How to stop the sensory assault?

[Anonymous]

Some mornings (BTW I hate morning) I feel like I’ve been assaulted before I even get out of bed. I go from a peaceful state of sleep to ATTACKED by bright light, air conditioning blowing on my face, pain from hours of having earplugs jammed into my ears, the foul taste of morning breath, the stiffness in my neck from sleeping in some odd position, my sheets nearly choking me and what feels like a billion thoughts running through my head at the speed of light.

It’s awful, totally draining and renders me utterly useless for hours.

My stats: Adderall IR 15mg 2-3 times a day depending on what time I wake up. 31 yr old female, single, no kids, small business owner, petite, 7-9 hours of sleep a night, exercise regularly, eats right and besides this darn ADHD completely healthy.

What on earth can I do to lessen the effects of this assault on my delicate, already overwhelmed nervous system?!?

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[Anonymous]

SMB too.Sleep problems, awaiting sleep study. Taking Ritalin 10 mg 3x day, ADD confirmed but no formal diagnosis yet.

I do wake up early because of light coming in, so I am thinking of getting light-blocking shades.

I can’t sleep with a/c blowing on me so it gets turned off at night. When it’s cool, I have wear sweatpants and long-sleeved tshirts and I like blankets, even if I kick them off. I go for the extreme comfort level when sleeping since I’ve always had sleep issues.

I wear earplugs too but they are pretty comfy (I get the tapered fluorescent orange ones from Shoppers Drug Mart, used to buy ear plugs by the case at industrial supply outlets).

Have you tried doing some kind of exercise when you get up? I start with meditation for about a 1/2 hour, followed by some chigong, but I also practice yoga so some gentle yoga might help. You can get yoga and meditation DVDs at your local library for free.

In meditation training, we learn to let the racing thoughts go by, without getting involved in them. You can’t stop them (espec ADDers) but you can learn to let them go and come back to the breath or whatever your meditation focus is.

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[Anonymous]

I attended a meditation retreat and that has helped some, but when I feel as assaulted as I did this morning I can’t settle myself down enough to meditate. Exercises, no I haven’t tried that. On days like today I literally wake up so angry and mad at the world that it’s hard for me to do much of anything.

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[Anonymous]

In meditation we just sit with that, the anger, without trying to change it. Feel how it feels in the body, without acting on it.

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[Anonymous]

shuz4me:

I feel the same way. I read you post and immediatly could relate. I’ve also noticed my extreme sensitivity to noise, taste, smell, etc…

Earplugs are the only way I can sleep, something that smells funny aggrevates me beyond belief, street noises feel like an assult. Girl. I hear you!

I have no idea what the solution is for managing the assault-like incoming external stimuli. I’ve had ADHD for 30 years, and only over the last few months have I noticed my increased sensitivity. For me, if I wake up in a foul mood, I’ll put on my favorite song as loud as I can and rock out. That sometimes helps. Often if I do that, and head outside for a breath of fresh air which helps me quite a bit.

I’m sure this is something other people are experiencing, hopefully people can offer their advice or suggestions. How long have you been experiencing this hypersensitivity to external stimuli?

Wish there was a MEDITATION RETREAT centre just for people with ADHD. Oh man. That would be amazing. Ear plugs and sound machines galore

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[Anonymous]

I agree on the shades–but they don’t need to be too expensive. My wife bought drapes with a solid backing (like a hotel), and they work great. In fact, it’s sometimes hard to get up in the morning.

On the A/C and other external things, there’s always white noise generators, and you can time your a/c or fan to shut off 30 minutes before you wake up (if they don’t have built in timers, use one of those light timers (vacation thingy) you can get at a hardware store). A white noise generator might be better than the earplugs.

My wife has SAD (seasonal affective disorder), and she bought this alarm clock that gradually lights up in the morning, and slowly sets at night. It’s expensive, but it makes a big difference. (http://www.amazon.com/BioBrite-Sunrise-Clock-Advanced-Charcoal/dp/B00196LFIU)

Can’t help with the morning breath, but try changing your diet or mouthwash and keeping a bottle of water by the bed.

