Insomnia and beyond...
Ok so the insomnia class pretty much gave me information that I already knew or that you fine folks had suggested in your posts. It did however teach me to set my alarm for the same time every morning including days off and to get up no matter how tired I am and to start setting my bed time at 4 hours before my alarm and increase the length of time by 15min over the course of a couple of weeks untill I get the desired amount of sleep. Also I bought a fan to get the air circulating in my room better wich is something I've always had but when I moved into the house we have celing fans and I thought that would be enough but it hasn't been. I have the new fan on right now and already feel a difference.
Now the interesting news. I was speaking with the teacher of the class after it was over and I was telling him about my experience with insomnia and how I was not only getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night or every other night but how I was experiencing sleep attacks during the day as well. These episodes last maybe 2 to 3 minutes but happen several times a day. I think I even fell asleep 3 or 4 times during the 1 1/2 hour class. It's been this way for a while...even before I started having trouble sleeping. While I'm moving I'm fine but the moment I stop and sit down for a few moments I enevitably fall asleep...my head starts to nod and my eyes get really heavy and I fall asleep. Usually my snoring wakes me up within a minute or two or I drift in and out for several minutes. It happens almost anywhere...the worst is sitting in my car. While I don't have too much trouble driving because my mind is engaged...I may get tired but I stay allert...but after I park, if I don't get out of the car right away I'm fair game for a little snooze. Movies, parties (even the loud ones...If I sit on a comfy couch it's good night sally) music shows. It's gotten to the point that I can't read because I doze off every few moments and drop the book. Now granted it's worse since I developed insomnia but it's been with me for a couple of years.
And if that weren't worrisome enough on rare occasions when sitting or lying in certain positions I have a certain type of episode that includes paralysis. My head drops forward. I usually bite my tongue and while I'm conscious I can't move for a few moments and it takes all my concentration to lift my head and pull out of it. Like I said these are rare and only occur in very specific situations. Anyway...my point is that the dr who was teaching the class suggested that I might be dealing with Insomnia and Narcolepsy which would explain the constant fatigue I feel and have felt for years.
In any case I plan to try to see my Dr on monday or tuesday and start looking into testing or treatment. I just hope he takes it more seriously this time then when I've mentioned it in the past.
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Today's food:
I woke up late and had to go straight to the gym and all I was able to eat later was my usuall Togo's Turkey Sandwich.
of course water and my evening vitamins
Workout:
Inclined sit-up into a squat w/ knee lift: 3 sets / 12 reps 2x15 reps
Inclined bench press 135lbs: 3 sets 15 reps
steps, One foot on the step and bring the other foot up: 3 sets each leg / 20 reps
Treadmill: 15min
Now the interesting news. I was speaking with the teacher of the class after it was over and I was telling him about my experience with insomnia and how I was not only getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night or every other night but how I was experiencing sleep attacks during the day as well. These episodes last maybe 2 to 3 minutes but happen several times a day. I think I even fell asleep 3 or 4 times during the 1 1/2 hour class. It's been this way for a while...even before I started having trouble sleeping. While I'm moving I'm fine but the moment I stop and sit down for a few moments I enevitably fall asleep...my head starts to nod and my eyes get really heavy and I fall asleep. Usually my snoring wakes me up within a minute or two or I drift in and out for several minutes. It happens almost anywhere...the worst is sitting in my car. While I don't have too much trouble driving because my mind is engaged...I may get tired but I stay allert...but after I park, if I don't get out of the car right away I'm fair game for a little snooze. Movies, parties (even the loud ones...If I sit on a comfy couch it's good night sally) music shows. It's gotten to the point that I can't read because I doze off every few moments and drop the book. Now granted it's worse since I developed insomnia but it's been with me for a couple of years.
