Ah sleep disorders! My favorite topic. Just check my ATS name. I have EXACTLY the same issues as the OP. If I fall asleep before about 10-11PM then
I'll be up ALL the AM hours. If I fall asleep after say 1-2AM, then I sleep until the afternoon. If I fall asleep earlier than what I'm used to, I
wake up only a few short hours later feeling better than I ever have. Otherwise, I tend to sleep about 12 (yes, 12! and sometimes more!) hours
daily!
A neurologist (sleep specialist) told me that it's more important WHEN we sleep and not how many hours. Our bodies have a unique cycle sometimes.
A meditation expert told me that when falling asleep before midnight, each hour is like sleeping 2 hours.
My unique cycle was likely set and influenced by my already abnormal sleep patterns caused by my narcolepsy. My environment growing up didn't help
either. My family never set restrictions on my bedtime or anything like that. So in the summers I would usually stay up very late hours and sleep all
day.
I've tried it all, lunesta, ambien, natural sleep aids, melatonin, and even the mighty trazedone didn't help me get to sleep when I needed to. (I hope
this isn't against T&C)
None of the stimulants worked very well on me either to wake me up. I've tried em all. Too many side-effects and not enough benefits.
I experience both extreme drowsiness and bouts of insomnia. It is difficult for people to understand how I can experience insomnia with a sleeping
disorder that leaves me continually drowsy. It's not fun haha!
Ask your doctor about having a sleep study done. There are a lot of sleeping disorders out there and they affect individuals in unique ways. Good luck
edit on 12-9-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha because: (no reason given)
edit on 12-9-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha because: (no
reason given)
edit on 12-9-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha because: (no reason given)
edit on 12-9-2012 by NarcolepticBuddha
because: (no reason given)