Monday 12 November 2012

The obstacles in fixing one's life - Sleep issue

I often ask myself  "why is it apparently so much harder for me to do things than other people?"

It's more than a dumb, biased feeling that everyone else manages to sail through life without problems. I don't want to adopt a 'Victim mindset' and I don't want to make excuses, but it would be dumb not to factor in genuine obstacles I need to deal with or come to terms with in my efforts to progress.

One thing I read up about again recently recently was Circadian rhythm disorders. There are 4 different types- two of which resonate with me:

  • Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS): This is a disorder of sleep timing. People with DSPS tend to fall asleep very late at night and have difficulty waking up in time for work, school, or social engagements.
  • Non 24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder: This is a disorder in which an individual has a normal sleep pattern, but lives in a 25-hour day. Throughout time, the person's sleep cycle will be affected by inconsistent insomnia that occurs at different times each night. People will sometimes fall asleep at a later time and wake up later, and sometimes fall asleep at an earlier time and wake up earlier.
According to one site I read:

How Are Circadian Rhythm Disorders Treated?

Circadian rhythm disorders are treated based on the kind of disorder diagnosed. The goal of treatment is to fit a person's sleep pattern into a schedule that allows him or her to meet the demands of a desired lifestyle. Therapy usually combines proper sleep hygiene techniques and external stimulus therapy, such as bright light therapy or chronotherapy. Chronotherapy is a behavioral technique in which the bedtime is gradually and systematically adjusted until a desired bedtime is achieved. Bright light therapy is designed to reset a persons circadian rhythm to a desired pattern. When combined, these therapies may produce significant results in people with circadian rhythm disorders.

Chronotherapy is something I've naturally learned to do myself. I naturally seem to have a 25 hour day, so when I keep going to bed an hour later and getting up an hour later each night to the point where I'm sleeping at 8am and waking at 5pm, I know it's time to do something about my current sleeping pattern! I commit to what I call "going around the clock".  Basically it's a case of trying to stay up later and later each day until bed time goes from 8am to 11am for day 2, to 3pm for day 3, to 6pm for day 4 and so on. It's a gradual thing that takes at least a week to sort out. In the mean time going to a place of work, enjoying a social life or arranging day-time appointments is very difficult if not impossible. Not only is it very disruptive to day-to day living, but it's hard work staying awake, and feeling happy when your body is crying out for sleep for 4 or 5 hours towards the end of each day!

I obviously suffer from the symptoms of a Carcadian Rhythm disorder. Perhaps if I can adopt a long term habit of sleeping and waking at the same time each day it's something I can overcome completely?
- I would probably need a regular 9-5 job, or at least a solid work routine which I don't deviate from unlike I have done for the last 10 years!

Until then, it's something I need to deal with, factor into my life and hope other people around me can understand this condition. I fucking hate the thought of people thinking bad of me- that I'm lazy for feeling tired and unmotivated instead of offering understanding and sympathy.

I'll add CRD to my list of ailments!

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