Sleep Troubles?
I have trouble falling asleep, but I'm very precise about times. I always go to bed at 10 every night and wake up at 10 minutes to 6 (for good) every morning. I actually fall asleep at 11:30 (PM) to 1:30 (AM), sleep until 3:00 (AM). Then I wake up, stay awake for half an hour, and then fall back asleep. Then I get up again at 5 (still AM). I stay awake for anywhere between 15-30 minutes, then doze off until 5:50 (still AM). If given the oppertunity, I take a nap in the afternoon. I can sleep fine during the day - anywhere from 11 (PM) until 6 (PM) I'll fall asleep and stay asleep until someone physically wakes me. But at night I can't. I still perform fine with what I get. It takes about half an hour for me to fully wake up, and for that entire half an hour I'm liable to be grouchy, but after that I'm fine.
My mother has tried everything to get me to sleep normally. She passes random orders which I keep up for about a week, and then stop. This is what she has tried:
1. No computer half an hour before 10.
2. No computer for an hour before 10.
3. No TV and computer an hour before 10.
4. No reading, TV, and computer an hour before 10.
5. No soda an hour before 10.
6. Warm milk before 10.
7. No warm milk an hour before 10. Especially if it has chocolate.
8. Wake up earlier.
9. Go to bed earlier.
10. No music an hour before 10.
11. No music after 10.
12. No music at all.
13. Turn on a light.
14. Turn off all lights.
15. Play soothing, jazz music. (Which kept me up even longer because I hate listening to jazz music.)
I will say this though - energy drinks put me to sleep very quickly. They also make me forget who I am, where I'm at, who I'm with, ect. I don't use them.
Thats the way I sleep but I wake up more. At least 5 times sometimes for an hour sometimes 10 minutes. And I love those afternoon naps. Nothing workes cosistantly to get me to sleep meds help but unrealible. My doctor want to do a sleep study.We are still getting info on that.
_________________
"Strange is your language and I have no decoder Why don't make your intentions clear..." Peter Gabriel
one1ai
Deinonychus
Joined: 3 Mar 2005
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 340
Location: / home / Earth / Sweden /
When I was single and had a very simple life, I used to be a great sleeper, unless there was something hugely stressful going on in my life, which happened 2 or 3 times. But I also got a lot more regular excersize then, which I think helps a lot.
After marrying my husband, I am a terrible sleeper, because our life is soooo hectic and we are under so much stress all the time. He has always been a terrible sleeper and has always had a very hectic life. He roams around in the middle of the night and wakes me and our baby up sometimes. Plus he can't make a decision to save his life, so everything is always temporary and totally chaotic.
In short, I think sleep is very positively affected by exercise and very negatively affected by chaos and stress.
Studies have indicated a large proportion of those on the autism spectrum do not produce enough melatonin (a sleep hormone).
I am now sleeping well on melatonin. My sleep-wake cycle occassionally gets totally messed up, in which case I use a strong sleep med for a few days to get it back into a reasonable sleep-wake time, then back onto using melatonin. I also take a low dose of amitryptiline (a tricyclic antidepressant) in the evening which helps me to relax enough to actually fall asleep.
_________________
No one will tell me who and what I am and can be.
I am now sleeping well on melatonin. My sleep-wake cycle occassionally gets totally messed up, in which case I use a strong sleep med for a few days to get it back into a reasonable sleep-wake time, then back onto using melatonin. I also take a low dose of amitryptiline (a tricyclic antidepressant) in the evening which helps me to relax enough to actually fall asleep.
Interesting...I've been trying melatonin for a couple of weeks and it is working well, not too drowsy in the morning either
_________________
Your Aspie score: 170 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 39 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
I am now sleeping well on melatonin. My sleep-wake cycle occassionally gets totally messed up, in which case I use a strong sleep med for a few days to get it back into a reasonable sleep-wake time, then back onto using melatonin. I also take a low dose of amitryptiline (a tricyclic antidepressant) in the evening which helps me to relax enough to actually fall asleep.
Interesting...I've been trying melatonin for a couple of weeks and it is working well, not too drowsy in the morning either
Light kills melatonin, so assuming the person who is taking melatonin is not taking WAY too much then any left over melatonin gets killed by the light when they get up.
Some research I saw (cant remember where) found no long term side effects of melatonin use, it is also non-addictive, so it is safer than other sleep drugs
_________________
No one will tell me who and what I am and can be.
I have a hard time going to sleep. I usually crash between 5-6am and sleep restlessly until 1pm. Then I'm groggy for the rest of the day until night time comes and I'm wide awake again. I possibly have sleep apea which could be why I have such a hard time sleeping.
_________________
Radda Radda
CuriousKitten
Velociraptor
Joined: 19 Mar 2012
Age: 64
Gender: Female
Posts: 487
Location: Deep South USA
I've had terrible trouble with insomnia since I was a child. Things that I've found help:
* Melatonin -- I take between 30 and 40 mg about an hour before bed.
* Valerian root -- similarly large dose. Also helps with anxiety.
* meditation -- helps me shut my mind off
* SAD light -- sit in front of it for up to an hour at the beginning of a wake cycle, to reset my remnants of an internal clock and to "burn off" any excess melatonin.
* "delta" music -- tracks engineered to induce delta waves. I don't need a soothing lullaby. I need something that has undertow and can pull me under. I use a netbook as an mp3 player and alarm clock and use tiny ear buds to listen. The head phones also help block out outside noises. When I was working, and had a work-issued smart phone, I used it as the mp3 player and alarm clock -- that also had the added benefit of making certain I heard the phone if anyone called me.
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
NHS begins treating sleep apnoea w/ pioneering chest implant |
23 Feb 2024, 2:32 pm |
Easy Online Sleep Study for Families of a Person w Autism! |
23 Feb 2024, 4:39 pm |