Signs You're Exhausted: What to Look For

[twisting_edge]

I do that all the time. Two things that I have found to work are
1) Have about 3 different alarm clocks and use one for about two weeks, use the next one for two weeks, etc. That way you don't really get used to one of them.
2) Put it out of your reach, and don't keep it in the same spot everynight.

When I was in HS, I went so far as to build a little wire cage out of harware cloth (that really tough metal screen with about 1/4 inch gaps between the wires), place it over the alarm clock, then connect it up to the wall outlet. I figured the shock would wake me.

No dice. Without ever completely waking up, I reached out to turn off the alarm, half-remembered there was a shock coming (but not why), redirected the arm reaching for the clock to grab a sneaker off the floor instead, and crushed the entire contraption.

I wouldn't say I went back to sleep after that, because I never really woke up.

I also hooked a strobe light across the room up to my alarm shortly after I got out of college and actually had to start waking up again. Thus endeth one strobe light.

 

[Math Is Hard]

I have a 4-legged alarm clock that gently rouses me with the cold nose treatment.

 

[Knavish]

I do that all the time. Two things that I have found to work are
1) Have about 3 different alarm clocks and use one for about two weeks, use the next one for two weeks, etc. That way you don't really get used to one of them.
2) Put it out of your reach, and don't keep it in the same spot everynight.

Also, I can have my cell alarm play my mp3s on there, so I change that around every few nights and it seems to work OK.

Yes, I will need to purchase more alarm clocks.

Relocating the alarm clock didn't work for me. If the alarm clock is too close by, then I do the subconsious thing (even if it is in different spots). If far away (option 2 of yours), then, despite that my alarm is about as loud as a siren, I sleep through it. The only option I have is to use multiple alarm clocks.

 

[scorpa]

I always set the alarm on my alarm clock...and have it painfully loud so I can't sleep through it. And just in case that doesn't work I set the alarm on my cell phone to go off a few minutes later. I have to do this or I would never get to school. Then once I get to school I vainly try to stay awake, often with little success. Does anyone else do that thing where they are trying so hard to stay awake, but end up in this stage inbetween awake and asleep and then first your head starts bobbing as you are trying to wake up...then your whole body starts jerking :( It looks so stupid and I always feel like an idiot.

 

[Moonbear]

I have a 4-legged alarm clock that gently rouses me with the cold nose treatment.

That alarm clock doesn't work either...she's as bad as I am! My alarm goes off, and she curls up closer and purrs, saying, "Aww, c'mon mom, the bed's so warm, let's sleep a little later, purrrrrease?!"

 

[0rthodontist]

I always set the alarm on my alarm clock...and have it painfully loud so I can't sleep through it.

Yes, painfully loud is a good thing. If I set my alarm and forget about it, and for whatever reason happen to be awake when it goes off, my entire body jolts involuntarily at the jet-engine BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEP. In fact, if I've been getting a fair amount of sleep then I often wake up on my own accord 10 or 20 minutes before my alarm goes off--my subconscious doesn't want to hear that painful, jolting noise, so it sets its own timer.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Heh, i have no problem with waking up to any decent alarm sound. My problem is having the alarm clock close to me, because i just turn it off and go back to sleep!. The solution, of course, is to put my alarm clock very far, so i have to get out of bed to turn it off!.

 

[Moonbear]

Yes, painfully loud is a good thing. If I set my alarm and forget about it, and for whatever reason happen to be awake when it goes off, my entire body jolts involuntarily at the jet-engine BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEEP. In fact, if I've been getting a fair amount of sleep then I often wake up on my own accord 10 or 20 minutes before my alarm goes off--my subconscious doesn't want to hear that painful, jolting noise, so it sets its own timer.

Oddly enough, as horrendously loud as it sounds if it goes off when I'm already awake, I can still sleep through it (or turn it off without really waking up). About the only thing that ever worked was when I had a roommate in dorms, and if I hit the snooze button more than once, she'd start throwing whatever was within arm's reach at me.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have a 4-legged alarm clock that gently rouses me with the cold nose treatment.

Same here; cold little nose pokes all over the face. If that doesn't work, he starts walking on me.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Moonbear, you must keep kitty snacks by the bed or something. I have to get up and open that can or there will hell to pay. Ivan, they really know how to work us over, don't they?

What was really annoying was when I had two cats and sometimes I ended up as a speed bump in an early A.M. chase around the house. OOF! Not the greatest way to start the day.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Moonbear, you must keep kitty snacks by the bed or something. I have to get up and open that can or there will hell to pay. Ivan, they really know how to work us over, don't they?

