[pct-l] Can't sleep

[Eric Lee]

Eugene wrote:
>
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've definitely had this problem.  A couple of thoughts:

First, getting a better sleeping pad helped me tremendously.  For whatever
reason (maybe I'm just a wimp), I can't sleep well on thin pads.  The
Ridgerest and Z-Rest are right out.  Even the lightweight Thermarest pads
don't give me enough padding.  My body hurts a lot all night and I
constantly wake up, check my watch, and think, "Dang, has it really been
ONLY half an hour since I last checked the time?!?"  Not fun.

The solution for me was to use a thicker sleeping pad like the Big Agnes Air
Core Mummy pad.  I don't remember the exact weights off the top of my head
but it's about the same as the lightweight Thermarests and only a few ounces
more than a Ridgerest, so it's not a huge weight penalty.  The disadvantage
is that it's not self-inflating so it takes a few minutes to blow it up, but
it makes a huge difference.  I can sleep without pain which is worth a whole
lot of ounces.

Second, I never sleep well on the trail the first few days of the season.
My mind is just too keyed up to the strange environment with its noises and
smells and whatnot.  It usually takes me about four or five nights before I
can sleep most of the night through without consciously waking up.  For me,
it just takes time to adjust to the new normal.  Or maybe it's because by
the fifth night I'm too exhausted to wake up much.  :-)

Third, balancing my hydration is always tricky.  If I drink too much water
during the day then I have to pee multiple times during the night, but if I
don't drink enough I wake up multiple times with a parched mouth and cracked
lips.  At home I rarely have such problems but out on the trail my body just
doesn't know how to strike the right balance.  I've found the problem
usually gets better after a few days.

Eric