Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
4
↓
Getting to sleep at night? (self.Blind)
submitted by razzretina
Hey folks! I’ve got non-24 sleep wake disorder because of my blindness and an added sleep phase disorder on top of that because I’m just genetically lucky like that. I take really strong medication for it but I still struggle to sleep at night. Not even a sleep psychologist could give me any useful advice. Do you guys have anything that helps you get sleep?
AllHarlowsEve 5 points 3y ago
How regular is your schedule? How much do you exercise and do other things to physically tire yourself out?
I have insomnia from my PTSD and other issues, and I've never been a good sleeper. It's either 12 hours or 4, with very little in-between.
Forcing myself onto a sleep schedule, no naps, eating regularly at appropriate times and exercising for at least an hour a day helped regulate it somewhat, but being that I'm an awful sleeper who doesn't particularly like eating, my schedule tends to get messed up and then forced back to normal.
I have insomnia from my PTSD and other issues, and I've never been a good sleeper. It's either 12 hours or 4, with very little in-between.
Forcing myself onto a sleep schedule, no naps, eating regularly at appropriate times and exercising for at least an hour a day helped regulate it somewhat, but being that I'm an awful sleeper who doesn't particularly like eating, my schedule tends to get messed up and then forced back to normal.
razzretina [OP] 1 points 3y ago
I walk everywhere and I'm working on getting back to my jiu jitsu classes but that's about all the exercise I get for now. Food has been an issue since just about everything I eat makes me sick. Right now I'm either just barely able to get up at 7am or I'm asleep all day. Went to bed after 5am yesterday and 2am the day before. If left alone, my sleep schedule is all over the place, to the point that I've gone to work with no sleep at all.
hopesthoughts 2 points 3y ago
Purposely staying up for 24 hours, then sleeping for 4-5 hours, then going to bed around 10 or 11 that night doesn't reset your sleep schedule? I've done many 24 hour events, and mine gets reset every time.
razzretina [OP] 1 points 3y ago
I think that only works if you have a natural sleep schedule. With two sleep disorders stacked on top of each other the way mine are, I don't have the luxury. So far the only thing that's been kind of helping is shifting my entire schedule so I can go to sleep extremely late and wake up late, but even still, I go nights without sleeping at all anyway.
hopesthoughts 1 points 3y ago
Well it works for me, and I don't always have a natural sleep schedule. I mean I have the kind of thing where I can make it be whatever I want. Sometimes this includes staying up watching Youtube.
8i8oio 2 points 3y ago
You know, I watched a crazy cool documentary on caves (not recently, I don’t know the name) but a group was traveling for months underground. No natural light. The scientists noted that everyone started staying awake longer... and sleeping longer. I find it fascinating.
If your work would allow some flexibility, why not just see what happens? This is not my usual advice, I’m big on sleep schedules cuz they always worked for me... before. But the last 3 months have been messing me up too and I can’t sleep. I ... don’t know why though.
Anyway I wish you luck and I’m sorry eating and everything else is also going haywire. I hope you can find a personal rhythm for yourself
If your work would allow some flexibility, why not just see what happens? This is not my usual advice, I’m big on sleep schedules cuz they always worked for me... before. But the last 3 months have been messing me up too and I can’t sleep. I ... don’t know why though.
Anyway I wish you luck and I’m sorry eating and everything else is also going haywire. I hope you can find a personal rhythm for yourself
razzretina [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Oh yeah, that happens a lot when you deprive people of natural light! Apparently the human circadian clock is more like 25 hours instead of 24 and the introduction of light at night only about 200 years ago has kind of messed us all up.
I am definitely going to ask the few itinerant TVIs I know if there’s any call for teachers that work later. Usually teaching is an early morning job, but since I’ll be working with different students all over my corner of the state, I might have some wiggle room.
I am definitely going to ask the few itinerant TVIs I know if there’s any call for teachers that work later. Usually teaching is an early morning job, but since I’ll be working with different students all over my corner of the state, I might have some wiggle room.
BenandGracie 2 points 3y ago
I had a problem knowing when it was time to sleep when I was 2 or 3. This was right after I lost my light perception. My parents just put me on a sleep schedule, and sometimes if I stay up too late, I have to start back at square one. I don't know if this will work for you, but if I can keep myself on a normal sleep schedule, I never have any problems.
razzretina [OP] 1 points 3y ago
Do you have any tips for getting on a sleep schedule? I’ve always been a night owl but it seems like things went off the rails when I was a teenager and never got back on them. I know I’m probably going to have to accept facts and change my wake up time to later and hopefully I’ll be able to do that when I start work; I’m sure a teacher of the blind who works in the afternoons and evenings might be useful. I hope so anyway.
BenandGracie 2 points 3y ago
The main thing I do is go to bed at a normal time and stay there until morning. Even if I can't sleep, I still stay there. After a day or two, I start sleeping all night. The hardest part is staying awake during the day.
ElfjeTinkerBell 1 points 3y ago
I'm not sure what of the following will help you, so feel free to use what you like and discard the rest.
1. Forcing a rhythm. Go to bed and get out of bed at certain times and stay awake during the day. You might need alarms to remind you. After a week to a month, your body will get used to this (more). Before that, it may feel very tiring.
2. Meditation may help with relaxing and with accepting the time you're in bed but unable to sleep. That way you can relax those hours.
3. Melatonin. Although freely available in many countries, I'd advise you to discuss this with your doctor. If it doesn't help, he/she might want to start you on stronger medication.
Apart from that there's a lot of basic sleeping tips, but I'm quite sure you've already found those on Google.
1. Forcing a rhythm. Go to bed and get out of bed at certain times and stay awake during the day. You might need alarms to remind you. After a week to a month, your body will get used to this (more). Before that, it may feel very tiring.
2. Meditation may help with relaxing and with accepting the time you're in bed but unable to sleep. That way you can relax those hours.
3. Melatonin. Although freely available in many countries, I'd advise you to discuss this with your doctor. If it doesn't help, he/she might want to start you on stronger medication.
Apart from that there's a lot of basic sleeping tips, but I'm quite sure you've already found those on Google.
TrippingWithoutSight 1 points 3y ago
Indica THC.
razzretina [OP] 2 points 3y ago
Not after I was hospitalised taking that. I don't handle pot well.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.