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[Anonymous]

Travelpigeon – I’ve always been very sensitive to stimuli. I remember as a kid getting spankings for hiding in the garage to get away from the noise of TVs and radios in the house. No matter how low my brother would turn it down I could still hear the murmur of voices when he’d listen to ball games and it drove me nuts! My mother is a TV addict and has a TV in every room of our large 5 bedroom house and they’re all on whether she was in the room watching it or not. I’d complain to my parents and because they couldn’t hear anything in my room they’d say I was being overly dramatic and needed to stop seeking attention. Sitting in a car in the garage was the only place I could find peace and quiet to study.

I’ve never liked to wear pantyhose, lace or wool because it’s too itchy. Refuse to touch wire hangers, towels that have dried on the towel rack or anything with rust because the texture makes me dry heave. TMI but I sleep naked because I can’t stand the feeling of clothes bunching up during the night and I’ve been known to get up multiple times to smooth out the sheets. College was a nightmare and I found myself drinking just to dull the sensory assault of dorm life.

There are days when the sensory overwhelm is SO STRONG in the morning that I’m afraid I’ll go totally mad by 9am. This typically happens when the noises of city life are louder than usual. You’d be surprised how much you can still hear on the 37th floor. I’ll give the morning dance party of one a try.

Pete-puma – I love the idea of drapes but I’m renting and my landlord won’t allow me to drill into the wall. Asked that after my first morning of the sun winning the battle with the vertical blindes. My unit faces east over Lake Michigan which is a stunning view but bright as I don’t know what when the sun rises in the morning. The HVAC unit doesn’t have a timer, it’s a huge metal box in the wall with an odd thermostat (doesn’t have degrees, just an up/down lever and on/off switch) will the vacation timer work with something like that? That’s an awesome idea so I hope so!

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[Anonymous]

try this one: http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-31200-TimerMax-Indoor-Digital/dp/B0020ML744/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1310565334&sr=8-2

The digital timers don’t tick like the mechanical ones. They plug into any wall outlet, and you plug the device into it. you should be able to find it at Home Depot, Lowes or a decent hardware store. Even Walmart carries them. (No offense to Amazon, but I hate waiting.)

I would take another run at the landlord. It’s not like you’re hanging a TV or something you’ll take with you. If you threaten to move out (especially in this economy), you might convince them.

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[Anonymous]

I woke up this morning feeling EXTRA assaulted and I’ve been pissed off ever since. This morning I nearly pooped on myself when I was scared awake by firetruck sirens right outside my building. I live on the 37th floor so there must have been several for me to hear them so clearly. As I try to sit up in bed I realize that the sheets are wrapped around my neck and I nearly choke myself. Since my landlord said no again to the black out curtains I’m trying to sleep with an eye mask. I try to take it off and OUCH, the elastic is tangled in my hair. It’s a hour before my wake up time so I take my adderall, shove earplugs in and roll back over.

Assault part 2: jarred awake by alarm clock with throbbing ears. Guess I shoved the earplugs in too deep. My mouth is parched with an awful taste because in my firetruck siren delirium I chewed my adderall ir instead of swallowing it. Forgot about the eye mask hair tangle debacle and try to yank it off, OUCH again (insert curse words). And that darn air is blowing on my face because the timers I purchased won’t work with my stupid HVAC unit. Apparently high rise condo buildings HVAC units plug into a main system that’s buried in the wall.

Needless to say I’m starting my week off in a BAD mood! *sigh* there has to be something I can do to make waking up less painful!

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[Anonymous]

I feel for you. I still remember a few years ago when my bathroom attacked me. Between the door on the medicine cabinet in front of me, the swinging glass shower door behind me and the under-sink door in front of me, I played a painful game of morning ping pong, that ended with 3 cuts on my heel and calf; 2 stubbed toes and a huge bump on me head. If only I had filmed it, I’d have $20K from America’s Funniest Home Videos.

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[JOATMON]

Shuz4me – This will sound completely crazy (but hey, it could be worse ) grab some tinfoil and get creative with the vertical blinds.

You didn’t say how tall the window is – but a stepstool might be tall enough…

You can crimp the foil over the top and edges of the blinds (no need for landlord approval). If you are careful and use several sheets they can be taken off and put back up again – that way you can have guests over. Just so you know, I have done this in the past and it worked very well (but, it was a bit unsightly).

I didn’t use the garage, but I figured out I could fit in the top part of the bedroom closet and shut the door….

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[Anonymous]

Oh my goodness pete-puma, you should have filed a police report against your bathroom!

