Re: desperate to managing my sleep cycle. any one want to join?

[Anonymous]

sugargremlin, if your sleep patterns are worsening, it’s a good idea to get in to see your doctor. I can definitely relate: my “insomnia” is worsening too, since I stopped the ritalin meds (which were borrowed meds). I have trouble getting to sleep at night (espec if I go to bed early), am tired all day long (I always have the feeling that I would like to crawl under something and nap, but I can’t fall asleep when I want to), I fall asleep when I’m seated and am just passively reading or watching a movie, and when I do get to sleep at night, I wake up every few hours (if not within 20 minutes) and have big-time headaches when I do get up.

Everything I’ve read about narcolepsy (which apparently I have, NOT insomnia) and driving says that it’s extremely risky to drive. So I totally get why the doc told me to stop driving immediately. OSA is different but also a risk for driving – OSA has been more studied than narcolepsy in relation to driving accidents.

The interesting thing that I have noticed is that when I reduced my commitments and had more “free” time, I started to notice the sleep issues more. They definitely became worse when I stopped the stimulant meds. So I think that keeping really, really busy also keeps me from noticing how tired I really am. And that appears to be a recipe for disaster when it comes to driving and alertness.

I still can’t believe how my family and specialist docs over the years missed this. It’s not like I didn’t try to get diagnosed for a sleep disorder, but I kept being told I didn’t have narcolepsy, and that I should just go to bed earlier, and not to ask for drugs to help me sleep. The sleep specialist I saw this week said that the ADD specialist I saw is a pretty sharp guy, and I agree. He’s the first one in recent history who suggested I needed to investigate this. My family doc treated me as if I was trying to get illicit drugs.

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