Insomnia

[Andyvon]

This is a follow on to my recent postings in Animals.

I'm 48 and I've had a very unsettled sleep pattern for about 25 years. I have terrible insomnia which used to drive me half crazy until I learned to fill my waking hours with pastimes. My pattern is that I only get about 2 or 3 hours restless sleep each night. I'm never in bed before 5am and I'm always up by 8.30. When I am in bed I'm very restless and I often get up after an hour or so. Sometimes I don't bother going to bed at all. My wife is the opposite and sleeps all night.
Once every two weeks or so, I hit what I call "my wall", usually in the early evening. Then my brain suddenly stops functioning. I can't focus my eyes, I can't think or think of answers to questions, my wife says I keep repeating sentences and doing things over and over again. I then go to bed and I'll sleep for 14-16 hours until about lunchtime next day. Then that's it for another 2 weeks - back to 2 or 3 hours a night. When I'm awake my mind never stops so I can't watch TV. I read huge amounts, go swimming first thing, long walks, long drives, collate my photographs, decorate (quietly) etc. I never actually yawn or feel tired and I haven't for many years.

The other feature possibly related is that I never feel the cold. Even walking on the iciest of nights I'm quite comfortable in a short-sleeved shirt and I never wear jumpers or coats. I always have the windows open and I'm quite comfortable getting in cold baths and showers which I like. I know I'm cold when I get drowsy and I can't work my fingers or think, and then I warm myself up. I do remember feeling cold and shivering when I was a kid but I haven't for about 25 years.

The GPs have only ever offered sleeping pills and I won't go down that route. A couple of GPs said they thought something happened in my brain years ago. Is anyone else like me?
(I'll try to continue below)

[Mamyalynne]

Have no experience of anything as extreme as this, but I feel you should ask doctor to refer you to a sleep disorder clinic, they are the experts and will help you. Good luck, sounds a real nuisance.

M

[Andyvon]

Me again continuing.

I've always wondered what the dangers are of having a sleep pattern so unusual. As I said, I've learned to fill the early hours and I'm so busy now I often don't have enough hours in the day or night! I know the brain needs to drop into Deep Sleep and Stage V Sleep etc and that's when we produce HGH. However, I've been like this since my early 20s and I'm still here and feeling pretty good. I'm certainly healthier than many of my age and my wife and I often spend all day hiking 20-25+ miles. I also swim a mile in 30 minutes with no problems.

I just wondered whether anyone else has sleep patterns like me. Can this continue into the next few decades?

[Mamyalynne]

I'm not saying you won't survive but the best people to talk to are those who specialise in this field,

[Andyvon]

Hi mamyalynne,

You beat me to the second part of my question!

Many years ago this was a nuisance to me and I became so frustrated trying to sleep by the clock. I eventually gave up and found life was a lot easier if I used the early hours instead. I've mentioned this to several GPs over the years but they always just offer sleeping pills. Those just make the problem worse in the long run I believe. I think you get addicted and then your sleep gets worse. I was offered a brain scan once but I didn't want to mess about with that.

I've now accepted that this is me. I also realised many years ago that most people spend a third of their life asleep (one year in three!) but I'm actually conscious for most of my life and I always occupy the time. I have just worried over the years what the long-term harm might be. To put it bluntly, although I appear healthy, I worry I won't live too long.

Thanks for your reply.

[Mamyalynne]

Good luck with it all Andy, its probably a pattern you have become so used to now it would take a programme to work it out, as I say seek advice from the specialists, you do not have to take it.

Take care

M

[Andyvon]

Thank you M. I think you are right. Any changes would probably do more harm than good now. I think if your body tells you to do something then maybe we should listen more. After all, clocks and measured time are artificial inventions so why should we live our lives by them if we can function perfectly well otherwise? Animals and other life forms don't regulate their day by anything other than Circadian rhythm or length of day, nor did our recent ancestors.

I think much the same about body weight. Why should we struggle to mould our bodies to the ideal decreed on some Body Mass Index chart? I'm sure there are medical professionals who will throw their hands up in horror and outrage, but I think that unless someone is debilitated or adversely affected by their weight, then they don't have a problem. I know that increased weight leads to increased risk of other conditions, but if a person's body stabilises at a particular weight and they get through daily life without noticing the supposed extra, then surely that is the weight their body is comfortable functioning at.

I haven't sought to increase my sleep on that basis. I just wondered how many other people were out their with sleep patterns like me and how they filled their extra time.

Take care and thank you for your replies. Andrew.

[DrFilth]

morning andy i have always had trouble sleeping , worked shifts for over 30 years so never really a big problem.
when i used to drink i slept a lot better . lots of people have problems with sleeping , especially shift workers.