[In Strict Confidence]

Any of you INTJ types having sleeping issues?

The INTJ pers. type should be having specific trouble with sleeping, in particular relaxing, and relaxing mentally. I know I have. It seems to stem from my constant inner monologues. Everything my mind reaches have to be analyzed to pieces, and each of those pieces have to be analyzed as well. This result in an inability to fall asleep when I get tired. It still usually takes around 2 hours for me to actually sleep from the moment I turn of the light.

If someone out there have the same problem, any tips, solutions, methods, whatever that might help to silence the mind at command?
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[Windmill]

Yes!

Ever since I was a very young child (about 4-5ish) I know I had sleep issues. I would get about 6 hours sleep a night. It took me hours to go to sleep, and I'd constantly try to get up because of it. I'd wake up early and go lie on the stairs for hours until my parents woke up, or go to my parents room and be with them.

Now I also have sleep issues, with 6-7 hours being my usual amount. Sleeping in is just not an option- I don't understand how people can sleep for so long!

The doctor hasn't given me sleeping pills but antihistamines for those nights when its really bad.

Yet for the past few days, my sleeping patterns have been great, I've been getting 7-8 hours of sleep, and I have no clue why
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For me, my mind is (usually, not recently) just working constantly. The way I deal with it is only going to bed when I'm really rather tired. If you go to bed when you are not tired, you will not sleep for a LONG time. If you're anything like me, you start to really enjoy your thinking space. I tend to sit in bed for hours fantasizing, or planning out my future.

[JTG]

I've always had trouble going to sleep because of my noisy mind. It's worse when i'm in school. I used to get 2-4 hours of sleep a night when i was in high school, then walk around through life in a constant insomnia-spawned fog.

Waking up is hard, too... haha. I can sleep 12 hour stretches easily if i don't have any obligations to wake up for. I sleep through alarms sometimes too, much to the disappointment of various employers i've had over the years.

[Zilal]

I usually sleep fine, though I don't know what to attribute that to. If I can't fall asleep, I try to just keep returning to counting my breaths. I invariably end up thinking about something else, but then I'll notice and go back to it. You have to really want to go to sleep... if you're making a partial attempt at counting but really want to follow the thoughts that keep popping up, it'll be hard.

Try looking up tips for good sleep, and give them an honest try.

[Brutananadilewski]

The only way I can sleep is to put on a movie and wait until I fall asleep during it, otherwise my internal dialogue runs full force. Reading something braindead always worked well for me too. I've found anything mindless but interesting enough to keep my attention can knock me out. Try setting up shop in front of the boob tube for a few nights mayhaps?

[Dreamer]

Have you tried self-hypnosis? I've found that trying to get into trance alone while in bed helped me fall asleep regardless of the original purpose of getting into trance in the first place.

[AgentofGaming]

I get bombarded by thoughts when trying to sleep or shower.
I guess locations of relaxed unfocused solitude generate the most thoughts.

Sometimes all these thoughts can prevent sleeping for hours. Sometimes I sleep more easier than other days.

What are you doing before sleep? Maybe doing more passive activities like TV or reading before sleep can ease the thoughts.

[Headstrong]

When I was younger I had a lot of problems sleeping because I'd replay the day/conversations/conflicts over and over again in my head. I don't do that so much anymore because when I actually go to bed, I'm too exahausted. It used to take me a good hour or two to fall asleep, now it's maybe ten minutes tops.

You could go to a sleep specialist and have a study done. I was seriously considering it for a while, but never pursued it in the end. I also listen to acoustic music music because the drum tempo will keep me awake. You could try that, but sometimes I find myself singing along in my head and that keeps me up longer.

[James Revell]

I learned self-hypnosis long ago and haven't had problems sleeping or relaxing since, at least once I actually want to. My wife says I'm out within minutes of laying down. I have to be careful reading when laying down, and I can fall asleep sitting or standing up if I attempt to relax too much. She has pictures of me napping in all sorts of places like this. Naps can be like double expresso shots of INTJ solitude in addition to the normal fatigue reduction.

Am I just a freak here or do a lot of INTJ's learn to delegate some analysis to their subconscious mind, even during sleep? I don't really meditate, but I do often clear my thoughts to give my intuition time to work its magic.

My sleep issue would be focusing on doing stuff so long that I suddenly realize I only have 2-5 hours before I need to be up. In my 20's working at a start-up I'd often forget to go home and work through the night unintentionally. One of the first people in each morning would usually send me home if I didn't notice the sun come up and grab some z's on my couch.

