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I have always had insomnia since I was a child. A year or so ago I had a spell where I could not sleep for 5 days, I started having serious hallucinations/altered reality. I was hospitalized for almost a week. It was one of the most horrendous times of my life.
Currently my internal clock is backward in that I am awake all night not getting to sleep till about 6 a.m. and I sleep till 3 or so, I keep trying to reverse this but so far I am not having much success.
I worked overnight shift in a group home. After I got my cleaning, prepping done for the next day, I put the TV on and would take cat naps with one ear open for any of the Consumers waking up.
When I got home at 8 AM, I could not sleep. Cleaned the house, did laundry, shopping, etc. By afternoons, I took a nap for about 2 hours, got up and made dinner. Cleaned up and took another couple of hours nap before I had to go to work again. I found that I could not sleep straight during the day. Too many thing to do for my mind to relax and sleep. I was in my early 60's when I did this.
I worked overnight shift in a group home. After I got my cleaning, prepping done for the next day, I put the TV on and would take cat naps with one ear open for any of the Consumers waking up.
When I got home at 8 AM, I could not sleep. Cleaned the house, did laundry, shopping, etc. By afternoons, I took a nap for about 2 hours, got up and made dinner. Cleaned up and took another couple of hours nap before I had to go to work again. I found that I could not sleep straight during the day. Too many thing to do for my mind to relax and sleep. I was in my early 60's when I did this.
I worked the overnight shift for about 4 months (many years ago), and shared your experience. My employer thought that it was "fair" if everyone took turns on the night shift for a few months, rather than hiring another dedicated night shift employee. When my turn came around, I knew that it would not go well, as I have always been an insomniac, and any change in my regular sleep cycle is a recipe for disaster. I was functioning (barely) on about five hours of sleep, divided into two long, very alert naps, five days a week. I NEVER felt well-rested. I went to work tired, and came home tired, every single morning, but could never sleep until the afternoon. On my days off, I tried to sleep during the day, but usually couldn't, so I would sleep at night, and when it was time to return to work, I was ready to sleep again. For those four months, my whole life was focused on sleep: when to sleep; how long to sleep; will I sleep; what if I don't sleep, etc., etc. It was one of the most miserable experiences of my life, and I thoroughly understand why forced sleep deprivation is a form of torture.
I have always had insomnia since I was a child. A year or so ago I had a spell where I could not sleep for 5 days, I started having serious hallucinations/altered reality. I was hospitalized for almost a week. It was one of the most horrendous times of my life.
Currently my internal clock is backward in that I am awake all night not getting to sleep till about 6 a.m. and I sleep till 3 or so, I keep trying to reverse this but so far I am not having much success.
Wow, 5 days! How did they get you synched back into some kind of a sleep cycle? Was it anxiety related? Yeah, that would be very hard to get switched back to "normal". But being awake those hours is interesting. When I used to get off work around 0100-0200 I would go grocery shopping at 24hr stores, and there is a whole culture of folks who have those same hours. It's not crowded, that's for sure. If you lived in the desert you would fit right in during the hot season as people are more active at night when it's slightly cooler . You'll just have to move then, lol.
Have you ever done shiftwork before? My internal clock is permanently broken from all the shiftwork I've done in the past. I naturally gravitate to a 2nd shift, going to bed around midnight - 0100, and getting up whenever. I'm retired so don't have to be anywhere in the mornings usually. The new kitty I have wanted me to get up with the crack of dawn when I first got her, ugh. But she is mellowing out lately, thank God. I think she was just anxious being in a new place. I hope you feel better soon.
I worked overnight shift in a group home. After I got my cleaning, prepping done for the next day, I put the TV on and would take cat naps with one ear open for any of the Consumers waking up.
When I got home at 8 AM, I could not sleep. Cleaned the house, did laundry, shopping, etc. By afternoons, I took a nap for about 2 hours, got up and made dinner. Cleaned up and took another couple of hours nap before I had to go to work again. I found that I could not sleep straight during the day. Too many thing to do for my mind to relax and sleep. I was in my early 60's when I did this.
It sounds very exhausting. But you found a way to make it work. You had to.
There is also a correlation with higher risk of diabetes... I don't have one (yet?) but can definitely feel big difference in blood sugar levels after even one period of non-enough sleep!
Another immediate effect is higher likelihood for anxiety and depression, as well as generally feeling "drunk" if you are really sleep-deprived...
Latest research also shows that those habitually not getting enough sleep are in considerably higher risk for early onset Alzheimer's (since brain needs deep sleep cycle to "clean" itself of certain protein build-up)
I've noticed that small problems seem like bigger problems than they are when I don't get enough sleep.
Same here - I have found I can't concentrate well and since I am prone to depression I have found that lack of enough sleep makes it worse. While I used to be able to sleep in, now I'm awake before 6 a.m. every morning even though I don't have to get up before 8 a.m. However I have no problem falling asleep most nights.
I have always had insomnia since I was a child. A year or so ago I had a spell where I could not sleep for 5 days, I started having serious hallucinations/altered reality. I was hospitalized for almost a week. It was one of the most horrendous times of my life.
Currently my internal clock is backward in that I am awake all night not getting to sleep till about 6 a.m. and I sleep till 3 or so, I keep trying to reverse this but so far I am not having much success.
I have seen this, worked on the psych ward of a teaching hospital, the profs kept 5 externs up for 7 days to try and induce psychosis. It started working around day 4 when 1 of them became psychotic. The other 4 succumbed by days 5-7.
It was really awful for those students but they recovered and all said they were eventually grateful for the experience. They said they had a much greater empathy for the patients they were treating.
So sorry for your experience, unlike our students, you didn't volunteer for that.
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How did they get you synched back into some kind of a sleep cycle? Was it anxiety related? Yeah, that would be very hard to get switched back to "normal". But being awake those hours is interesting. When I used to get off work around 0100-0200 I would go grocery shopping at 24hr stores, and there is a whole culture of folks who have those same hours. It's not crowded, that's for sure. If you lived in the desert you would fit right in during the hot season as people are more active at night when it's slightly cooler 
. You'll just have to move then, lol.
sleep combo?
