[honestfi]

It seems that ESTJ and INTP have one thing in common: regular insomnia because our brains won't STFU.

I tend to go through phases; 3 or 4 nights with a few hours sleep, pass out on the 5th night. My ESTJ colleague though seems to go for days surviving (only just TBH) on just a couple of hours sleep. I feel for her, but I don't know what advice to give. Any ideas to pass on please?

 

[KrystRay]

Work out HARD. You both will sleep a lot better. That and you're probably just bored if you can't sleep. I sleep very well when I am on my way to accomplishing my goals. Stress management too. I don't sleep when I'm stressed. Tell her (?) to make a list of everything she needs to do and then set goals for when and how she wants to get them done. That should help.

 

[Diphenhydramine]

Work out HARD. You both will sleep a lot better. That and you're probably just bored if you can't sleep. I sleep very well when I am on my way to accomplishing my goals. Stress management too. I don't sleep when I'm stressed. Tell her (?) to make a list of everything she needs to do and then set goals for when and how she wants to get them done. That should help.

This is surprisingly the same for me, I'm an ENTJ though.

 

[honestfi]

Work out HARD. You both will sleep a lot better.

She does. She has a cross trainer and walks most nights. With me it's bizarre - if I do a lot of exercise I sometimes can't sleep at all as my body can still be keyed up.

That and you're probably just bored if you can't sleep. I sleep very well when I am on my way to accomplishing my goals.

Ha. No - one thing I am not is bored. In fact, if I am accomplishing my goals it makes it worse, because I think, if it were daylight I could be doing this and this and then this and then this would happen and then they would do that and I would do this and what happens if this then I do that...and I think WTF am I doing still awake at 3 o'clock in the morning? Not sure what it is with her. I may get her to talk about it some more.

Stress management too. I don't sleep when I'm stressed. Tell her (?) to make a list of everything she needs to do and then set goals for when and how she wants to get them done. That should help.

:happy: Yep, good advice and she has been stressed lately.

 

[agreenbough]

My husband is an ESTJ and he can (and does) fall asleep in the middle of a sentence - - he does work hard, though, at a physically demanding job.
I'm the one who can't sleep because I can't turn my mind off (INFP). Diphenhydramine is my friend.

 

[dagnytaggart]

It seems that ESTJ and INTP have one thing in common: regular insomnia because our brains won't STFU.

I tend to go through phases; 3 or 4 nights with a few hours sleep, pass out on the 5th night. My ESTJ colleague though seems to go for days surviving (only just TBH) on just a couple of hours sleep. I feel for her, but I don't know what advice to give. Any ideas to pass on please?

Ever notice you're tired during the day when there's plenty of noise/images to wake you up? And then at night, when there's nothing, your brain becomes the most active and you can't shut your brain up.

Reverse psychology! Fall asleep with all the lights on, and noise. And then during the day, lie still in silence and let your brain at it.

 

[honestfi]

Ever notice you're tired during the day when there's plenty of noise/images to wake you up? And then at night, when there's nothing, your brain becomes the most active and you can't shut your brain up.

Erm. No. Nice theory, but even if I'm tired during the day, I couldn't fall asleep, unless I am unwell. Don't think my ESTJ could either.

 

[curious0610]

Interesting. I'm INFJ and I know tons of INFJs who have the same problem: insomnia. I like how you attribute it to the fact that it is because our brains won't STFU.

I go through a similar phase: 3 or 4 nights with a few hours sleep, pass out on the 5th night. I can usually make the 5th night come sooner by trying out some sleep techniques, but those only work one night, and I'm always back in the cycle. And besides, Ive exhausted the suggestions out there for insomnia anyway.

Have you tried some wine or alcohol (just a little) before sleeping? It seems to help for me. This is kinda weird, but I fall asleep better when I sleep over/crash at a friend's place or at a hotel while traveling. I think it's because there are fewer things my brain/mind associates with my surroundings, and there are fewer things I can start bouncing my thoughts off of. It's hard to explain, but when I sleep in a new place, there's less existing thoughts/emotions tied to the place.