And if that weren't worrisome enough on rare occasions when sitting or lying in certain positions I have a certain type of episode that includes paralysis. My head drops forward. I usually bite my tongue and while I'm conscious I can't move for a few moments and it takes all my concentration to lift my head and pull out of it. Like I said these are rare and only occur in very specific situations. Anyway...my point is that the dr who was teaching the class suggested that I might be dealing with Insomnia and Narcolepsy which would explain the constant fatigue I feel and have felt for years.
In any case I plan to try to see my Dr on monday or tuesday and start looking into testing or treatment. I just hope he takes it more seriously this time then when I've mentioned it in the past.
**************************************
Today's food:
I woke up late and had to go straight to the gym and all I was able to eat later was my usuall Togo's Turkey Sandwich.
of course water and my evening vitamins
Workout:
Inclined sit-up into a squat w/ knee lift: 3 sets / 12 reps 2x15 reps
Inclined bench press 135lbs: 3 sets 15 reps
steps, One foot on the step and bring the other foot up: 3 sets each leg / 20 reps
Treadmill: 15min
posted by Sean Perkey at Sunday, September 10, 2006
8 Comments:
Weight, snoring, and other physical factors could also point to Sleep Apnea. I know a pretty fair amoutn of people with Sleep Apnea, and they all have the little sleep attacks if they aren;t getting good rest. Insomnia doesn't usually come along with the package, but it can simply because your circadian rythms are so out of whack.
All in all, discussing it with your doctor, and possibly having a sleep study done might help.
Roy: Oh yeah...i mentioned it a long time ago but I know I have sleep apnea. I have a bi-Pap machine to help me breath when I sleep but it drys me out too much so I can't use it...even with the humidifier...
good call though!
I was thinking exactly what Roy said - you may be suffering from sleep apnea as well as the insomnia. They can be linked, since with apnea your body is forced to fight for air as soon as you begin to drift off, panics and wakes you back up again. Over time, you may have conditioned your body not to fall asleep, since you are literally fighting for your life every time you do.
Two friends of mine experienced similar problems for years before they were diagnosed via a sleep study. One of the primary treatments for apnea is to sleep with a CPAP machine, which ensures that you are getting enough air. My friends say they take some getting used to, but it makes all the difference in the world in their sleep quality.
PS. Wanted to let you know that I've been working on improving my own diet and exercise and you were part of the inspiration! Thank you!
Gah, you left your note while I was writing mine! Oh well, maybe there are some changes you could make with the machine that might help?
Ok, one last note - I did some googling on bi-paps and dry mouth and it seems that it is both common and a sign that you may not be benefiting from the machine like you should. The most common solutions suggested were to use a chin strap, tape the mouth shut, or get a full-face mask if that's not what you have now. The taping actually got very positive feedback on the apnea forum I was reading.
Ok, that's more than enough out of me, I would just hate for you to continue suffering these sleep problems if you already have the solution in your hands!
Hey tracy: Thanks for all your research and I hate to keep throwing up excuses when everyone keeps giving me great ideas but as far as the bypap goes...I have the full face mask and I have the humidifier connected and I still wake up 3 hours later with a mouth so dry that it takes several hours of water before it feels right.
It seems to work for a lot of people but I've tried all the adjustments I know how to make and it still doesn't work for me. It seems that nothing comes easy for me in this respect but I hope that with the weightloss I won't have this problem any longer and it won't be an issue.
Ayup, that's what I figured. There's a number of new masks on the market now that totally bypass the mouth and go straight for the nose. CPAP-Pro is one, and there's another one. Can't remember the name, but one of the friends I mentioned earlier got one, and he LOVES it. It goes straight into his nose, and it utterly stopped all drymouth issues.
I've had some sleep trouble the past year. and in last six months I gained weight. I found something last week that linked weight gain with lack of sleep...now I have stopped watching tv a few hours before I go to bed and just make myself go lie down. I was freaked out when I heard that trouble losing wieght can be from sleep problems, and of course thought of you.
My god, what if you have narclopsy? Maybe you do!!!???
(like Jimmy Kimmel)
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