trouble serving due to early hours

[bonanzafan]

since i've been home from my mission (4 years ago) i've had trouble sleeping. at least one saturday a month someone in my ward is moving and wants us there at 8am. i can't usually fall asleep until 3am. if i don't sleep enough at least one to two days a week i get sick with a cold or sinus infection for two weeks. any advice on how to handle this? i feel bad...i think people deserve to know they're worth helping and most of the guys in the ward (most wards) just don't really ever help at all.

[john doe]

The first thing to do is talk to your doctor about your insomnia. There are many health risks to not sleeping properly or enough.

[LDSVALLEY]

try a simple trick for two weeks and see if it makes a difference. I work night shifts 5 days a week 11pm to 7am. So my off days it is very hard to switch over.

EAT A POTATO 30 MIN BEFORE BED.

Does not work for everyone, but many people with sleep issues have a lack of something (been a while since I read the book so I forget what it was.) A small to medium potato (better with skin) cooked and eaten provides whatever it was missing. The key is you cannot have any protein with it or after. So butter is okay sauces, gravies etc is not. No milk etc.

If you don't lack the whatever it will make no difference and do no harm. After a week just quit doing it. If you do lack it you will find the first few nights you will have funky dreams, more vivid. Then they will become normal and you will sleep very well. If you continue to have intense dreams after a few days reduce the amount of potato you have. (Since my body is used to eating supper at 4am I tend to have them on the large size to keep from waking in hunger in the middle of the night.)

As I said unless you have an allergy to potato it will not do you any harm to eat them and you will know within a week if it helps or not.

As for the assisting others, you can only do what you can do. If you need the sleep then let others know you will not be able to show up until 10 or 11 etc. I have found that often people know regulars will show so they don't feel the need. When people make it clear they need their help they rise to the occasion. You do no one any good if you burn yourself out.

[theoriginalavatar]

since i've been home from my mission (4 years ago) i've had trouble sleeping. at least one saturday a month someone in my ward is moving and wants us there at 8am. i can't usually fall asleep until 3am. if i don't sleep enough at least one to two days a week i get sick with a cold or sinus infection for two weeks. any advice on how to handle this? i feel bad...i think people deserve to know they're worth helping and most of the guys in the ward (most wards) just don't really ever help at all.

We were recently asked to assist helping a family who was moving into our ward. It was in one of those fuzzy areas right on the border with another ward's boundaries. Consequently, members of both wards showed up to help.

When the other ward found out that the new family wouldn't be in their ward after all, THEY LEFT!

Who does that?

There were even donuts.

I don't get it.

[Iggy]

try a simple trick for two weeks and see if it makes a difference. I work night shifts 5 days a week 11pm to 7am. So my off days it is very hard to switch over.

EAT A POTATO 30 MIN BEFORE BED.

Does not work for everyone, but many people with sleep issues have a lack of something (been a while since I read the book so I forget what it was.) A small to medium potato (better with skin) cooked and eaten provides whatever it was missing. The key is you cannot have any protein with it or after. So butter is okay sauces, gravies etc is not. No milk etc.

If you don't lack the whatever it will make no difference and do no harm. After a week just quit doing it. If you do lack it you will find the first few nights you will have funky dreams, more vivid. Then they will become normal and you will sleep very well. If you continue to have intense dreams after a few days reduce the amount of potato you have. (Since my body is used to eating supper at 4am I tend to have them on the large size to keep from waking in hunger in the middle of the night.)

As I said unless you have an allergy to potato it will not do you any harm to eat them and you will know within a week if it helps or not.

As for the assisting others, you can only do what you can do. If you need the sleep then let others know you will not be able to show up until 10 or 11 etc. I have found that often people know regulars will show so they don't feel the need. When people make it clear they need their help they rise to the occasion. You do no one any good if you burn yourself out.

