Sleepiness...

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Anyone else alternate between insomnia and being constantly sleepy and requring daily naps?

I can't even stay awake to do my Arts and Crafts some days and that is saying something as I do love them so very much. Today I have napped most of the day away as I am so exhausted I can hardly stay awake. It's not a natural feeling tiredness, its a heavy drowsiness that feels like I have been sedated.

I don't think it's depression...the worse my mood the more likely I am to have insomnia. It could be the sugar blast I got yesterday from the Thortons chocolates I don't usually eat but which my local shop has been selling recently or I could be wiped out from yesterdays round of social chit chat on the interwebs.

I sometimes feel like I have a sleep disorder. I did ask for a sleep study for my daytime drowsiness as most days it can significantly affect my functioning and the paleo diet has not completely erradicated it. They would not send me for one, instead they tried to push antidepressants on me which I won't take without proof that there isn't a sleep disorder affecting me. My sleep has always been bad and I've been complaining about it since I was a teenager (I started needing afternoon naps back then). I have always had trouble with waking up at night either for no reason or to use the loo, difficulty getting up in the morning (some days), sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations (a tendancy to start dreaming before I am fully asleep or falling straight into a dream when I do sleep) and lately even nodding off during the day.

At one point I got fed up with being woken up by old people on the bus...I will fall asleep anywhere when I go horribly drowsey the way I am feelng now, although I just woke from an unusually long nap and am feeling what can only be described as a sleep hangover. I want to go back to sleep but I just slept for 3 hours. I don't usually nap that long, I think the processed sugar I ate yesterday has made things worse. On lower carb/glycemic load paleo diet I usually only nap for a few minutes and wake up almost fully between sleeps...today though I can hardly wake my brain up at all.

Anyone else have similar issues?

I still think I need a sleep study...my drs are useless.

I get really tired when I experience sensory overload. Such as too much noise or being around people where I had to talk socially with. I have insomnia when I get overly into my favorite topic. I can't sleep because I can't stop researching it.

Yes, I'm having a little trouble with sleep at the moment due to having a lot of things on my mind. I wake up repeatedly during the night and find it very difficult to fall back to sleep. Fatigue during the day will will plaque me when I don't get enough physical activity, which isn't very often this time of year.

You mention sleep paralysis - I have that periodically. It always seems to be accompanied by odd voices. One time not terribly long ago when it occurred I heard this strange sounding man on a loudspeaker, but everything he said was gibberish -- then he lapsed into maniacal laughter. Very odd.

I have other conditions attributing to my occasional bouts of daytime fatigue and sleepiness...the main one, being Fibromyalgia.

I can go for a full day and work 12-14 hours doing hard, physical labour but then, I'm floored for a week, so I have to pace myself and I haven't been quite able to set that pace yet.

Another thing is that my diet is deficient in Vitamin D, Melatonin and Iron - all things necessary for the achievement of a 'good night's sleep'.

Often, doctors (quacks) are too quick to label 'depression' as being the cause of insomnia, when there may be other causes and worry is a main one. You don't need to be depressed to be worried...maybe a friend is ill...maybe exams are coming up...maybe you are going for a promotion at work...and certain things just keep on playing in your mind over and over and you can't find the 'off' switch.

If there aren't any other symptoms, depression should be the last thing looked at!

Here are some tips I have learned over the years.

1. Have a fairly regimented time for going to sleep and waking up.

Say to yourself 'right! I am going to bed no later than 11pm and waking up no later than 7am...that's 8 hours right there and that's how many hours they say a person is 'sposed to sleep for...' and DO IT!! no matter what or when (do not make allowances for weekends).

2. Have a bed-time 'ritual'.

Put cat out, put pajamas on, brush teeth, make sure all the lights are off, say prayers etc and do that to get your body used to the fact 'oh we are going to bed now, are we?' at first, it will resist and fight you, like a small child, but it can be disciplined.

3. Remove everything from your bedroom that is not a bed.

Associate your bedroom with 'this is where I sleep' only...no TV, no phone, no books, no laptop or gameboy...going to bed, means going to sleep.

4. Make sure you are exposed to 45-60 minutes of sunlight or bright light twice daily, between the hours of 8-11am and 2-6pm.

This will do two things:

A. The sunlight/bright lights at this time will balance your circadian rhythms and tell your body/brain 'hey, this is what daylight looks like...this is the time I should be awake! the opposite of this is darkness...night time and what happens at night time? I go to sleep' &

B. Increase your body's stores of vitamin D to create Melatonin to regulate this awake/asleep cycle.

5. If you are having trouble sleeping, any/all of the below can help:

Yoga Nidra (my personal fave):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga-nidra

Warm Milk and Honey (tryptophan hit)
Chamomile or Valerian Tea
A Lavender or Hops sachet near your pillow (I use essential Violet Oil like Socrates)
Relaxation Tapes (or light classical music)
A hot bath with Lavender Oil and Oats
Nice fresh, crisp sheets.
A well ventilated and temperature controlled room (a LOT of the problems with insomnia relate to poor ventilation and humidity)
Don't eat a heavy meal or drink any caffeine drinks for at least 3 hours before retiring (very important)
Visualisation and breathing exercises to get rid of worry and overthinking...

If you are feeling tired during the day:

1. Go to the toilet and splash water on your face.
2. Go outside and get some fresh air and sunlight for 5-10 minutes (if you can).
3. Put on some lively and jumpy music.
4. Have some coffee (but not too much), peppermint or ginger tea.
5. Try a vitamin B supplement early morning with a high-fibre breakfast.

Anyway, I could go on but I'll stop there and I hope I helped somewhat.

I require daily naps. I don't really have a 24 hr clock, I think, because there are times of day when I just can't sleep. Especially if I'm doing something I enjoy.