just a thought...SLEEP DEPRIVATION

[reallyME]

I was wondering if any of you have been tested for sleep apnea or sleep problems?  A lot of times, in abuse situations, a person does not sleep well at night, due to PTSD or just other issues from the abuse.  It is well worth looking into.

Sleep deprivation can cause you to not be able to think clearly during the day, results in confusion, health problems, etc.

In cults, sleep deprivation is used to weaken the resolve of individuals, so that they can be more-easily programmed.

Please do get help if this is a problem for you.

~Laura

[lighter]

My N would phone me at 2am and 4am and 6am and wake me up physically "to talk" after I had managed to fall asleep around 11pm. 

It's not like he's the leader of a cult but, this was very effective in breaking me down.  HOW DO THEY INSTINCTIVELY KNOW HOW TO BREAK US?!?!?  THEY AREN'T THAT SMART!  Is there a course for N's somewhere I don't know about?

 



 

[JanetLG]

Don't know about DEPRIVATION as a deliberate N ploy, but I do get awful insomnia these days. I think that's PTSD. I just go over and over the past, obviously not solving anything.

I use homeopathic coffee 30c as a remedy, and it's great

Janet

[reallyME]

  HOW DO THEY INSTINCTIVELY KNOW HOW TO BREAK US?!?!?  THEY AREN'T THAT SMART!  Is there a course for N's somewhere I don't know about?

on the contrary...N's are generally very crafty, intelligent people...at least the ones I've dealt with were.  X was not only very intelligent, but she had a fascination with psychotic information and almost became a private eye herself.

[Hopalong]

I don't have sleep deprivation so much as sleep defiance.

I don't want to go to sleep.
I have to get up in the morning but I ...

well, y'all have heard it, and here I am, typing.

Stupid and foolish but right now, after 1 a.m., I feel
alert and energized and happy to be typing and alive.

Tomorrow morning I'll have to use scaffolds on my eyelids.
This is self inflicted stupidity.

Hops

[WRITE]

I find a sleep pattern is THE most important factor in managing bipolar 1.

The first thing I monitor if I feel a little manic is my sleep, fortunately I haven't needed to medicate it for over a year.

Even away this weekend I was confident even if I didn't sleep as much it wouldn't trigger symptoms because my overall sleep pattern is good. As it happens it took me a while to get off in a strange place but I slept like a baby for four or five hours each night, I felt great!

Anxiety destroys restful sleep for a lot of people, also really manageable stuff like heartburn and unsupportive pillows/mattress.

Good topic Laura, sleep is number one indicator of quality of life if you ask me.

~W

[reallyME]

WRITE, not only is sleep a first indicator of quality of life.  Another one is lack of doing your normal activities or doing them without any joy...goin through motions

[James73]

Hey guys, I used to have really bad sleep problems totally linked to N abuse, actually my x girlfriend used to drive me totally and completely mad when she wouldnt let me go to sleep until she went to sleep first, my god to say it drove me crazy is an understatement. She was a blooming nutter that one. Anyway also due to N abuse I never slept well, night terrors and the like, now Ive confronted my fears I sleep much better now and also now Ive stopped eating sugary foods and carbs high in sugar like white flour and the like. Only a few weeks ago my mornings were hell as I was soooo tired and felt drained for hours, now however ive totally turned it around, I feel great in the morning. I get up early go for a walk/run and then have a coldish bath to invigorate me for the rest of the day, also before I exercise I eat a light breakfast as I read recently that when we wake our body thinks it is being starved due to the lack of food whilst its been asleep, this makes some kind of chemical make us feel really drowsy, so this article I read suggested eating within half/hour of waking to ensure these chemicals are deactivated and then we will feel more awake, it works really well too  might help you out hops? Ive also started eating different foods in the morning like eggs, bananas n stuff rather than just a bit of toast or cereal, eggs give a great slow energy release throughout the morning supposedly, they taste good too 

Also if anyone does have sleep problems 5htp supplement works great, i dont take it anymore but it was really good to get a deep sleep when I did use it. Research it first though before taking it as I aint no doc 
James

[Hopalong]

Thanks, James!
That's really good info about the half-hour window after waking...thank you very much!
I've also heard about the importance of having protein at breakfast.

I'm a fishitarian, so I have trouble getting enuf protein...I mean, I don't eat meat or poultry, but do eat fish a couple times a week. I have been too lazy lately to cook tofu, etc., but I need to do more of that. Depressingly, I just read that people should not overdo soy -- that's seemed like THE vegetarian protein answer, but seems one shouldn't be having it every day.

So wot to do?

You're an inspiration, James. Seriously. It was really helpful to read about your health routine.

Hugs
Hops

[James73]

Hey Hops glad my ramblings are of help     That lethargy in the morning though is just so annoying, it made me feel depressed all day cos every morning I knew I would feel like crap in the morning which is the worst way to start a day. I then got loads of energy in the evening and found it harder to sleep which is not healthy routine.
Im virtually a morning person now which I thought would take me years to acheive not mere weeks! 
Also what happens when you overdo soy? is it that bad, surely there must be a protein alternative to soy, perhaps eat soy and combine it with a protein supplement?
Love ya
James

[Hopalong]

They're not sure about the effect of all the estrogens in soy...there's a lot of yes/no stuff, but all in all it's making me doubtful about the soy protein powder I've used for years in shakes:

http://www.thirdage.com/ebsco/files/13964.html

I keep thinking about eating meat or poutry again but I think my answer is just, more sardines. 

Hops

[James73]

Sardines are good eating although not too good on a regular basis      I had some kippers the other day, Id forgotten how storng those blighters are, and I had some sea bass the other day too, pretty darn nice  The soy issue does sound a bit dodgy, everything in moderation as they say 

[tayana]

I've been a bit out of touch with the board for the last week or so, and I'm catching up slowly.  About the sleep deprivation topic . . .

I don't sleep nearly enough.  I have a hard time falling asleep, and a hard time staying asleep.  I'm a light sleeper, so everything wakes me up.  I can get to a restful half asleep state, and I stay in that state for a long time. 

I spend a lot of time when I'm trying to go to sleep, thinking about things I have to do, things I've heard, situations, etc.  I've always had this problem, so I'm not sure why I have it, but I think I started sleeping lightly when I realized my mom would go through my things when she thought I was asleep.

[James73]

Hey Tayana, sounds like you need to break your thought process cycle as you go to bed. Try wearing yourself out during the day with exercise and make sure you get up early the same time each day. Try visulaization to curb your unwanted thoughts at night, waves on a beach are good, just imaging your waves washing away any thoughts you have, if you have a thought just imagine the wave come up and then wash the thought out to sea. This will take practise but will help. There are also goggles you can wear that help you go to sleep, here's the link:

http://www.glotosleep.com/pg_how.htm

Not sure how much they are though. Try a hot bath before you go to bed too that helps, maybe try different pillows and matresses. Plus address these thoughts you are having, are they deep seated fears that need to be addressed or are they trivial matters? Perhaps you have other more underlying issues that you need to address that will make you happier and thus sleep better. When I was depressed I found it very hard to get a goods night sleep 
james