sleep deprivation, does it hurt or help?

bleach

Banned
hey social phobes, as my busy schedule has lately forced me into more erratic sleep patterns than usual I have been thinking about how sleepe and lack of it effects social anxiety.

one thing I noticed is that sleep deprivation sometimes makes me feel so "out of it" that I don't get the usual jitters when I hae to talk to someone. oddly feeling physically exhausted helps me to mentally relax as well. even at times uncharacteristally chatty with strangers.

this made me think about some of my friends who don't get much sleep and how outgoing they always seem to be. I always figured they just had a lot of energy and didn't much need sleep, but now I wonder if they are actually sleep deprived all the time and are outgoing because they walk around all day in a daze every day, indifferent to any negative reactions from other people. hmm, the mysterious internal states of other people.

otoh sleep deprivation has also made it difficult or impossible to concentrate on anything(maybe connected to the drop in anxiety) and sometimes emotionally depressed.

does anyone else have the same experience? f this is a common thing I may have to add it to my list of social phobia home remedies along with bad eyesight, drugs, and alcohol abuse.
 

truffleshuffle

Well-known member
I don;t know I have alot of trouble sleeping and it actualy sometimes makes it worse on me because I hate the way my body feels when I can;t get any sleep. and I know if I don;t sleep I will get into a sleep cycle and I get more stressed out. Also if i have something im doing the next day I can never sleep I usualy spend the whole night not sleeping and im just in funk. I can go a day or two with out sleep basicly sometimes and it takes me a long time to get back into a good sleep cycle. This month my sleep cycle started out ok getting up early going to bed at a normal time then something came up and I could not sleep and now im trying to get my cycle back in a normal patten because I have only been averging about 1 to 4 hours most nights this month of sleep and I was so tired I ended up basicly sleeping three days strait.
 
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laure15

Well-known member
Sleep deprivation doesn't help for me. I used to nod on and off during class and students would make fun of me for this. If I didn't get enough sleep, I made sure I didn't go to class because I didn't want to embarass myself.

In high school, I remember a few students were talking about a girl who fell asleep in class and they started making noises at her to get her to wake up. I don't think sleep deprivation is a good way to socialize with others.
 

MikeyC

Well-known member
Sleep deprivation makes me irritable and depressed, so it definitely doesn't help me.
 

psych

Well-known member
Am not as jittery, but also not able to perform my job well... & Irritable, so a no for me.
 

BleedTheFreak

Well-known member
one thing I noticed is that sleep deprivation sometimes makes me feel so "out of it" that I don't get the usual jitters when I hae to talk to someone. oddly feeling physically exhausted helps me to mentally relax as well. even at times uncharacteristally chatty with strangers.

Same here. It's like being drunk, or at least has a similar effect. When I'm up for a long time I'm so much less aware of myself and how I'm being perceived by others. I speak without thinking and things just seem to flow so much better. At the same time, like you said it makes it a lot harder to concentrate on other things and it's just so bad for your body that it's not worth it in my opinion.
 

hardy

Well-known member
Dear,
From what I know

Uses of sleep: to give body and mind enough rest.

how much: different people have different needs. People who have a sound sleep need 5-6 hrs. Others need more. Side note: Neither too much nor too less is good.


my experiences: In the sleeplessness i forgot anxiety symptoms too...but i became so angry after a few days of work. Not a good thing, when you over work and take less rest. It hurt me after a few days to the extent that once i left my training in the middle and the other time burst out on the in-charge(same result..:))

My mantra(copied from zen site) : Do less do well...

Try these:

Tips for a Slower-Paced Life
I can’t give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life. Some things might require you to change some major things, but they can be done over time.

1. Do less. Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but quality. Pick 2-3 important things — or even just one important thing — and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus. Read more.
2. Have fewer meetings. Meetings are usually a big waste of time. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush. Try to have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don’t have to rush from one meeting to another.
3. Practice disconnecting. Have times when you turn off your devices and your email notifications and whatnot. Time with no phone calls, when you’re just creating, or when you’re just spending time with someone, or just reading a book, or just taking a walk, or just eating mindfully. You can even disconnect for (gasp!) an entire day, and you won’t be hurt. I promise.
4. Give yourself time to get ready and get there. If you’re constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, it’s because you don’t allot enough time in your schedule for preparing and for traveling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30-45 minutes so you don’t have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car. If you think you can get there in 10 minutes, perhaps give yourself 2-3 times that amount so you can go at a leisurely pace and maybe even get there early.
5. Practice being comfortable with sitting, doing nothing. One thing I’ve noticed is that when people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. They want their mobile device or at least a magazine, because standing and waiting is either a waste of time or something they’re not used to doing without feeling self-conscious. Instead, try just sitting there, looking around, soaking in your surroundings. Try standing in line and just watching and listening to people around you. It takes practice, but after awhile, you’ll do it with a smile.
6. Realize that if it doesn’t get done, that’s OK. There’s always tomorrow. And yes, I know that’s a frustrating attitude for some of you who don’t like laziness or procrastination or living without firm deadlines, but it’s also reality. The world likely won’t end if you don’t get that task done today. Your boss might get mad, but the company won’t collapse and the life will inevitably go on. And the things that need to get done will.
7. Start to eliminate the unnecessary. When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, that don’t get done. And you need to ask yourself: how necessary are these things? What would happen if I stopped doing them? How can I eliminate them, delegate them, automate them?
8. Practice mindfulness. Simply learn to live in the present, rather than thinking so much about the future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you’re with someone, be with them fully. When you’re walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are. Read this for more, and also try The Mindfulist.
9. Slowly eliminate commitments. We’re overcommitted, which is why we’re rushing around so much. I don’t just mean with work — projects and meetings and the like. Parents have tons of things to do with and for their kids, and we overcommit our kids as well. Many of us have busy social lives, or civic commitments, or are coaching or playing on sports teams. We have classes and groups and hobbies. But in trying to cram so much into our lives, we’re actually deteriorating the quality of those lives. Slowly eliminate commitments — pick 4-5 essential ones, and realize that the rest, while nice or important, just don’t fit right now. Politely inform people, over time, that you don’t have time to stick to those commitments.

source:zenhabits.net
 
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gustavofring

Well-known member
Doesnt help for sure. I get extremely apathetic when sleep deprived and also have physical symptoms like a very heavy head and coldness. Also, it only seems to make me more mentally drained. I will rather pull myself back from social situations in that state. f I cant relax I turn irritable.
 
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