Music Production Insomnia

hubsmoke · Post by **hubsmoke** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:22 am

It wasn't so bad when I started messing around with making tunes this past summer. Staying up until 8 or 9am was no problem, as I had little to no responsibilities. But now during the school year it's just awful, because I actually have to "get up" at 7am everyday and get to school by 9am. I consistently get less than 4 hours of sleep every night and I stay up all night at least 2 times a week...just working on tunes. I'm extremely tired.

I am very aware that the stuff I'm making isn't up to par with "professional" producers, so part of me feels a bit silly having this obsession, it's like "oh, yeah, all I do is this...all the time...and it's only halfway decent"... but it's just that every time I make a new track or a new synth I feel that I'm progressing, and that is what makes it very addictive.

Just tinkering and making new sounds is just about all I do with my time and I really really enjoy it.

Well, I dunno, I've become a bit dependent on benadryl and melatonin in order to force myself to sleep at least a little bit every night...But I take those pills knowing that I'm going to fight them later, and unfortunately I put up a good fight.

Am I completely losing touch with reality?

DZA · Post by **DZA** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:27 am

nope, i the same with the sleep thing, go sleep bout 3am wake up at about 7.30am get a coffee and smoke a cigarette sit behind reason making a tune, synths or sampling all day eat go back on reason, watch tv go sleep start over. does my head in sometimes but aint got fuck all else to do rather to this what the shit i used to do

sonigo · Post by **sonigo** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 11:34 am

I have the same problem... didn't find a solution yet. :/

DZA · Post by **DZA** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 12:38 pm

PhillandDodd wrote:Sleepings for pussys

Fucking hell you must sleep 23 hours a day then

rendr · Post by **rendr** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:28 pm

Keep at it, I used to stay up 2-3 nights in a row working on music. But now i'm too lazy and go to sleep a 5.00am and wake up at 3.00pm!

DZA · Post by **DZA** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:31 pm

Rendr wrote:Keep at it, I used to stay up 2-3 nights in a row working on music. But now i'm too lazy and go to sleep a 5.00am and wake up at 3.00pm!

that was my sleeping pattern bout a month ago, my body clock is pure fucked

ecliptic · Post by **ecliptic** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 2:58 pm

YOU SNOOZE... YOU LOOSE!!!

truncated · Post by **truncated** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 3:32 pm

have similar problem except it's just the fact i can't sleep, brain doesn't switch off until the point where im completely knackered,

which is usually only about 2 hours before i have to get up.

why can't my uni lectures start in the afternoon

b-lam · Post by **b-lam** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:03 pm

Truncated wrote:have similar problem except it's just the fact i can't sleep, brain doesn't switch off until the point where im completely knackered,

which is usually only about 2 hours before i have to get up.

why can't my uni lectures start in the afternoon

i've had this problem, and as much as it seems like you're wasting half an hour where you could be makin tunes, reading a (light fiction) book for half an hour before bed does the trick..

truncated · Post by **truncated** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:08 pm

B-LAM wrote:
Truncated wrote:have similar problem except it's just the fact i can't sleep, brain doesn't switch off until the point where im completely knackered,

which is usually only about 2 hours before i have to get up.

why can't my uni lectures start in the afternoon
i've had this problem, and as much as it seems like you're wasting half an hour where you could be makin tunes, reading a (light fiction) book for half an hour before bed does the trick..

i use tv, see due to insomnia ive watched every scrubs episode probably about 10 times through thats alot of episodes!

so i know nearly every word off by heart i can have it in the background and my brain can just follow that and not go off on a million tangents about how my socks don't seem as comfortable as they did 6 months ago

breaksbaron · Post by **breaksbaron** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:13 pm

I used to be the same when first started production, it's the honeymoon period, but if you still feel the same way after 3 years, god help you.

There should come a time when you take week long breaks, and only enter the studio, when inpiration beckons. Making music through the night, when you know you have to wake up early, is all apart of the love for this game.

ecliptic · Post by **ecliptic** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:35 pm

You shouldn't trust your ears at night, as the hairs in your cochlea that are responsible for hearing become tired and you don't perceive sound correctly

spencertron · Post by **spencertron** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:00 pm

Ecliptic wrote:You shouldn't trust your ears at night, as the hairs in your cochlea that are responsible for hearing become tired and you don't perceive sound correctly

yes but by the same token...sleep gives you cancer!

what to do? what to do?

ecliptic · Post by **ecliptic** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:02 pm

Fuck, now im gonna go into a coma, not asleep, not awake and make beats in my head

bioside · Post by **bioside** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:31 pm

The_Dza88 wrote:
PhillandDodd wrote:Sleepings for pussys
Fucking hell you must sleep 23 hours a day then

I lol'd.

Keep track of time and when you see it's around 11PM tell yourself sleep is more valuable than producing dub.

Then contemplate suicide, cry a little, and keep making dub.

futures_untold · Post by **futures_untold** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:02 pm

Muchus lolus at the whole thread

Regular excercise a few times a week and staring at natural things will help you withdraw from screen addiction.

stenchman · Post by **stenchman** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:08 pm

i dont have work till 2 most days so im ok. fucks me when i have an early tho proper.

spencertron · Post by **spencertron** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:13 pm

Stenchman wrote:i dont have work till 2 most days so im ok. fucks me when i have an early tho proper.

exactly the same for me...afternoon start at work i'm cool to be makin music till 3-4am, but an early start...i may aswell leave the workstation alone for the evening.

Disco Nutter · Post by **Disco Nutter** » Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:10 pm

Luckily, I don't have this problem. Sometimes if I'm really inspired I will stay up to around 3-4 o'clock but rarely.

Music Production Insomnia

Music Production Insomnia

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