[Yossarian]

I sometimes have a lot of trouble going to sleep, too busy thinking about everything- theories, impressions, things that need to be done... there are a couple of things that I've found helpful. Firstly, if I'm concerned about getting things done I try to write down a quick list of what needs to be done and when (INTJs generally find it easier to relax when things are decided). Seccondly I try to focus on something physical to distract me from my thoughts. Sometimes I count while breathing in and out deeply- one, in, two, out, one, in etc etc. That seems to do the trick.

[JTG]

Somebody link me to this self hypnosis technique. I tried to be hypnotized at my graduation party thing, back in high school. I was so relaxed and limp as the guy requested, some of my friends thought for sure i was hypnotized, but i stayed fully conscious and alert the whole time.

[In Strict Confidence]

Hey, thanks for all the replies. I'm really starting to love this place
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	Originally Posted by JTG To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Somebody link me to this self hypnosis technique.

I second that! I really want to try it out, since it seems to be doing the thing for you guys.

Originally Posted by Yossarian To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I sometimes have a lot of trouble going to sleep, too busy thinking about everything- theories, impressions, things that need to be done... there are a couple of things that I've found helpful. Firstly, if I'm concerned about getting things done I try to write down a quick list of what needs to be done and when (INTJs generally find it easier to relax when things are decided). Seccondly I try to focus on something physical to distract me from my thoughts. Sometimes I count while breathing in and out deeply- one, in, two, out, one, in etc etc. That seems to do the trick.

Seems a lot of the people here have that issue, and I suppose I was right in stating that INTJ's should have a relaxing issue. As for me, sleeping in general is no problem at all, but going to sleep can be hell at times.
I’ve tried some relaxation techniques, but since they mostly work wonders with the physical part, it doesn’t do it for me. I agree on the tip about ToDo -lists though. That is wonderful, and I do love having it all decided. I also try to keep a notebook by the bed to write down anything that comes up in my mind, to get it out of my thoughts.
One last thing, that someone else stated before, is to never go to sleep before you're tired. And if I dont fall asleep, for at least 30min or so, I try to go up and do something else. Finally, Ive found it helpful to actually go up when you wake up. Thats right, no more snoozing. Its painful, but it gets me tired on time the next night.

[Learning]

	Originally Posted by In Strict Confidence To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	...I agree on the tip about ToDo -lists though. ...One last thing, that someone else stated before, is to never go to sleep before you're tired. And if I dont fall asleep, for at least 30min or so, I try to go up and do something else. Finally, Ive found it helpful to actually go up when you wake up. Thats right, no more snoozing. Its painful, but it gets me tired on time the next night.

Agreed with the bedside notebook tip. And making sure to be tired is a great idea, too.

[In Strict Confidence]

Yeah. The difficulty there arises when you HAVE to go up @ some time in the morning -.-

[Truemusic]

I have a hard time getting to sleep almost every night. Usually because I can't stop thinking. It takes at least an hour for me to drowse off. Sometimes reading, or humming and singing to myself can help me fall asleep faster. Doesn't always work though.
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[Dream Weaver]

Originally Posted by Yossarian To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I sometimes have a lot of trouble going to sleep, too busy thinking about everything- theories, impressions, things that need to be done... there are a couple of things that I've found helpful. Firstly, if I'm concerned about getting things done I try to write down a quick list of what needs to be done and when (INTJs generally find it easier to relax when things are decided). Seccondly I try to focus on something physical to distract me from my thoughts. Sometimes I count while breathing in and out deeply- one, in, two, out, one, in etc etc. That seems to do the trick.

My thoughts always seem to get away from me when I'm in bed. Like Yossarian, I just think and plan. Plan the next day. Think about a monologue I need to memorize for the school play. What homework I didn't quite finish. Often, that keeps me up untill 1AM, 2AM, 3AM, or later. Yossarian's notebook seems like a good idea. Oftentimes, I watch a movie or TV show late a night to get me sleepy also. Oh, and I make a to do list for the next day sometimes too. I include everything from the mundane wake-up time to important appointments and when I need to be at work to start my shift. Also, I try to keep a journal where I write my thoughts about whatever's bothering me. My thought process here is a bit scatterbrained, but you get the general idea.

[In Strict Confidence]

Well, its almost like a compulsive disorder to analyze and make associative connections :P I mean, it takes no effort at all, and at times if find my mind wandering off without me being in control, and I wonder how the hell I got to the subject in the first place. Sometimes I can track it though, and the connections doesnt make any practical sense at all... It can be School -> psychology paper -> Worries -> Anxiety personalities e.t.c.