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Thanks Ptalwar for your message and encouragement. My sleeping will get better. I know it will and I will do everything I can to change it. My friend once told me that our life is a like a rubber band. For whatever reason we all get strectched and pulled out of shape from time to time but we always come back to being the original shape we were meant to be. I will come back to my original shape – I know it. Just might take some time as you say!! I am so pleased that you have made significant improvements in your sleeping patterns. I have also noticied improvements in my sleeping from where I was last year as well so I think your right when you have to give it time. I have sent you a personal message. All the best, Darrin.
Hi PatO,
Thanks for the welcome to the group. I am going to have to start getting out of bed as being in bed awake is associating the brain with 'It's ok to lie here and not be asleep'. I too will have to start a journal recording my sleeping habits and hygiene. One integral part of the program I will be resuming is to stay up atleast 1 hour past your normal bedtime. The author warns that you may get less sleep in the short term, but in the long term it will be resetting the biological clock and as sleep comes easier you can start winding back the lateness of going to bed and slowly get to bed earlier over time. My issue is sleep on-set. Getting to sleep. Once I am asleep no problems, I don't wake up and if I do I can go right back to sleep usually without a problem. I have a friend, a fellow police officer who has to be in bed every night by 9.30pm as she will be awake anytime from 1-2am and will stay awake the rest of the night. She has been like this her entire life. She limits personal activities in the evening as she has to be in bed ready to go to sleep at her appointed time. Sometime she lays there for a while before going to sleep. She too is trying the program and had some early success, once even sleeping till about 4.30am. She came in to work absolutely glowing and on cloud nine. She had not slept that good in a very very long time. I forgot to mention it but I am also taking powder magnesium as well as it can have great effects on insomnia. I might double the dose to one tsp in the morning and another at night. I am really amazed at something which I have managed to do automatically for 41 years, now somehow for some reason eludes me. I would like to see/hear from someone who can dispel the myths associated with insomnia. I think this in turn would ease my sleep anxiety a little. I wish you the best of luck PatO.
'fishyherring10' wrote on '15:Hi, I was interested to read your story. I have suffered from insomnia for about three and a half years now, and like you and many on this site, I have not been unable to find any satisfactory cure. From your shift pattern you sound like a fireman. If you are, you might be interested to know that I am one of the six Scientific Advisors to London Fire Brigade and understand the workings of the fire service quite well. Getting enough sleep to be able to function well at work is always a challenge, but I have to say that after all this time my body has adapted to much less sleep – I think you will find that too, although sound sleep is a dream we all pursue.
Anyway, perhaps we can speak again. Hope you find sleep somewhere – a last question – do you think your shift work has had something to do with your insomnia? Take care.
My email is [email protected] – drop me a line sometime.
Nigel
G'day Nigel,
I knew it was a great idea joining this forum – I have met you already! Close with your choice of occupation. Policeman actually, but your educated guess as a fireman is spot an as that is what firemen work here in NSW. I do think that my shiftwork has enabled me to have less sleep in my life. Two nights a week I was doing the opposite to what my body wanted, and in the same vein, 2 days a week as well (working at night when it wanted to sleep and sleeping during the day when I should have been awake!!). My commander was very supportive during my initial period of depression and sleeplessness and put me in a daytime administrative position (which worked to their advantage as well!). I have not done nights now since August last year, but alas, no usual sleep pattern has returned. The funny thing is Nigel, before this I was on holiday in Europe and sleeping everynight fantastically well. I supposed my mind was switched off and enjoying the holidays. I had trouble sleeping in Hong Kong for a few nights on the way home as a stop over. I remember one morning waking up with what I describe as a cloud of despair hanging over me. For some strange reason, I thought something was wrong at home. Nevertheless, I thought it would blow over especially after I got home and checked up on all my family, but it never. It got worse – to the point where I went into a short lived depression. One psychologist that deals with police related people trotted out the old PTSD one size fits all diagnosis! From that point on, I can honestly say I have not been the same person. The rounds of doctors, medications, psychologists, acupuncture visits, hypnotherapy sessions, self-hypnosis mp3 downloads and cds which promised to end insomnia in one night!! One good thing though, the anxiety of when I can't sleep is getting much better. It was terrible in the beginning. Now, I can last the night relatively relaxed, but still frustrated at not being able to sleep again for no real reason. I am going to try and refrain from using the Avanza medication tonight and for a few nights just to see how I go. I know a sleepless night will have no impact on me being able to perform my duties. My wife thinks I should just give up and accept it as being part of my life now. I think she might be right. If I do that, who knows, I just might be letting go of something that is holding me back and things may improve. I am interested in your work studies. I know there are people in my line of work who have sleeping problems. I often hear of people having trouble sleeping and describing all the medications both prescription and OTC that they use. I thought I was alone … now I know very differently. There are so many people out there now with sleep issues it's amazing. I think it's because we live in a 24/7 world. You can now buy groceries at 2am at your local supermarket… How do you cope when you can't sleep? Do you stay in bed or get up? I am curious to know and speak with those that suffer from sleep anxiety issues and how they cope. I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that if I don't sleep – it will be OK, I won't go down in a screaming heap like I did initially. I will eventually sleep when the body wants me to. That for me is the hardest part – not the actual lack of sleep. Make sense???
Cheers,
Darrin
