[markhollis]

My biggest sleep challenge is that I have consistently bad sleep when I go to sleep when I’m not tired. I go to sleep at 22:20. I wake up at 6:30. I don’t feel well rested when I wake up. However, the next, I will sleep well, because I have enormous sleep pressure. I think this forces my body to have restorative, deep sleep.

My problem causes me to have the following pattern: good sleep, bad sleep, good sleep, bad sleep and so on. So I have a good day, bad day, good day, bad day and so on.

One thing I learned is not going to sleep when not tired, but I don’t really dare to do this, because I have to work. Perhaps I should even go to sleep later than 22:20.

I already went to a general practitioner and a neurologist. My GP prescribed me some sleeping pills. I have taken this for a year now, but I build off those pills. My neurologist suggested me to go to a psychiatrist, because I tend to have depressive thoughts. However, I think it would be a bigger help already if I fix my sleep pattern. I think my psychological problems and my sleep problems have become interdependent, reinforcing each other.

[markhollis]

I should add that I’m 27 (and male). I have had sleep problems since my puberty.

[Martin Reed]

This sounds like a relatively straightforward issue — it seems that, at the current time, you are allotting too much time for sleep. As a result, you are often going to bed before you are sleepy enough for sleep — and this, as is to be expected, leads to sleep difficulties.

Then, the following night, because sleep drive is higher, you are able to sleep well.

Observing a more appropriate sleep window will likely lead to far more consistent sleep. Going to bed before sufficiently sleepy for sleep is very common among people with chronic insomnia — and is a primary perpetuating factor behind insomnia.

Just as we wouldn’t sit at the dinner table waiting to get hungry, we shouldn’t be getting into bed until we feel sleepy (which is not the same as feeling tired/fatigued).

You might find this page on sleep restriction helpful.

You might also find this video about sleep drive helpful.

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