Joatmon, they are floor to ceiling windows so that’d be way to much tinfoil but I think a couple of sheets just might do the trick. I’m going to give it a try right now and I’ll report back in the morning.

If my bedroom closet were larger I’d just move my bed in there. It’s pitch black and quiet in there.

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[Anonymous]

Look put up the curtains or cover your window with a heavy blanket. There is no need to remove the dreadfully ineffective blinds. They make curtain rods designed to go over the existing ones. I would also recommend a valance or what ever that box thing is that goes over the curtains. File this under odd and random, try taking zinc for a week or two. A good quality Omega three with a high concentration of EPA wouldn’t be a bad idea either since it seems to help with mood and focus issues. The zinc is odd, but since I tried it, I have slept better,though fewer hours and snapped at my kids and husband a lot less. The zinc is supposedly used as a precursor to melatonin and used in some way by the brain’s chemistry processing of the omega threes.

I agree exercise helps, because it also helps with the morning anger. I prefer light weight training and use an app by prevention magazine. I tried yoga, but !$$&, I have trouble with all the noise in the house and asking me to be still, grrr! I like the weight training with resistance bands because it is challenging and forces me to physically control my body, the bands position and makes me sweaty.

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[Anonymous]

A quick update: perhaps I’m just not handy enough but I can’t figure out anything for these stupid blinds. Tried to put up a sheet and blanket but because the blinds are right up to the ceiling and the window is inset I couldn’t find a good place to tuck them in. I decided to use the clips that hold the blinds and at 3am it all came crashing down…breaking several blinds in the process. *sigh* that’ll come out of my security deposit if I can’t figure out how to repair the damage.

Went to the clinic (I’m uninsured so I go to the medical school for therapy and my psychiatrist) we discussed my morning issues and they think the problem is either co-morbid depression or sensory processing disorder. I’m waiting to schedule my appointment for testing.

Lately the morning anger has turned into complete avoidance. This morning I stayed in bed 2 hours past my alarm going off and ended up late to an appointment. Like my psychiatrist said “if you don’t have anything to look forward to and you’re stressed, morning is difficult. Add ADHD or other mental illness and it’s hell.” Please let this hell let up soon…not sure how much more I can take

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[Anonymous]

Perhaps you do have a sensory issue. I worked with a sweet girl (well, I thought so) who had a large number of mental health issues and one of them was a sensory issue related to clothing/textures. She was very sensitive to how various types of cloth felt on her skin, how shoes felt on her feet,…. Life was tough for her especially when all her other diagnoses were added on top. Morning were always especially hard for her and then again towards the end of the school day when she was getting tired.

My issues are with getting to sleep at night. I hear every sound at night. Cars way off in the distance driving down the highway, motorcycles!!! (whoa, they’re too loud), coyotes fighting/killing some other poor little creature, a husband who snores, the furnace cycling on and off/AC cycling on and off, trains that are miles off in the distance but that wonderful crisp, frozen winter air carries their sound all the way to my ears. A single mosquito in a darkened bedroom. That drive me crazy. Buzzzzz, buzzzz. On goes the light (again!!) to find and slay it before it drives me crazy. Then my pillowcase feels too hot, or…..too cold which necessitates flipping/turning my pillow over and over until it is ‘just right’. Not an easy feat since I use one of those shaped pillows to help with my neck problem. Then I feel a tiny little speck of something that feels like a crumb in MY bed. I’ve got to get it out and feel around to see if there’s another one lurking!

I shared a bedroom with my twin sister and my night time fussiness used to drive her crazy. 😥

Personally, I don’t know how my husband has been able to stand living with me for 35 years. Nothing, and I mean nothing, ever seems to phase him. He hops in bed and lays his head down and that is it! He is out for the night. When the morning arrives he is up before the sun, making coffee and getting everything ready for the day before he leaves for work. Mr. Cheerful.

It’s not that I’m not cheerful in the morning but I just like quiet until I’m fully awake. Please don’t disturb me while I ‘get ready’ for my day. Once I’m dressed and have had breakfast I ready to go! Wrinkly little lumps on my sheets are no longer (until I go to bed the next time). Sensations from clothing has never been an issue for me even when just I’ve just awakened.

Perhaps the sleep study will shed some light on some of the issues for you. I hope you have a good morning today!

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[Author]

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