Stress Center Peer Support

My natural sleep cycle is all out of whack and I wondered if anyone else has similar problems and what they did to correct it. My body wants to sleep during the day and stay awake at night.

I've been on leave from work for the past two months and so I don't have a regular schedule. The pattern that I've fallen into is to not be able to fall asleep at night until about 5 AM. I then sleep until about 11 AM. When I get up, I don't feel rested and am very tired all day. Sometimes I have to nap midday, which usually is for about 2 hours. Occasionally, I'll feel tired in the evening and will be able to fall asleep at 9 or 10 PM, but I don't stay asleep for more than a few hours. Then I begin the cycle again.

I've already had a sleep study done and they've ruled out sleep apnea. Also, I've tried taking several sleep medications as prescribed by my doctor with little success.

I don't think my lack of a work schedule is the cause, since I had a fairly similar pattern when I was still working. I would just be very tired at work all day and then nap as soon as I got home. Even when I exercise during the day, I get sleepy again as soon as I stop. I'm not sure what to do at this point.

Hi Jamie
Shifra and I were talking about sleep deprivation a while back and she mentioned that the StressCenter.com has a sleep study tape and program. I guess you journal for 15 min before bed and some other things. I haven't had a problem sleeping,I sleep too much I think? I know that Augusts newsletter mentioned this topic and suggested no exercise food or caffeine or wine for 3 hours before bed. I know that when I have not been able to get decent sleep? It wasn't pretty..I hope you find rest soon.

Jilly~

Hey Jill!

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to need something a little stronger. To give you an example, I try reading at night to relax. Instead of falling asleep, I end up reading half a novel! I've tried meditation as well, and while I'm relaxed, I'm just not tired at night. It's very frustrating.

Hope you're well,
Jamie

Jill -

One more thing: I've been thinking of taking some more extreme measures. I wonder what would happen if I forced myself to stay awake until tomorrow night. I would be up for over 24 hours, but maybe I can start shifting my sleep cycle back to a more normal schedule. It might be worth a shot. But, you won't want to be around me in a few hours when I'm tired and have to stay up!

Jamie

Well
I wonder if you are perhaps a Vampire?? Or are you reading the wrong bedtime stuff? No Stephen King or John Grisham. Maybe books of classical poetry (not Edgar Allen Poe)? We were just talking about calming foods in the chatroom a bit. I Googled calming and relaxing foods and I got a list: turkey breast, couscous,yams, yogurt, apples, bananas and then on tv the other day I heard Celery is a natural sleep aid! So maybe a big turkey tossed salad before bed? washed down with milk? I had a friend use Tylenol PM for about a week to get back to her sleeping routine. I guess that helps alot of people. I am not sure the staying awake would be a good idea? It sounds too much like suffering.....

J~

Jill- Ha. My friends have also asked me if I was a vampire. I stay up all hours of the night. I am also very pale….

Searunner- Yes, I am in the same boat. I tried reading novels and ended up actually reading the whole book. After three days (and three novels...), I decided to try drinking tea at night. I have a special tea that is supposed to help you sleep. It...kind of...worked. I fell asleep, but I woke up (like you) in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. But, who knows. It might work for you.

I haven't tried prescription sleep aids, because I am afraid of addiction. However, I have taken Benadryl a few times at night, and it actually does help! I don’t take it anymore because I am sick of pills. But, you know…talk to your doctor before starting anything new.
I also use the relaxation CD.

Question. Do you think your sleep problems are more physical or mental? Finding this out could help you choose your tactics. Mine are most definitely mental. My mind is so creative at night that it is sometimes hard to will myself to sleep, because I don’t want to miss out on anything!
Good luck!
Pickingflowers

Jill -

I hope I'm not a vampire. I don't think I could make the trip to Romania, LOL! Truthfully, I find the best thing for me to eat at night is a light snack of simple carbs (e.g. crackers). I know it goes against the recommendations of the program, but it's what I find most helpful. I've been avoiding taking any sleep medications since they usually don't work or cause more problems. As for my reading, I don't think Harry Potter is too scary, is it? :p

PF -

What kind of tea are you drinking? I've heard other people have success with chamomile tea. I've used Benedryl also, but I find it only helps if I'm already tired enough to go to sleep. Kind of strange, don't you think?

I don't know the answer to the mental versus physical for me. I think it might be a bit of both. I definitely have symptoms of depression, so this might just be one more manifestation.

Jamie

Jamie
sorry you are still struggling with this. It seems to be fairly common among us anxious folk.
I will pray you get a good nights sleep real
soon!!

PF I hope you get some good sleep real soon too. I can imagine how hard it must be long term to not get decent sleep. I know for me I am not to nice to be around.My patience just gets too thin.

Jill~

Thanks, Jill! I really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Jamie

Jill- Thank you! Yes, I have little patience for it too. I try really hard not to take it out on other people though

Jamie- It is called "Sleepytime Extra Wellness Tea" It is in a blue and white-ish box, and I get mine at wallmart. It has chamomile in it, but it also has a little bit of a minty flavor. It's really good. It also has a cute little bear on the front which is, of course, the reason why I buy it.