Insomnia

[TheSaltyStray]

Also read up on Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. I know I do not fall into deep REM sleep until 2-4am with my best hours of sleep happening between 2-6am.

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

She knows I'm an aspie. She actually came over and introduced herself during our first day back at work. I was impressed with her initiative because I tend not to talk to anyone unless it's work related.

In retrospect, the initial conversation was rather odd. For one thing, she MADE eye contact with me and tried to maintain it. The eye contact made me uncomfortable and I had to look away.

Having learned that we were both aspies, she told me that she had "conditioned herself" to be more socially outgoing and to do (annoying) things like making eye contact. Since she had a Ph.D. in special education, she told me that since I had only just learned that I was in the ADS spectrum that she could help me learn more about my condition. She also said that she could help me develop better social skills "off the books."

I am not sure why she offered to do this. I had not solicited assistance and had no interest in developing better social skills since my current skill set is sufficient for me to maintain employment.

I do not understand why she mooches snacks. Perhaps she thinks that we have a quid pro quo arrangement ... though the promised therapy (much to my relief) never occurred.

Please understand that she does not and has not rummaged through my kitchen. All requests for snacks are made directly to me ... usually with the words, "Okay chef ... waddaya got stashed away? I know you've got something good. You're a chef!"

And before I quite knew what was happening, there went the last of my fresh fruit salad. On the following day there went my last two ice creams. On still another occasion, there went my cookies ... my chips ... and even a chocolate bar ... all gone-gone-gone.

I thought about locking my door after school ... but I sometimes have students who need to talk to me regarding makeup assignments, so locking the door didn't seem very practical. I also thought about lying but lying makes me very uncomfortable. I suppose I could talk to her ... but I once talked to her about something else that was bothering me and wound up feeling incredibly guilty.

This woman used to address me by my family name instead of my given name. I didn't like that because it seemed overtly racist.

Although this is no longer very common, it used to be that some of the people I met would insist upon using my family name (which is distinctly Asian) as opposed to using my given name, which is "David". When I finally asked someone why they refused to use my given name, I was told that, "The god-damned Chinese should have god-damned Chinese names!"

I stood my ground and pointed out that I was a third generation U.S. citizen, "AND WHO DID HE THINK HE WAS CALLING ME A 'GOD DAMNED CHINESE?'"

His wife promptly ushered this idiot away and someone else explained that this guy wasn't really a racist because he acted like an "ass" with everyone.

(sigh)

So when this special ed teacher began addressing me by my family name instead of my given name, I was somewhat offended and asked her to stop.

Since she is an aspie, she was mortified and kept apologizing for having offended me ... and then I felt bad because she was clearly very upset.

I don't know if I want to go through this again ... because if I confront her, she's going to be very upset.

(double sigh)

You are being manipulated, dont feel guilty.

This is an old thread, so i wonder what happens now. Is it still the same?

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

Hi, i know this is an old thread. But i would like to know if you still have this "cannot fall into a deep sleep" insomnia problem. What works for you in the end? Does the magnesium work?

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

A more comfortable matress helped, but still wake up. I don't think that I'm meant to sleep more than about 6 hours.

So you mean, you manage to sleep 6 hours straight without waking up? And do you feel fresh after you wake up?

 

[Progster]

So you mean, you manage to sleep 6 hours straight without waking up? And do you feel fresh after you wake up?

No, I wake intermittently through the night, total sleep time is usually about 6 hours. I feel brain-fogged if I've slept less than 6 hours.

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

No, I wake intermittently through the night, total sleep time is usually about 6 hours. I feel brain-fogged if I've slept less than 6 hours.

I see. But it's good to hear that you manage to get some sleep. How do you feel the next day, do you feel fine, even though you wake up intermittently?

 

[BlueSky Aozora]

I made a mistake of giving my insomniac husband 5mg melatonin. I didnt know that it's a higher dose. He fall asleep but after an hour he wakes up, as usual.

But what is unusual is, he wakes up with uncontrollable anxiety and shakes his legs.. he said that he feels like want to jump down the building. I am shocked because usually even though he couldnt sleep, he wont have anxiety as worse as this, he didnt feel as suicidal as this.

After some net searching, i found out that although melatonin works for some people, but many people experience worse anxiety and depression after taking it, and it didnt work for them.

