work day.
Then I was pulled into Boss 1's office with Boss 2. Boss 1 shut the door and sat down and stated I was no longer needed starting the next week (it was Thursday and I don't work Fridays because I work Saturdays). All he could offer me was THREE HOURS A WEEK covering Saturdays. Boss 1 leaned back in his chair and informed me I had until the end of the day (4 hours) to make a decision as to whether I wanted to stay with the company. Boss 1 said Boss 2 would be taking over my job until the new software was fully implemented (the end of the year). Skeptical, I asked Boss 2, "Are you sure?"
Boss 2 would not even turn his head and look at me. He said, "Yup, I'm confident we can do it without you." Still never looked me in the eyes.
I left the office and cried and cried and cried.
I'm shaky writing this.
I feel like I really got used because they waited until so close til the end to release me. They gave me no notice. This was a full-time job! I lost all of my vacation time.
Since then, sleep has not improved. I can still get to sleep. But I still wake up thinking the most random, annoying things.
I'm sorry, I promise I didn't start this post with the thought of just, like, pouring out everything like that. It's the first time I really wrote it all down and it came tumbling out. Thanks to whoever reads it.

To those "tl;dr" people (too long, didn't read): I got laid off but I still can't stay asleep.