DO NOT do this if you are diabetic!! Potatoes are carbs, and a diabetic needs fat and protein to get those carbs(sugar) to go to the right place, in the correct amount of time, to do the proper work for the body.

Carbs make you sleepy- that is why it works LDSValley. Hot Chocolate, ice cream, pudding, high sugar/carbs will do the same thing.

Cut back on your intake of caffeine sodas. While you were on your mission bet you didn't drink anything that had caffeine in it did ya? Did you know that Sunkist Orange soda has caffeine in it?

John Doe is so right- you need to be checked out by a Dr. Have a COMPLETE blood workup done - fast at least 8 hours and not more than 10 hours before your appointment.

[SeattleTruthSeeker]

since i've been home from my mission (4 years ago) i've had trouble sleeping. at least one saturday a month someone in my ward is moving and wants us there at 8am. i can't usually fall asleep until 3am. if i don't sleep enough at least one to two days a week i get sick with a cold or sinus infection for two weeks. any advice on how to handle this? i feel bad...i think people deserve to know they're worth helping and most of the guys in the ward (most wards) just don't really ever help at all.

I used to be an insomniac. Things that actually helped me is the following:

1) Look at what is stimulating you? For me, it was constantly being on the computer, watching Television, and just "vegging out".

2) Active during the day time. What are you doing during the day? Are you active? or are you more of a couch potato?

3) Bedtime and awake time. Set your bed time to 9 or 10 at night. Shut off all distractions, read a book, read your scriptures, pray, and then go to sleep. Have your alarm set to wake you up in 7-8 hours. When you wake up, do not go to sleep. Get up and take a shower, do your scripture reading, exercise (a good brisk walk on a crisp cold morning always helps). Clean up the apartment, do a hobby, take a walk in a park, go to work.

You will find that your body will become accustomed to the new schedule, but will take some time. Usually, stresses can cause one to be sleep deprived.

Right now, my sleep schedule is out of whack because we have a 1 month plus in our home. My wife and I had a baby back on 11.20.2009 so we sleep when she sleeps, and we are awake when she is awake.

[pam]

Right now, my sleep schedule is out of whack because we have a 1 month plus in our home. My wife and I had a baby back on 11.20.2009 so we sleep when she sleeps, and we are awake when she is awake.

Congrats on the new addition to your family.

[Guest mormonmusic]

advice on how to handle this? i feel bad...i think people deserve to know they're worth helping and most of the guys in the ward (most wards) just don't really ever help at all.

Your health comes first. So make sure you do whatever is necessary to get your rest and stop the infections.

Also, I developed back issues that make it hard for me to move people, so I used to volunteer to hop on the phone and raise volunteers for the family if announcements didn't get enough people -- that was years ago before I decided families have to do this themself. Also, you could volunteer to help them pack at a time that is convenient for you in lieu of helping them move.

We had a whole new thread about the 'evils' (I'm exaggerating a bit) of helping people move, but these are a few suggestions about how you might help the families without disrupting your sleep schedule.

[Moksha]

John Doe's advice is right on.

Bonanzafan, you might ask one of your family members to listen to you as you sleep in the mornings. If they report that you snore with an irregular breathing pattern, you might have sleep apnea and would want to discuss that with your physician.

[miztrniceguy]

serve when you can, don't sweat it when you can't.

[ozzy]

The potato idea is rather interesting. I wonder if it helps with nighttime heart burn.

I know it may sound crazy, but here's a thought. You could try to pull an all nighter the night before the night before you are gonna help out. So if the service is on Saturday, then on the Thursday-Friday night, don't sleep at all. Then go through your Friday as normal and hopefully you will be exhausted enough by 8pm to fall asleep long before 3 pm. Like I said, crazy... So crazy, it just might work. :)

[LDSVALLEY]

The potato idea is rather interesting. I wonder if it helps with nighttime heart burn.

It's from a book called Potato not Prozak

[Hemidakota]

serve when you can, don't sweat it when you can't.

Great advice...