[narcolepsy-can-cause-insomnia]

Hi!
Most of my sleep during the day is microsleep, where I fall asleep (with my eyes open) for a couple of seconds  Other than that, I often feel half awake but don’t fall asleep. Concentrating while sitting still is difficult because it leads to feeling like a sleep zombie. hen my symptoms are bad, I have to take 15 minute naps up to three times a day on top of medicine. Sleep doctors have said that the problem of ruining sleep pressure if you sleep during the day is not the same in narcolepsy as it is in those without narcolepsy. Naps are part of the treatment. I wouldn’t say my daytime symptoms are under control, in part because the daytime meds seem to make my insomnia worse, so I try not to take them unless it’s unavoidable.  If I don’t nap when needed, it really gets my adrenaline and whatever else going, then I am even less likely to sleep at night.

The thing about insomnia for me is that I think I psych myself out even worse because I know I have a sleep disorder. I’m not sure how not to think about it when I am constantly have to make decisions about when to nap or take medications. How can I mentally separate my daytime need to monitor my alertness, from the process of sleep at night? I do have some comparatively good nights of sleep, so I know they are physiologically possible. How can I make them more likely, aside from the usual sleep hygiene advice?

I’ll keep reading.

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