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Hey Martin / All – I hope you are well.
So an update, unfortunately I stopped the 6hr SR, it got to the point where I was getting some chest ache and my heart was pounding so hard, I had to relax the restriction and now the relaxed current situation is, 7hrs TTIB, and I wake at 4.5hrs then just rest and generally do not manage to return to sleep. Back in 2017 with 7hrsTTIB, getting up, and returning to bed did allow me to get an extra hour sleep 5.5/6hrs total sleep.
What I have learned from my most recent SR is as I sleep restrict more, down to 6hrs, then my awakening became stronger/more angry, and then keeps me up awake and unable to return to sleep.
Thus I am unsure what to try next?
Remember this has been occurring for 3 years now, AND the pattern is basically unchanged and exactly the same I wake after around 4.5hrs. By bedtime I am very tired, huge sleep drive and drop off very quickly. So when I wake, what it is that generally happens, is that I feel my heart to be beating harder, at the moment since easing up on the SR (from 6hrs to 7hrs), this has eased up allot. I wake and generally now my heart I am not feeling as much.
I have tried a few supplements to ease any possible ‘anxiety’, I say like this as I still do not feel sure about what it is thats the cause, L-Theanine did offer some relaxed calm feeling, but the awakening was exactly the same. 1mg time release melatonin, did offer calming properties, it calmed my heart upon wakening, extended my sleep time to 5.5-6hrs ish but it did not make for a good feeling the next day, I still felt fatigued and groggy, so I stopped this. I have tried elimination diets and this proved not helpful.
is stress the only cause? stress and a brain habit of waking up in fear I have to defend myself at this time? or I should stop thinking about sleep completely, I am everyday, and im possibly creating some fear of it? Although i feel very relieved when I do get to climb into bed.
My diary: https://docs.zoho.com/sheet/published.do?rid=ccp4r8ef9c2fe3d2c4da08dda257bf35d55e3
You can see tabs for: TODAY – last few days showing relaxed 7hrs and 4.5hrs sleep pattern, JANFEB2019 when I tried sleep restriction for 6/7 wks got sleep to 5/5.5hrs in the last few days of weeks of effort, and 2017 – with the same pattern of waking after about 4.5hrs but back then I was able to rise and return to sleep a bit an hour later.
By daytime, I am generally not anxious, or mildly anxious about sleep, I guess mildly depressed due to sleep. I tried Celexa for one day! and felt terrible, any ideas if I took this drug more seriously for some months would it help sleep?
I know >5.5hrs or more and I can feel very good!!!!
I am committed to attempt another bought of SR, but only if it is going to be effective… I mean when I wake after 4.5hrs and return to bed say in an hour after I get sleepy again at 5.5hrs… that leaves half an hour of possible sleep time, it doesnt really work does it? Im looking for the best strategy here.. and majorly struggling, in life!!
ECG shows my heart is ok. All other blood tests showed no organ function problems.
Hey Martin, I hope that you are well. So I thought I’d post an update, I have stuck with the same 6 hour window 11pm-5am, strict up at 5 (since 26/01), In the past I had helf more severe (5.5hrs) restriction since 01/01.
Speaking only about the past 2 weeks, everynight by 11pm I can hardly keep myself awake, having to walk around a little to stop myself nodding off. It feels beru unnatural to do this, but I force myself. Now, I get around 80-85% efficency, so on average 5hrs of the 6 are asleep.
However there are some blips twice waking at 2:30am removing myself from bed and later returning unable to return to sleep, on the other nights mostly I wake now around 4am, once I woke to the alarm. With 5 hours I wake without headache, and can function (not 100% but not feeling dead like I was with 3.5hrs) ok for most of the day until 4pm ish, then onwards I start getting increasingly tired and achy. So 5 hours isn’t enough for me, a little more would be good. Tinnitus continues, it’s milder on days with better sleep.
I have completely stopped logging any sort of a diary and I have not been thinking about sleep, as to remove any possible worry my brain may have been holding on to. Meditation every day. I’m active everyday. Food is simple and nutritious, no stimulents.
This is where maybe I feel I’ve got a point where I’m not improving furthe.
I didn’t take any antidepressants or any pills at all, I felt them to be completely unnecessary and my GP freely prescribes!
This is where maybe I feel I’ve got a point where I’m not improving further, so I am here to ask for advice on the best course of action, do I wait out further at 6 hours to see more solid consistency? Or should I expect blips and now I’ve achieved a good sleep efficiency statt extending outward. I think the first is the best option. I don’t believe further restricting would help, my body is already exhausted.
Thank you for any advice and tips.Best regards from over the pond, Dale.
Something else to note I’m taking no naps, even if I wanted I think the daytime is not easy for me to do so. I am trying mediation everyday, and from today I’m banning myself searching the internet for answers, your forum is my only resource! I think you are correct, as is my wife 🙂 I need to reduce my worry. If I just know what is the best plan to stick at… In terms of sleep window time.
Hey Martin, thank you kindly for your reply, I am very very grateful. 0 = get in bed, though it’s to the right of the 0 I get in bed, it’s a marker so my spreddy can calculate itself. 1= asleep 2=awake. I have moved my sleep time around abit but it’s not a fixed get up at 5am no matter what, and bed at 11pm or if not tired stay awake a bit longer, although I can every time get to sleep. When I wake, I will try to sleep for ten or so minutes if not I get up go to another room and read a book in dim lighting or I’m experimenting with listening to a relaxation meditation.
Yes I see some improvement in % sleep efficiency, but isn’t most of this just due to reduced TTIB?
A planned addition is that as it is dark here at 5am, I have also purchased a SAD light so I can give my body a morning wake up signal nice and early on… Atleast that’s the idea.
I am currently at 6hr sleep window, given I achieved a good sleep before with a 7hr window, should I go 7hrs? Or stick at 6hrs? What I felt like is with when I tried the 5.5hr window I didn’t really gice myself any chance to get up out of bed, chill and go return to sleep there wasn’t enough time for that, but then maybe that’s the point 🙂
