Narcolepsy Support Group

Interesting idea. No I don't know anything about the physiology of N...

But I sleep at all hours of the day, and alarm clocks don't wake me up. I sleepwalk and turn it off and that's it lol I used to sleep through my dad hammering and sawing in the room next to mine back home!

Light and sound don't affect me when I'm out, don't know about the rest of you. My husband tried one of those sunrise alarms with an ipod program. He liked it, but then again, he can wake up when he's supposed to!

I went out and got full spectrum lights for my store months ago. I do think that the extra exposure to "sunlight" helps. Nothing concrete, I just know that after several days I did notice I felt a little better during the day. Nothing is going to be s super cure...but I do believe there are a lot of little things that can help. I will check my notes for info on cortisol and as everyone has heard me say, I believe melatonin supplements are what kept me going so long prior to diagnosis. I still take it now along with my xryrem.

Ok I did some internet searching about cortisol and sleep. I found a book, The Body Ecology Diet that looks interesting. I will see if my library has it.

I have a light box prescribed by my sleep doc, but haven't used it for a while. A long time ago when I was pretty much on schedule and things were going well, it seemed to help, but then my schedule kind of fell apart and I wasn't waking up in time to turn it on. Later, a psychiatrist thought I might be bi-polar, and said not to use the light as it could start cycling.

However, last week, my sleep doc told me to start using it again, and I kind of forgot until just now, so I guess I'll turn it on; thanks for the reminder ;).

I have not tried the light boxes, but I have wondered about them too.

I sleep with the curtains open, so that the sun can wake me up (I think it helps). It's easier to wake up to light. I don't know if you have "daylight savings time" where you live, but we all changed our clocks back an hour on November first. When I wake up in the morning (if it's 7:00, it's like it's really 8:00), it's light now, so it's a bit better to wake up and find it bright outside.

I also find bright lights help, not so much with sleepiness, but it helps me feel cheerier and less dreary. That reminds me, I need to buy more lights for my new apartment. The lighting here is not so great, so I end up going to bed at 8 sometimes.

That's all really interesting & helpful. Will have a look for that book myself. From what you've all said, I think I might try a sunrise & sunset alarm clock,& was told that I can get one in the UK on a 30-day trial. The same person mentioned melatonin too.

I think that if I have minimal light on in the house when getting ready for bed,& don't put any lights on when I wake up in the early hours, I have better sleep (well, it's worked one night so far anyway!).

I also used to sleep with the curtains open, or with a soft light source coming into the bedroom. I thought I'd have been doing it subconsciously so I could see when waking up paralysed, but now think it may have been to help me wake up.

Have heard of a Rio Desk Top SAD lamp, very compact & in Argos in the UK. Have also ordered 'The Body Ecology Diet'. Will let you know how I get on.

Thanks for posting this. I am going to order a sunrise alarm clock

I have a skylight in my bedroom so I always wake up to daylight.

I have french doors in my bedroom but I have to get up before the sun.