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Sleep patterns

Alexa

I found out yesterday that 'disordered' sleep patterns are associated with Autism. I say 'disordered' in inverted commas because I view many problems as a social issue rather than a health threat. Most working hours are daylight ones and, for those of us who are retired, that's when places are open and most deliveries arrive.

Most of the research (as the psychologists admit) is about childhood, not adults. What little there is on adults focuses on things like finding it difficult to get to sleep or wake up (that seems to be a common problem), or not having enough sleep. Only one (or two, but I have no access to the second) take a look at my problem, which is a mismatched circadian rhythm.

I don't feel tired in the evening and have to set an alarm to remind myself to go to bed before 2am.Despite feeling wide awake, I sleep as soon as I get into bed. It's waking up that's the problem! Some mornings, even if I sleep through the alarm, it takes a while for my brain function properly. woozy face

Anyone else have issues with sleep?

  • Last night I had a really good nights sleep, for once it was actually cold enough, I can't sleep when the night time temperature is above 10.C, or rather I sleep really lightly and not very restfully.

    It dosen't help that I wak up to turn over and then Fearn and Boris also have to turn over or change sides of the bed, depending on which way I'm facing.

    I've always been an owl rather than a lark, naturally going o sleep about 1 or 2 am and not getting up until about 11am, often later when I've slept badly. I get stress insomnia if I have to get up early.

    I've done my share of getting up early, 6 or 7am to be glad not to have to do it anymore and I refuse to do it unless I really have too.

    I think a lot of this sleep hygene stuff is a load of wallop, if I had to sleep in a room with no pictures on the wall, no books, I'd wake up and think I was in a funeral home! It might be alright if you have the space to be able to put everything away and not have a chairdrobe, and stuff, but really how many of us do and I like my picture of a bull, I feel like he's watching over me and keeping me safe.

  • I suffer from what I call the 4 O clock syndrome.

    Around 4pm I can't stay awake and have been subject to a disciplinary meeting leading to dismissal for sleeping on duty. (Although there were a dozen other reasons for sacking me).

    Around 4am I wake up and can't fall back asleep.

    yawning face

  • in reply to Cinnabar_wing
    Cinnabar_wing said:
    Last year I got so stressed and burntout I started only getting 4 hours or so before just waking up, and I'm still struggling with this, getting between 4-6 hours and then waking up and not getting back to sleep. I would love to not be getting up in the morning tired.

    During my last relationship, my partner's snoring would wake me up and it would take me a couple of hours to get back to sleep. As I was getting up before 5, it often meant there was no chance of catching up on sleep.

    I really sympathise. 

  • in reply to Expecto_Patronum
    Expecto_Patronum said:
    I think I have a naturally late bed time but due to work, I tend to be tired enough to fall asleep at a normal time.

    That's what happened to me when I worked. I had flexible working hours and forced myself to start as early as I could in order to be able to leave early. I just couldn't cope with working until six, which I would have had to do if I slept in.

  • in reply to emanningis
    emanningis said:
    A side effect of this is getting sick relatively often.

    Frowning2

  • I've terrible sleep and the therapist said it's unprocessed things that happen during the day and I can't process them at the time.

    Though in my case is most commonly nightmares and night sweats.

    A side effect of this is getting sick relatively often.

  • I struggle with sleep. I have done for a very long time. It is better than it used to be though. I used to really struggle to get to sleep and then find it hard to get up in the morning. Now I get to sleep more easily but find myself waking up much earlier than I need and struggling to get back to sleep. I often wake in the middle of the night too.

    I think I have a naturally late bed time but due to work, I tend to be tired enough to fall asleep at a normal time. When I'm not in work my bed time gets later and later.

  • Most of my life I've struggled with getting to sleep, and stress can make it worse -having nights with no sleep at all when I had exams in school for instance. 

    Having kids throw sleep out the window entirely for a decade or so, pregnancy makes any sleep problems worse, and my daughter was nearly 4 before she slept through the night, but that is different.

    Being a light sleeper I was then hyper vigilant to them waking up in the night with any slight sound, but then I had a brief phase of sleeping better.

    Last year I got so stressed and burntout I started only getting 4 hours or so before just waking up, and I'm still struggling with this, getting between 4-6 hours and then waking up and not getting back to sleep. I would love to not be getting up in the morning tired. Napping to catch up is just not possible during the day, I just can't switch off.

    Non of the advice really helps for this kind of waking insomnia, it's mostly to help with getting to sleep, which I can do now most of that time (unless I'm so tired I can't sleep at all ironically), I just can't stay asleep.

  • I have issues with sleep. I do all the things that the NHS and other sites recommend, but some nights I can take an hour/ 2 or 3 to fall asleep. I only get up briefly if not falling asleep otherwise that can make me more alert. Occasionally I have a good night's sleep, but then the next night I am not tired at the usual time. At the moment I have had several nights when I have fallen asleep fairly quickly but then wake up a couple of hours early. 

    I have been using an NHS 5 minute relaxation technique that was recommended, early evening and that has helped a bit, especially with turning off some of the thoughts that start going around in my mind.