Posted by spoc on June 24, 2004, at 11:58:04
In reply to Sleep disorders, posted by Dinah on June 24, 2004, at 9:32:18
>.... I don't feel quite as hideously embarassed....
<<<<< Ok, not the same thing, but speaking of hideously embarrassed (or in my case, hideously undignified)... A few years ago I finally, finally went to a reputable sleep disorders clinic in a hospital. They ended up "strongly encouraging" me to enter a current NIH study that was at last being done on melatonin. Said, what a great opportunity this will be for you to really learn about yourself. So I joined the study, which was being done with people who had something called DSPS (Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome, wherein I think the hypothesis is that some people's bodies have no regulation or recognition of sleep cues).
For weeks I had to wear this big, clunky, black plastic meter on my wrist 24/7, that they could download data from to see when I was actually sleeping (through relative lack of movement). Of course it was summer, so no sleeves, just the appearance of really bad taste in watches (or calculators). And, at intervals, I had to wear a power pack on my belt with wires leading to a big thermometer in the back door!!! (Temp is a big clue to people's sleep cycles.) Not easy to hide, and had made the mistake of telling some people so boy did I get teased. This protocol would have to be followed in order to complete the study and reap $100 and all that priceless info about myself.
Well, near the end (no pun intended), the last time I had to spend a day and night wearing the probe, I woke up with a raging fever. Like a good camper, I wore it anyway (gee, guess I must have just liked it. NOT!), but turned out the reading was rendered useless.
After all that, what did they say when I was done and asked for my valuable personal insights? "Oh, the results of this study won't be available for years!" Arrrrg. I'm a big procrastinator, so I never did start over and try to get actual *help* for what I had gone there for. And they never brought it up either.
Btw, I'm sure I was getting the placebo in the study, as I know that melatonin gives me weird dreams and irritation the next day, which this pill didn't. I never did look into what the study results were. I think their hypothesis was that people should actually take melatonin much earlier in the evening than they tend to.
Obviously, this is WAY neither here nor there as to your situation Dinah! Just couldn't resist a thread about sleep disorder studies. GOOD LUCK, and good luck relaxing about it! I think it sounds kinda neat, except that I don't know how people can sleep under those circumstances. But then again, I don't know how people can sleep under any circumstances, that's why I went to a clinic myself!
poster:spoc
thread:359740
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040619/msgs/359788.html