I have just had six nights where I have slept for nearly 7 hours each night.  It's only six nights and who knows what's to come, but I just had to share.  I basically haven't slept more than about 3 or 4 hours a night in almost 3 months.

I'm still trying to get used to the CPAP, with all the usual struggles.  In the meantime, my doctors have me working with a nurse practitioner who has given me some new tools.

Here's what I'm doing:
-Spend at least 30 minutes after I wake in front of a full spectrum light.  
(www.day-lights.com) to signal my body it's morning and this apparently signals your body to prepare to sleep about 16 hours later
-6:30 pm take 4 (1/2 droppers) of 1 mg melatonin (using Natrol brand, which has liquid); I know current research isn't necessarily supporting taking melatonin- all I can tell you is it seems to be working for me at this time
-7:30 pm put on sunglasses (hideous, yet effective wrap arounds from Walgreens); I also start lowering lights around the house a bit
-8:30 pm stop watching tv or working on the computer (idea is to not have bright light coming into eyes)
-Sleep restriction: 9:30 to bed; set alarm for 5 am and no sleeping later (if I lay in bed after that, it must be with eyes open)
-If I wake during the night and really can't sleep take 3 (250 mg) tablets of calcium and any naps during the day or closing my eyes should be for less than 30 minutes

I'm sure some of you know about this approach, but it was new to me.  This is all directed towards getting my internal clock working normally again.  I'm also supposed to get as much daylight as possible.  In the cloudy/rainy Northwest, this means I'll be using my light off and on during the day as well.

I've only been doing this for 12 days.  It was up and down at first, but 10 out of the last 12 nights I've slept at least 7 hours.  The last six nights have been the best.  I am still waking during the night, but go right back to sleep, which is an incredible improvement for me.  If this continues in a positive direction, the next piece is to keep trying to get used to the CPAP.  I'm hoping the CPAP will minimize or eliminate the number of times I wake, which continues to be every 2 hours.

I don't want to get my hopes up after so much disappointment, but I am guardedly hopeful.

Christin wrote:

I have just had six nights where I have slept for nearly 7 hours each night.  It's only six nights and who knows what's to come, but I just had to share.  I basically haven't slept more than about 3 or 4 hours a night in almost 3 months.

I'm still trying to get used to the CPAP, with all the usual struggles.  In the meantime, my doctors have me working with a nurse practitioner who has given me some new tools.

Here's what I'm doing:
-Spend at least 30 minutes after I wake in front of a full spectrum light.  
(www.day-lights.com) to signal my body it's morning and this apparently signals your body to prepare to sleep about 16 hours later
-6:30 pm take 4 (1/2 droppers) of 1 mg melatonin (using Natrol brand, which has liquid); I know current research isn't necessarily supporting taking melatonin- all I can tell you is it seems to be working for me at this time
-7:30 pm put on sunglasses (hideous, yet effective wrap arounds from Walgreens); I also start lowering lights around the house a bit
-8:30 pm stop watching tv or working on the computer (idea is to not have bright light coming into eyes)
-Sleep restriction: 9:30 to bed; set alarm for 5 am and no sleeping later (if I lay in bed after that, it must be with eyes open)
-If I wake during the night and really can't sleep take 3 (250 mg) tablets of calcium and any naps during the day or closing my eyes should be for less than 30 minutes

I'm sure some of you know about this approach, but it was new to me.  This is all directed towards getting my internal clock working normally again.  I'm also supposed to get as much daylight as possible.  In the cloudy/rainy Northwest, this means I'll be using my light off and on during the day as well.

I've only been doing this for 12 days.  It was up and down at first, but 10 out of the last 12 nights I've slept at least 7 hours.  The last six nights have been the best.  I am still waking during the night, but go right back to sleep, which is an incredible improvement for me.  If this continues in a positive direction, the next piece is to keep trying to get used to the CPAP.  I'm hoping the CPAP will minimize or eliminate the number of times I wake, which continues to be every 2 hours.

I don't want to get my hopes up after so much disappointment, but I am guardedly hopeful.

Sounds like a combination of trying to get your circadian rythmn into order, and some sleep hygiene.

Subject to correction (I'm not 100% sure), but our circadian rythmn runs in 25 hour cycles, against our daily cycle of 24 hours. In most cases our circadian clock is reset each day through exposure to light, so that it becomes synched with our 'normal' cycle. The use of melatonin as a drug can help to synchronise the circadian clock to environmental cycles and can have beneficial effects for treatment of certain insomnias

Some 'pure' sleep specialists (as disctinct from respiratory sleep specialists) believe that it is more important to have a 'constant' awakening time than a regular 'sleep' time......which appears to tie in with your instructions to wake up at 5.00AM........and to NOT go back to sleep. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone found in humans. Circulating levels vary in a daily cycle, and melatonin is important in the regulation of the circadian rhythmn. It is a type of antioxidant.

Your treatment therapy looks to be 'on the button'. The fact that you are not being bombarded with pills (uppers and downers etc) is very positive and is encouraging your body to help cure itself. I would suggest that you keep a sleep diary for a few weeks (just basic info, date, sleep time, awake time, noticeable improvements). It will help you to monitor improvements and any possible problems.

I would love to hear any updates from you.

Best of luck.

Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

Hi Christin,
Not much to add to that except to say great news that you are sleeping so well. I really hope that you continue to get good quality rest.
It's so nice to hear that someone is sleeping. I have begun to as well and what a difference it makes.
I think your regime sounds great and I have no doubt that it takes time to develop good sleep habits again after years of poor ones.
Good luck and let us know how you are going


_________________
It came to pass - not to stay!

Up at 3:15 am today...aarrgghh...

Sounds like you know what you're talking about, Daniel.  The body is such a powerful force, I'm hoping I can "retrain" it to do what it should do naturally.  And, I have been keeping detailed logs.  After my sleep study, I wanted to see if my impression of how miserable my sleep was might actually be true.  Oh, yeah.  It was even worse than I thought!

I'll post as I go along...I'm curious, too, to see how this works out.  Hoping for the best.

Christin ~ thanks for posting this information.  It's really helpful and I'll be tracking your postings.
I've wondered how to retrain myself after years of poor sleep habits.  When the kids were little, I thought nothing of staying up until midnight because the house was so quiet and I wanted to enjoy it!  And I love to read, so there were nights I stayed up to finish a book.  I could always force myself to keep going just on the sheer strength (?) of my Type A personality.  I've been forcing my body to run on poor nutrition and lack of sleep and I think it's all catching up with me.  
Wishing you the best!