Sleep

[Ulalia07]

Hi guys, this is my first post, yaaay

I am 24, a single mum, studying full time and recently diagnosed with dyspraxia.

I have been having so many problems with sleep it is driving me back down depression street Some night I am up all night not feeling tired at all. Sometimes not feeling anything at all other times i feel stressed out and very anxious. Insomnia.

On the other hand, even if i am lucky enough to go to bed early (8-9pmish), I cannot wake up when my alarm goes off. I still feel so tired like i have only slept for ten minutes. I snooze my alarm and sleep a bit longer, sometimes i don't even realise i do this. If my OH is staying and talks to me I can't even respond I am so tired. This has lead to me being far to fatigued to get though the day so i have missed university, slept while my DS is at school and as a result i have no sleeping pattern and ever mounting uni work, which i am so behind on. I don't know what ese to do, i have been to doctors and am waiting to see a counsellor.

Is it just me? Does anyone have ANY advice at all? Is this even dyspraxia causing this?
It's a recent diagnosis but i always slept 14-6 hours+ as a kid.
Ulalia07
New member - welcome them!

Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 11:12 am
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[purplerealm]

Im not an expect but when I went back to study and worked and was in a relationship, my sleep went to pot. When I have a lot going on I become overstimulated and it takes me hours to wind down.My brain is still processing the day before and worrying about the next day. My brain seems to come alive at night. During stressful times I am more anxious which produces more adrenaline and can keep going into the night.

I break chores down into small chunks now. I will do hoover and clean upstairs one day and downstairs the next. When I studied I allocated times that I would work at stuff.

I had a wind down routine before bedtime ie no computer or telly half an hour before bedtime. I switch mobile phones off. All can affect melatonin. If I woke up and could not get back to sleep I used to worry this would impact on my day ahead so now I tell myself to relax. I woke up at 2am last night and couldnt get back. I kept telling myself I was relaxing, read and got up to go downstairs to get some milk,

I go to bed the same time every day and get up at the same time (including weekends) 7 days a week if I have a period of not sleeping and restablish my sleep pattern that way. Its takes time. I avoid caffeine 7 hrs before bed. Its stays in the system. Alcohol can get you off to sleep but wakes you up early. I try and cut down on this if Im going through stressful periods.

I also keep a notebook if I have any worries and write them down in the middle of the night. I find solutions to the worry or make a plan, if I cant I have to let the worry go.

When Im busy my brain gets overloaded with information and is overstimulated, therefore I look at organising my diary to relax and make an appointment with myself. I need more down time more than others.

NHS choices offer support around sleep if you look at sleep hygiene to help manage insomnia.
I also have the opposite when Ive been running on adrenaline and anxiety I have periods of becoming really tired and sleeping more.I feel low too and in energy.

Ive had this since a little girl.I can appreciate how not sleeping feels.