EPT
I got in bed at 11:30. I tossed and turned, feeling really tired but not being able to fall asleep until 1:30 when I got out of bed and decided to listen to something boring. I figured I'd fall asleep eventually, but that doesn't look like its happening tonight.
This sleeping thing is affecting my grades. I might lose a scholarship I need next semester because I often can't wake up for class, or I'm so out of it in class that its just not worth it.
I googled "sleep troubles" and came across this:
Hi. I am a 28 year old girl from Nottingham, England. I have had trouble sleeping since I was about 18. I am awake at night and very tired in the day. I just can't wait up at all. At the end of the day, I go home exhausted but then at 10.00 I seem to wake up! This is so annoying. In the end, I get tearful. I also have nightmares and think there is a ghost in my bedroom for which I keep switching the light on and looking round my room. I get headaches and feel and look terrible all day. I also have anxiety too. I have heard about lightboxes being able to help sleep disorders also something to do with cortisone levels. Could you enlighten me on this? Is there any alternative health treatments worth investigating e.g. hypnotherapy, herbs etc etc.
This is me. This is my exact problem. And it was answered by this:
Hi Jo,
This sounds like delayed sleep phase syndrome, and that's what the light boxes are used for. Another possibility that might help you is the food supplement melatonin, but I don't know if it's available in Great Britain or not. It's sold in health food stores and drugstores in the U.S., but here in Canada, where I live, it isn't available.
This sounds like delayed sleep phase syndrome, and that's what the light boxes are used for. Another possibility that might help you is the food supplement melatonin, but I don't know if it's available in Great Britain or not. It's sold in health food stores and drugstores in the U.S., but here in Canada, where I live, it isn't available.
More info (from wiki):
+ Show Spoiler +
Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS), also known as delayed sleep-phase disorder (DSPD) or delayed sleep-phase type (DSPT), is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, a chronic disorder of the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, core body temperature, hormonal and other daily rhythms relative to societal norms. People with DSPS tend to fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning.
Often, people with the disorder report that they cannot sleep until early morning, but fall asleep at about the same time every "night". Unless they have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea in addition to DSPS, patients can sleep well and have a normal need for sleep. Therefore, they find it very difficult to wake up in time for a typical school or work day. If, however, they are allowed to follow their own schedules, e.g. sleeping from 4 a.m. to noon, they sleep soundly, awaken spontaneously, and do not experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
The syndrome usually develops in early childhood or adolescence. An adolescent version disappears in adolescence or early adulthood; otherwise it is a lifelong condition. Depending on the severity, it can be to a greater or lesser degree treatable. Prevalence among adults, equally distributed among women and men, is approximately 0.15% or three in 2000.
DSPS was first formally described in 1981 by Dr. Elliot D. Weitzman and others at Montefiore Medical Center. It is responsible for 7–10% of patient complaints of chronic insomnia. However, as few doctors are aware of its existence, it often goes untreated or is treated inappropriately; DSPS is frequently misdiagnosed as primary insomnia or as a psychiatric condition.
Often, people with the disorder report that they cannot sleep until early morning, but fall asleep at about the same time every "night". Unless they have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea in addition to DSPS, patients can sleep well and have a normal need for sleep. Therefore, they find it very difficult to wake up in time for a typical school or work day. If, however, they are allowed to follow their own schedules, e.g. sleeping from 4 a.m. to noon, they sleep soundly, awaken spontaneously, and do not experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
The syndrome usually develops in early childhood or adolescence. An adolescent version disappears in adolescence or early adulthood; otherwise it is a lifelong condition. Depending on the severity, it can be to a greater or lesser degree treatable. Prevalence among adults, equally distributed among women and men, is approximately 0.15% or three in 2000.
DSPS was first formally described in 1981 by Dr. Elliot D. Weitzman and others at Montefiore Medical Center. It is responsible for 7–10% of patient complaints of chronic insomnia. However, as few doctors are aware of its existence, it often goes untreated or is treated inappropriately; DSPS is frequently misdiagnosed as primary insomnia or as a psychiatric condition.
In addition to this, also find food disgusting in the mornings, but not all mornings.
I need help. I need to fix this. It is literally turning me into an emotionless robot, and I'm starting to have thoughts that I can't control (really nasty ones). I find myself laughing less, being less happy and more negative (despite a too-optimistic outlook). The world doesn't operate on my schedule (except for breaks).
