I Know I Should Be Sleeping, But....

[Sara1999]

I have a terrible habit of staying up too late (for example, it is 3:00 am now). I am not doing anything productive. I am very tired, so I don't have the excuse that I'm too wired to sleep. I just stay up anyhow.

I watch reruns of TV shows and screw around on the internet. I know that part of it is that I don't have a lot going on most days, and I have always had a hard time maintaining a sleep schedule when I don't have to be anywhere in the morning.

My therapist wants me to take my meds by 11:00 and be asleep by midnight, then set my alarm for 9:00 am and be up by 10:00. I agreed on Tuesday to try it. I succeeded for Tues, Wed, and Thurs nights. Last night I was up until 4:00, and like I said, it's already 3:00 now.

I can't explain why I won't just go to bed.

 

[mamachick]

Hi Sara,
I have a similiar or same problem. I also do not have a schedule and think that has something to do with it. I end up feeling guilty-like it is bad behavior. I got up at 7 pm this evening. I was up til 3 or 4 as well. Once I crash, I can sleep 12-20 hours straight.

I have had a few regular days but then some small stressor seems to keep me up all night. I think my middle of the night trauma has something to do with it. Sleep is a love hate relationship for me. I love to sleep-its a great escape once I am there. Yet I feel aprhensive about letting my guard down enough to relax and sleep.

I also have come to live in my bed. Although I have a large home, I watch tv, eat, use computer, read, etc mostly in my bed.

Have you thought about the source of why you do not want to? I can think of lots of reasons for myself. Such as, during the day the world is going on and I am not really part of it anymore. At night, I dont feel like I a missing anything. Attacks happen in the mid of the night. Some believe we are most in touch with our thoughts at 3 am. Reject life before life rejects us, etc.

I hope you are able to stablize this. I dont know how long it has been this way for you but for me, many years and it gets harder to change. I have applied for a job. I need it so bad for many reasons but I am hoping that it would help me to regulate sleep better-I would have a purpose.

 

[therapybankrupt]

Same problem before the holidays. Some how everything flipped around again and I am back to normal again. When the anxiety gets bad I tend to be up to late! Gets me into a bad habits. Sometimes I sleep more than 12 hours a night during that time. I have learned to just go with it! I say this is part of the disorder for me. The less I get upset. The therapist agrees.

 

[Deleted member 17954]

Thanks for sharing have a nice day!

 

[squireparty]

Well it's 1:34 AM now and I had seven, wow, seven hours of sleep last night and I just can't get to that place where my mind shuts off and I find that calm that lets me sleep. At least I know from last night though that I am still able to get some uninterrupted quality sleep. Good to know, I had started to doubt that.

I think I will poke around here more and hopefully maybe I will start drifting towards sleep in an hour or two or three.....

 

[MissMacD]

It's almost 4 am here. Paring back when I go to sleep has been a nightmare considering that my sleeping meds don't always work consistently. Many days I have been awake all night and finally fall asleep many days as late as 10 am. My brain just won't shut off, it runs really fast 24 hours a day.

 

[mamachick]

I have the same problem. I slept til 5 pm so am still awake at nearly 4 am. I wonder if subconscously it prevents me from dealing with the rest of the world. Once asleep, I dont want to get up either. Sleeping is so wonderful once I get there.

 

[therapybankrupt]

Here I go again! 454 am

 

[Jlso111187]

I don't know if it is the same but I find that even if I do go to bed at a decent time my body only let's me sleep for a few hours and then I'm right back up. I.e. I went to bed at 10:30 last night then I woke up at 2:15 am now its 11:00 am and I am finally tired so I can get some sleep. I will get about 3 more hours of sleep and then back up to do it all again the next day.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can change that? I haven't gotten a full nights sleep (without waking up and being up for a while) in years.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

It is better to get good sleep. For awhile there I was staying up until three or four in the morning. I watched tv and stayed online. I had a period where I was really anxious and I went two days without sleep.

That made me do something about my sleep. I go to bed earlier and I get about seven hours of sleep a night. I would rather have sleep than go without.

I take sleeping pills. I need my sleep. I hate how I feel when I do not get any. I am so grateful that I get good sleep once again.

I wish those who do not get good sleep well. I hope a solution appears for you to help you to get some sleep.