Melatonin User Reviews for Insomnia (Page 5) at Drugs.com

Stupid me, i should know that hormone cant be taken lightly.. pharmacists say that it has no side effects, but that is just because not enough study about it. And they sold me a high dose.. a naive me didnt know anything. And actually pharmacists and doctors, nobody, knows the answer. We can only try and error, but poor husband became a guinea pig. The number of people reported the horrible depression after taking melatonin is alarming. I should have broke the pill into one tenth..

So i am waking up with him, worry that he might do anything funny. We switch on the light in hope that it can reduce the melatonin. And open a koran recitation audio on the background, which he has been memorizing as a hobby. I heard that koran has calming effect so just we just try. At least now he stops shaking his legs or at least reduced, while hearing this and net surfing with his phone.

I hope the side effect will be gone asap... Really worried.

So for people who gonna try, maybe should take the lowest dose.. 0.3mg-1mg.. if it is more than that, break the pill into half or quater.. 5mg is high. Might work for some people, but maybe need caution for depressed people or people with anxiety.

I should have him tried magnesium and vitamin B instead of hormone. A supplement that was ok is ashwagandha + lavender extract.. not sure if it worked but maybe..

 

[TheSaltyStray]

I've had a few, and I mean 3-4, "good night's" sleep over the past 2-3 weeks but I am also coming off of an exhaustive cycle of overworking with my seasonal jobs. Sleep issues have popped back up recently and I am contemplating going back on my regimen of prazosin. My sleep issues are compounded by cPTSD as well. I can sympathize with anyone that struggles to find rest. Good sleep hygiene is important as well. Make sure you are setting a conductive tone for sleep in your environment. I am tempted to try earplugs but hesitate because of sensory issues (I hate anything inside my ears and recently had an ear infection so bad, it burst my ear drum) and the fact that I have children. I can't keep them safe if I can't hear anything or be responsive to their needs.

 

[Progster]

I see. But it's good to hear that you manage to get some sleep. How do you feel the next day, do you feel fine, even though you wake up intermittently?

If I've had at least 6 hours sleep, regardless whether I woke up during the night or not, I'm fine. If I slept for only 5 hours, chances are I'll be brain-fogged the next day. Some days I have anxiety or racing thoughts - my brain can't seem to calm down and relax, and I can't get to sleep. Spend about two hours lying awake without sleeping, then wake up at normal time having slept only about 4 hours and then feel tired and/or brain-fogged for the rest of the day.

 

[Canismajoris]

Old thread but has good info... Thanks people!

I personally was recently found out to have severe sleep apnea. And because of that, have been very tired for years. Now got CPAP machine, which is great for being able to breath, but somewhat tricky if and when trying to change position while sleeping...

Combine that to the fact, that I have quite a lot of problems maintaining sleep.

Dunno if my ASD features have something to do with not being able to to sleep enough, could be that I am chronicly too stressed also.

 

[Rasputin]

I posted some time back on this thread. Chronic insomnia led me to seeing my primary care physician in December 2019. I was unable to sleep longer than 90 minutes without waking. I also have sleep apnea and have a bipap machine. After being referred to a urologist, a sleep specialist, a psychologist and a psychiatrist I was diagnosed with ASD and General Anxiety Disorder in January 2020. I was prescribed Escitalopram, doxepin, and low dose Melatonin, and now sleep on average 6.5 hours each night. I generally wake once to go to the bathroom, but go back to sleep. The insomnia was found to be unrelated to Sleep Apnea, and the medication has definitely helped. I was also found to have low testosterone (produced naturally during REM sleep), and was prescribed testosterone gel.

 

[Canismajoris]

After being referred to a urologist, a sleep specialist, a psychologist and a psychiatrist I was diagnosed with ASD and General Anxiety Disorder in January 2020. I was prescribed Escitalopram, doxepin, and low dose Melatonin, and now sleep on average 6.5 hours each night. I generally wake once to go to the bathroom, but go back to sleep. The insomnia was found to be unrelated to Sleep Apnea, and the medication has definitely helped. I was also found to have low testosterone (produced naturally during REM sleep), and was prescribed testosterone gel.

That is a handfull to sort out. Glad you have founded help. Also... Low T makes man’s life hell. It is quite the shame, that T has been so demonized by many who just dont know the latest research and facts. One thing also many dont know is that low T makes sleeping difficult, at the same time that the sleep deprivation makes T even lower. But to my knowledge even the researchers do not know why low T makes maintaining sleep difficult.