Re: Problem maintaining sleep patterns

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Re: Problem maintaining sleep patterns

Posted by gnasher on January 18, 2005 at 21:00:08:
In Reply to: Problem maintaining sleep patterns posted by Henricho R. on January 11, 2005 at 02:32:08:
I've had the same 'ability' to sleep through alarms for most of my life (and I've also ground my teeth since I've had them). Including the 'gift' of being able to cross rooms to turn them off without ever recalling it. If asked if I'm awake when the alarm goes off, I'll answer yes and have no recollection of the alarm or the question.
I'm not quite as bad in summer, in that one alarm will usually eventually wake me so long as I keep the curtains open (sunlight seems to help). Though only last week, I woke up 1 hour after I should have been at work. My alarm *had* worked and run for an hour before turning itself off, though I was completely unaware of it.
In winter I use around 3 alarms at the same time, and I save the automated telephone wake up service for really essential wake ups (because I don't want to get used to the sound as then I would sleep through the phone too). I do this because I once woke up 3 hours after the twice daily interstate train had left (and had a non-transferable ticket).
I've slept through being burgled (including wallet taken from handbag in bedroom), concerts - Ray Charles + BB King.
Travelling by train around Europe, the friend I went with had to punch me more than once to wake me up (not shake or prod me), even if I'd only been asleep for half an hour or so. And I had no idea she punched me until she told me years later. I thought she'd said my name or shook me gently!
The most effective digital alarm clock I had, had a snooze button of 4 minutes. After half an hour or so I'd wake up enough to stay out of bed. Anything longer than 4 minutes, and it might as well have never gone off.
Drinking plenty of water the night before is no help, sure my bladder will wake me up .... but at 4am and then I'll go back to my usual "sleep of the dead".
Last year I finally admitted it wasn't getting better, and in my early 40's that I wasn't going to grow out of it. I went to my Dr, who referred me to a sleep specialist as a potential apneac. I've had the clinical tests and don't have apnea or PLM (periodic limb movement) or seizures in my sleep.
The specialist considered that I'm probably an extreme end of the bell curve of what's normal. After all someone has to be on the extreme end, why not me be the one who needs more hours of sleep than the average person. So I need to practise good sleep hygiene - get to bed at a regular time, for enough hours to not build a sleep debt. It helps but isn't a cure.

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Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.