What was really annoying was when I had two cats and sometimes I ended up as a speed bump in an early A.M. chase around the house. OOF! Not the greatest way to start the day.

Have you ever woke up just in time to see nothing but a cat butt a few inches from your face? That will get you moving!

 

[Moonbear]

Moonbear, you must keep kitty snacks by the bed or something. I have to get up and open that can or there will hell to pay.

Maybe that's my mistake, I give her all her treats and wet food in the evening, so she knows she just has to make do with the crunchy stuff in the morning (she does get to have a little bit of milk when I make my coffee, but she knows the routine...put on the pot of coffee, refill her water bowl and crunchy food bowl for the day, clean the litter box, wash hands and let her drink water from the sink tap, then pour coffee and add milk, and add a little to a bowl to put on the floor, she laps up her milk, then runs around like crazy while I try to drink my coffee.

I think she's learned that if she wakes me up too early, the order of events goes more like: put milk in bowl, set bowl on floor, trip over bowl, swear a lot, wipe up spilled milk, put grounds in coffee maker, turn on, pour water on crunchy food, realize it was supposed to go in the coffee maker, that is when I don't spill it on the cat.

 

[moose]

Today during my government class, my teacher told us we will be doing a mock trial due Wednesday (which means I have today and tomorrow to do it... or just today if you take into account how it's past midnight, or two days if you take into account that Ill be doing this tomorrow past midnight as well...GAHDFKLJDSKL). Anyway, we randomly selected roles to have in the trial. I selected the defense attorney who does the most work out of everyone, the teacher even reaffirmed so . Anyway, so that wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't working till midnight today and tomorrow..and the day after that (not that it matter anymore at that time).
I'm busy writing my opening statement right now
I have to question one of my own witnesses and cross-examine four .
My witness, will have the easiest job ever. She is supposed to not do anything, except for talk to me during class. I need to inform her what the prosecutors may ask her, and how she should respond, as well as the quesitons I will ask her, and suggestions on ways to respond without jeapordizing our case.
Tomorrow I have a philosophy club meeting, which generally takes around 3 hours. That gives me no time to work on this tomorrow before midnight (and the time in class when I speak with my witness... I get out of school at 2:20, p club until 5:20, I get home and its 5:35, I eat something quickly, get my work uniform, and get the hell out of there ASAP and hope I make it to work on time... you know, maybe Ill just take my work clothes with me to school and just eat at panda express or something).
This is on top of my work in programming which I must finish (I have a few hours worth...wouldn't usually be much, but uhh).

Despite what it looks like, I'm not actually complaining... I like being this busy from time to time. I just wish it was on something I was more interested in. In two days, I will come back to this thread and make a response on topic as to how I know I am tired...ehh

 

[moose]

I got called in today for work at 4PM to midnight. I thought I was going to work at 6pm...nope, someone called in sick and I had to cover them (plus another person)...

I recently got off work, had a sip of Vitamin Water, ate a bite of something... and now it's time to write my opening statement!

 

[moose]

...Im going to sleep. I have all my cross examinations thought up of, my opening statement and closing arguments done, and yadayadayada...

EDIT: I wake up in an hour...

 

[Apost8]

When I was in the Army, I actually fell asleep for a few seconds while walking on a ruck-march at 2:00 in the morning. I wouldn't have believed it possible if it hadn't happened to me.

 

[Yonoz]

When I was in the Army, I actually fell asleep for a few seconds while walking on a ruck-march at 2:00 in the morning. I wouldn't have believed it possible if it hadn't happened to me.

These microsleeps are very common. I used to have them in various circumstances during my regular service, including whilst I was standing in the turret. I always woke up at the right time, but one time another commander in my unit almost let his crew drive straight into a minefield on the Syrian border.

 

[moose]

On seemingly random occasions, I get really tired out of nowhere right now.
Yesterday I slept 1 hour and 20 minutes, the day before 3 hours, the day before that somewhere around 6. Tonight I will sleep for about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

I have a closing argument which will completely shatter the prosecution!

 

[Apost8]

How about hallucinations? (Sorry another Army story): We were on a training excercise out in the boonies for several weeks and were not getting any sleep. I was looking out through the woods with a pair of night vision goggles when all of a sudden, a row of trees used ther branches like "arms," clasped their "hands" together, and slowly began to sway from side to side. Very Weird.

 

[Yonoz]

How about hallucinations? (Sorry another Army story): We were on a training excercise out in the boonies for several weeks and were not getting any sleep. I was looking out through the woods with a pair of night vision goggles when all of a sudden, a row of trees used ther branches like "arms," clasped their "hands" together, and slowly began to sway from side to side. Very Weird.

Heh, I once had a conversation with a jackal...