Is This Ptsd Or Something Else?

[ptsdsolution]

I think it is all the adrenalin is keeping you awake and in a state of alertness-but i could be wrong. Some people become lethargic when under stress while others push their way through it and its all system go but and big but that isnt good for you long term-short term sure you get loads done but your body does need to rest and just because the part of your brain that keeps you functioning at the minute and able to do things may be ok-what about the other parts that have more subtle roles? Don't underestimate the potential for damage-

“Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” Thomas Dekker

You do need sleep-have you tried the following?
Set the scene in your bedroom for sleep. Keep it cool, dark and quiet. If outside noise or light is a distraction, use earplugs or eye mask, or keep a low level of calm music on in the background that will turn off at a certain time.
If inside clocks or devices create light and are distracting, try removing or covering them, or turning them away from view. Use low watt bulbs where necessary.
You want to keep conditions optimum for natural Melatonin production which is what is produced by the brain in dark conditions, and this is what tells the brain it is time to sleep.

 

[Samantha_38]

Talked to my therapist about it today. He did not say anything specific. I did not work up the courage to ask specifically about bipolar. Working up the courage to ask in general was hard enough. He basically said he isn't sure about it. It could be PTSD, it could be anxiety, it could just be how my sleep cycle is. Arguably it has been this way for a long time. It is hard to know what I developed out of need and what was actually just the way my body was made. When I was a child did I stay up all night because I had no where to go and feel safe and be able to sleep? Or did I stay up for a lot of the same reasons I do now? I probably will never know.

I think he was avoiding a formal diagnosis of some sort at this time. He knows that would affect me a lot right now, and he also knows that I probably wouldn't do much about it regardless. I'm not really into taking medication, for reasons I stated above, but on top of that due to my other health conditions I actually can't have a majority of the medications they would prescribe for this sort of thing.

I don't exactly know what I want. I would like to have a normal schedule, but at the same time that is such a HUGE leap from anything I've ever had that its EXTREMELY overwhelming. I'm sure my therapist is going to continue monitoring my sleep though. He asks about it quite a bit already. If he gets too concerned I'm sure it will come up again. I really can't fix everything at one time though. Right now I'm still just working on being able to talk during therapy. I obviously have a long ways to go.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. If nothing else they will work well on the nights that I really do want to sleep but my body is boycotting the idea. I'm not sure I'll be able to control the nights where I just have way too much energy to even try and sleep, but I may even try all of you ideas then as well. It helps to know that even though it doesn't sound like the majority of people experience the type of sleep problem I'm having, at least it isn't completely unheard of.