Insomnia Support Group
Insomnia is a symptom, rather than a disease, and is characterized by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. People with insomnia complain of difficulty falling or staying asleep, which results in significant impairment of daytime functioning. Insomnia is categorized as transient (shorter than one week), short-term (one to three weeks) or chronic (longer than three...
I first started having insomnia nights last summer. Would get a rash of 4-5 nights in a row when I couldn't fall asleep until 4-5am (I get up at 7am for work). The "good" insomnia nights would let me fall asleep an hour or so after going to bed, and sleep for 3-4 hours before waking up for good.
My doc gave me a variety of different sleep meds, none of them did a thing. Although one did sometimes help me stay asleep when I'd finally fall sleep at 4am, which was troubling since I had to be up at 7. In a fit of desperation one night I took it at 6pm, figuring it would kick in 6 hours later as usual. Didn't do anything.
Fortunately, I don't have this every night, and after the 4-5 nights in a row my body would just collapse and I'd sleep for 5-6 hours.
My current pattern seems to be sleeping 5-6 hours for a few nights, insomnia for a few, 7-8 hours for a few nights, insomnia, etc. I've gone through the lists of things to do - no computer an hour before sleeping, no exercise less than 5 hours before, no late meals, bed for sleeping only, etc.
It could be age (I'm 56) or just the way life is. My father died 6 months before my insomnia began, and he had it all his life - so at one point I just decided that there's only so much insomnia going around in the world and now I have his share.
My doc gave me a variety of different sleep meds, none of them did a thing. Although one did sometimes help me stay asleep when I'd finally fall sleep at 4am, which was troubling since I had to be up at 7. In a fit of desperation one night I took it at 6pm, figuring it would kick in 6 hours later as usual. Didn't do anything.
Fortunately, I don't have this every night, and after the 4-5 nights in a row my body would just collapse and I'd sleep for 5-6 hours.
My current pattern seems to be sleeping 5-6 hours for a few nights, insomnia for a few, 7-8 hours for a few nights, insomnia, etc. I've gone through the lists of things to do - no computer an hour before sleeping, no exercise less than 5 hours before, no late meals, bed for sleeping only, etc.
It could be age (I'm 56) or just the way life is. My father died 6 months before my insomnia began, and he had it all his life - so at one point I just decided that there's only so much insomnia going around in the world and now I have his share.
As for light, you should keep the room as dark as possible. I have read from sleep experts that if you can see your hand in front of your face then you have too much light. Even small nightlights can cause problems. Since "zero" light can be difficult, a sleeping mask may help.
As for drugs, both Rx and OTC, many of these can cause sleep problems, even OTC stuff. I know this from personal experience. Both Rx and OTC meds have wrecked my sleep, especially REM sleep. If you are taking anything at all, even during breakfast, try stopping (if possible) for a couple days to see if you experience any sleep changes. I know this sounds "out there", but I have had problems with OTC (and Rx) drugs, taken in the morning, that slowing wrecked my sleep. It can be very difficult to weed out the offenders.
The light is a good issue, I do try and keep my room as dark as possible, but moonlight does creep through. And I used to enjoy moonlight! ;).
In addition to what you've described, you might benefit by working on your your sleep schedule. Your consistent wake-up time is good. I suggest keeping that 7 days a week if you are not already doing so. Trying to catch up on lost sleep on weekends tends to worsen the problem. Consistency is important.
You might try conservatively cutting back a bit on the time you allow in bed. This should have the effect of naturally ramping up your homeostatic sleep drive.
So for instance if you're averaging 6 hours of sleep, you might try scheduling no more than 6 or 7 hours in bed and see what happens. If your sleep improves but you're feeling daytime fatigue, try adding in a bit more time. By making gradual changes, and by giving yourself a good week or two to adjust, you will eventually find your optimal sleep timing.
This is the basis of sleep restriction therapy, one of the key methods contained in cognitive behavioral therapy designed specifically for insomnia.
Sleep drive, along with your circadian rhythm, are two important physiologic components that largely control sleep. CBT methods give you the tools to manage them both simultaneously so they complement and support one another. By doing this effectively, sleep can become practically irresistible.
Good luck to you.