[pct-l] Can't sleep

[Erik the Black]

In my experience "trail sleep" is a lot different from "home sleep".

When I'm at home I sleep like a rock. But on the trail I never get into what
might be considered deep sleep. It's more like a rest. I'm always alert and
if someone whispered my name or a twig snapped I'd wake up instantly.

I think perhaps this is a more natural way to sleep. It's how the animals
sleep and it's probably how humans slept when we lived closer to nature.

A bedroom is kind of like a sensory deprivation chamber. It's dark and soft
and quiet and climate controlled - so we can totally zonk out.

But out on the trail there is a lot of added stimulus during the night that
we aren't used to, like sounds and temperature changes and varying degrees
of light and different smells. 

As you hike more you will become more comfortable with it and wherever you
pitch camp for the night will soon feel just as familiar as your bedroom
back home.


Happy trails,
Erik the Black

------------------------------------------
Pacific Crest Trail Atlas 2nd Edition
http://www.blackwoodspress.com/pct/atlas/
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-----Original Message-----
From: Eugene [mailto:atetuna at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 7:28 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Can't sleep

I've found that I can't get much sleep while I'm on the trail.  At most  
I've probably had 2 hours a night total, although usually a lot less, and  
split up in smaller chunks.  I think I'm anxious about the passings  
critters and immigrants, at least in Section A where I've been hiking  
where there's plenty of evidence of both.  I know I tend to listen hard to  
everything I hear at night.  Should I wear earplugs, take sleeping pills,  
give it more time, something else??  Of course that may not be enough  
either since I tend to get up half a dozen times to piss, which is  
something I never do at home.  The sleep thing really sucks because I love  
being out on the trail during the day, but the nights may ruin it for me.   
What's weird is that I don't feel sleep deprived, but this can't be good,  
and it could end up being very very bad.  Please throw any and all advice  
at me, especially if you've had the same problem and got over it.

Eugene