Waking up at night to pmo?

[logicprox]

I'm new here, but have tried quitting pmo a couple times. I've found one of my biggest problems is that I will get a decent streak going by just choosing not to use during the day, but then I'll wake up in the middle of the night with kind of a hazy mind and feeling horny and my willpower and decision making just aren't really there to stop me so I'll relapse. Then obviously since I've already failed once my monkey brain will decide I might as well do it the next day or two too.

Anyone else experience this? Any tips for not succumbing in those situations?

Thanks!

 

[TheDude69]

I don?t have this with porn because I?m married and it would be a sure fire way to get caught but I definitely do this with food.

I?ll stick to my diet throughout the day and not even be tempted but will wake up in the middle of the night and it?s like I?m on autopilot and I walk straight into the kitchen and eat some junk food.

I don?t know what the solution is but I think when we are awakened from sleeping our impulse control is low and it is basically autopilot to fulfill our desires.

 

[Numez]

Thats fucked up, I cant quit even without that problem. I could imagine waking up in the middle of the night to jerk off, it would be impossible to quit. I do wake up sometimes and I have a huge need to go to bathroom but I just cant fucking move so I just go back to sleep for few more hours until I can get out and take a piss or shit.

Maybe decrease your sleep time, you sleep too much if you can wake up in the middle of the night and do anything. That is probably bad advice from me but I cant come up with anything else.

 

[Edit_undo]

Lately I have been waking up in the middle of the night too and unable to get back to sleep. Slightly different problem than you.

Try reading a book, going for a walk, journaling, meditating, anything without technology. Noah Church recommends no screens for these situations because 1) that?s where the porn is 2) blue light from screens can disturb your sleep.

 

[doneatlast]

I haven't had that specific problem, but it seems it could be a combination of two problems I've had.

One is wanting to indulge in order to sleep, as part of a "wind down" process.  The answer to this is to replace it as much as possible, and make serious changes to help you sleep better, for falling asleep, staying asleep, and quality of sleep.  The most common suggestions out there are all over online, so I won't go down the list just yet.  The second problem is having weird porn related dreams, sometimes anxiety dreams, sometimes flashbacks, which is the sort of twitching and fighting your porn brain does when it gets starved of its fix.  I remember waking up in the morning at least a few times thinking I'd relapsed, and it would only be after I ate breakfast and was getting into the shower that I'd realize I dreamed the whole thing. 

I can see how some problems sleeping and having some weird dreams/reactions in the night can startle you awake like that.  Maybe if vivid flashbacks or dreams are in play, just having a routine where you talk yourself down and remind yourself they were just dreams, you can ride it out until you can just go back to sleep.  Sometimes simply recognizing something as your brain playing tricks on you can reduce its power. 

 

[quitforeverthenwin2]

I had this problem, I'd wake up and start moing or fantasizing almost before I was conciously aware of it.

Three things:

1) Sometimes letting urges build up before going to sleep would lead to this. Like say if I just got past urges enough to sleep, I'd wake up some hours later with it massively strong. The solution here was to handle any urges more thoroughly, going to bed later if necessary. Staying out of the bedroom for example.
2) Wear tighter underwear, that is not easy to take off, and perhaps add pajama pants. Wear something that is tight/ restrictive enough that it is not so easy to take off/reach into while half asleep. So you have time to catch yourself and "wake up".
3) Have a plan, visualize a plan. Okay you know this is a problem. Maybe go to sleep with an alternative activity right next to you, go to sleep planning and prepared for waking up with this strong urge. If you go to sleep with a plan, most likely you'll remember it as soon as you wake up with that urge. Then implement it of course.

 

[AlexthenotsoGreat]

Anyone else experience this? Any tips for not succumbing in those situations?

Thanks!

I've sometimes gone for a really long walk in the middle of the night. If you don't have responsibilities in the morning, like work or school, then this can help to calm you down. Staying at home is usually risky business until the urges cool off.

 

[logicprox]

Too many people provided good advice for me to go through and quote you all but thanks everyone. Going to try to incorporate a ton of this. Although I might be hitting a flatline so I'm thinking this problem won't be coming up much for a while haha.

 

[asa321]

I woke up late at night.W88And felt very frustrated Although some people will tell me to eat bananas before going to bed and will make sleep sound good.

 

[wecandoit]

I've sometimes gone for a really long walk in the middle of the night. If you don't have responsibilities in the morning, like work or school, then this can help to calm you down. Staying at home is usually risky business until the urges cool off.

Yes, changing the place is a good thing to do. It helps me. Many times when I stood there and tried to fight the urges I lost.