[Marvin]

Before COVID I could fall asleep easily but during the first few months of COVID I began to sleep late and not get out of bed when I wake up in the morning and be on my phone DOOM Scrolling till 10am . So now when I try to go to bed I can’t sleep and when I try to go to bed I end up not doing it. I did a sleep study and I recently learned I have sleep Apnea. Now I have a sleep Apnea but now the issue is to learn to sleep again but to also adjust to my CPAP machine.
Nights during lockdown I would be worried about COVID and playing games or watching Netflix till 2 am or 3am and would wake up at 8am or 9am which before lockdown I would wake up to go to college.
so now I am now having anxiety sleep and worried I might die or stress when the late evening comes with “what if I won’t sleep tonight”?
I am security officer and I feel sleepy during work and when I try to go to bed by the time I get home I don’t feel that sense of sleepiness. The sleepniess was so hard I would need to throw water in my face or go outside to get fresh air to keep myself awake.
Please I need some advice.

[hiker]

Hi Marvin, sorry to hear you are having such a tough time.

I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP. I also had a number of other reasons for insomnia. I suspect you have figured out that worries about Covid, doom scrolling and late-night screen time perpetuate insomnia. So I will just address the CPAP and your work schedule.

Sleep coaches work with sleep medicine physicians and specialize in using CPAPs. Medical equipment supply stores also have people who are familiar with the various models of machines, hoses, filters, etc. It may take some digging, but I am confident you will find someone knowledgeable. Performance Home Medical, located at least in Washington State, is a good source and may be able to refer you to someone or some company in your area.

I also used to work nights, which I assume you have to do at least some of the time as a security officer. There is no getting around the circadian rhythm issue, i.e. that we all kind of fade around 4:00 am. But if that’s your shift, the way to make the best of it is still set up a regular sleep schedule. I asked other night workers and found the following worked best for me: get off work 8:30 a.m.; stay up, doing whatever until noon (the way day shift workers don’t go to bed right after work, either); sleep about noon–6:00 p.m., go to work later that evening.

Not saying this is an absolute blueprint, it just worked fairly well for me.

Final point is about sleep anxiety, freaking out when you can’t sleep. Man, I have been there. There are a few things where trying harder does not help, including getting to sleep.

I typically wake up a couple of times during the night. I have thoughts that I won’t be able to get back to sleep. I let the thoughts just drift on by, telling myself that I would rather get back to sleep, but you know what, I have had thousands of nights where I could not, and I made it through the next day, as in 100% of the time. (I am not saying you will have many years of insomnia; I had huge, long term emotional problems to work through.)

Take care, Marvin. I really believe you will get through this.

[Marvin]

Well the thing it started back in August to do mandatory at my job at night but only on Sundays. Don’t know if that contributed to my sleep problem or maybe it did but I never had this problem going on before COVID. I know i gave myself anixety by thinking too much and i have been talking to a therapist who has made it a bit great and so far I have done very well during the day, If anything i am fine during the day and also here’s the thing, I went to bed at 1:30am last night and woke up at 7:13am. I still woke up but went back to bed easily. I think I am making a breakthrough a little bit

[Martin Reed]

It sure sounds like you are making progress, Marvin! Thanks for the update!

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[Marvin]

I think in my case I just have to let go of trying and just do it. Since Septemeber I have been pushing myself to do it but yesterday in the evening I just surrendered and wrote it out how I felt and just let my mind process it. It will take time and i won’t push it but recovery will come and I will be thankful.

[Author]

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