Edit: I work out a lot, too... the thing is when I work out, I feel mentally/emoitionally healthy, but it still doesnt have an impact in helping me sleep, it gets me more energized! (to not sleep lol)

 

[KrystRay]

You're not working out hard enough.

 

[Splitty]

I really only sleep around 4-5 hours each night. Sleeping in on the weekends means waking up ~8am. If I somehow get 8 hours of sleep I'm groggy and worthless the next day. 5 hours is my sweet spot. But I really don't have any problems falling asleep, only if something is really bothering me, which is pretty rare nowadays.

 

[WickedQueen]

I just realize that lately I've been sleeping only about 3-5 hours a day. It's odd that I still survive, remembering that I usually must have about 8 hours of sleep every day.

 

[jockthemotie]

My ESTJ slept like a rock. I've never seen anything like it. She stops moving for 5 minutes and she's out. If she doesn't have at least 8 hours, forget it.

 

[dagnytaggart]

Erm. No. Nice theory, but even if I'm tired during the day, I couldn't fall asleep, unless I am unwell. Don't think my ESTJ could either.

Booze. It'll either make you fall asleep on its own, or...

Drink LOTS of booze. You'll get sick and feel unwell. And then according to you, fall asleep.

It's slowly working on me right now as we drink.

 

[KrystRay]

lol. If I drink too much, I wake up about 3 hours into it and I get mad because I am dehydrated and I can't fall back to sleep.

 

[honestfi]

Booze. It'll either make you fall asleep on its own, or...

Drink LOTS of booze. You'll get sick and feel unwell. And then according to you, fall asleep.

It's slowly working on me right now as we drink.

God, I love ENTPs:laughing: Pass the cider.

 

[tangential]

I know both an INTP and an ESTJ who only need 4-5 hours (of sleep) a night and have been like this all their lives.

 

[Splitty]

Booze. It'll either make you fall asleep on its own, or...

Drink LOTS of booze. You'll get sick and feel unwell. And then according to you, fall asleep.

It's slowly working on me right now as we drink.

mmm...tastes like college.

 

[Lady of Light]

I've seen my ESTJ husband survive on just a few hours of sleep. But, he has no problem falling asleep when he wants to. He says if he lays there long enough eventually he will sleep. I can't do that. My brain won't shut up long enough for that to happen, and he doesn't understand this.

 

[MilkyLatte]

I've more or less been suffering from insomnia my whole life. Not like I can't fall a sleep at all, it just takes many hours with me sweating, turning around, thinking etc...

 

[KrystRay]

Tonight is a great example of what happens when I drink too much. I slept 4 hours and now I can't sleep. I also broke a perfume bottle and I'm really surprised that I didn't need stitches. This is what happens when I hang out with my ENTP friends who are liquor reps. The whole "depletion" thing is fun because I get to drink a lot for free, but good God I don't know how their livers survive it!!!!! I mean, I need the day to recover in the steam room and I have a massage at noon. Vitamin B12, you are my best friend.

So speaking of ENTP's, does anyone else seem to offend them? Like, we've been friends for 5 years and we just love to hate on each other. He gets really offended that I point out the truth in him and he thinks I'm a total stuck up bitch. He told me tonight he likes me more as a redhead because it makes me look like less of a bitch. lol. I can't wait for December to roll around so I can be platinum blonde!!! (My haircolor changes with the seasons) Anyway, back to my friend. He wanted to date me a while back and I told him no way because he a) parties entirely too much (How the hell did I get home?) b) needs to get his priorities straight c) is a huge man whore d) doesn't have a good track record of dating girls for more than a month. lol.. He HATED me for pointing these things out!!! But good for him, he found a girl who lives in Miami who seems to make him happy right now. I told him it's because he can't spend every waking moment with her so he doesn't have time to get sick of her. Good for him.

So this is what happens when I drink too much I talk entirely too much!