Posted by Noa on January 11, 2001, at 11:38:46
In reply to Re: sleep for bipolars (long), posted by Ted on January 10, 2001, at 23:50:53
It is a BIG deal for me too. I find that when I am vigilant about allowing myself to get enough sleep, I feel much better.
For a number of years, it seemed all I could do was sleep, but what was really going on was that I had apnea, and my sleep was not really sleep. I was only getting 25% of the needed REM sleep, and little stage 4 deep sleep. I was also being oxygen deprived every night. I had micro-awakenings about 45 times every hour!
I would come home from work and fall asleep in the early evening. On weekends, I would sleep the entire time. I couldn't stay awake. I became super addicted to coffee, needed more and more ADs and ritalin, etc. I felt awful
Finally, after having some dreams that I was under water and unable to surface for air, I realized I must have apnea, and asked the MD to send me for a sleep study, which confirmed it. Once I got the nCPAP machine, and got through the initial adjustment to it, I started sleeping really well.
Before CPAP, I used to get up to pee every hour or two. But with CPAP, I found I was sleeping straight through the night. I also stopped having nighttime acid reflux, which I had had fairly often, and was a horrific experience. I also stopped getting as many colds, coughs, etc.
But, every so often, my sleep gets a bit out of whack. I am in such a phase at the moment, because my CPAP mask is broken and the way I have "rigged" it is barely adequate. Also, I recently increased my serzone from 300 to 350 because the effexor side effects of restless legs was starting to act up again.
Now that I am exercising, I find that helps, too. But I have been having trouble with the "behavioral" aspects of good sleep habits--ie, getting ready to get in bed at a good hour, since I have to be up so early.
poster:Noa
thread:3805
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010105/msgs/3849.html