Posted by JonW on June 24, 2002, at 6:48:39
In reply to bipolar's and nighttime » JonW, posted by krazy kat on June 23, 2002, at 9:55:54
> i don't know if you're diagnosed bipolar, but this seems to be a common trait for bipolars, regardless of the part of the spectrum a bipolar falls into, which, where, for art thou... boy that sentence came out badly.
Yeah, I don't know what my diagnonsense is, either... Two doctors have said I'm certainly part bipolar, but I feel guilty agreeing when it seems to be a matter of *how* bipolar one is and I'm not sure I am enough to get a label but then certainly enough to complicate treatment.
> the best thing you can do, imho, is get to bed as early as possible with a sleeping aid that's tried and true (frankly a half a dose of Exedrin PM works better for me than prescription meds I've tried) and get up the same time every morning. Same old, same old, and I'm still sleeping too late every day after working on this for a good two months.
I may try the exedrin PM sometime... what makes it PM? Is it the same stuff in benadryl? Actually, since taking the sleeping pill on a regular basis I seem to get up "naturally" at a normal hour but my head still wakes up in a fog. Waking up at a normal hour and having a little bit more energy in the morning has only happened recently and since my pdoc increased the Nardil to 60mg so maybe he is right and it's more the Nardil that is helping. It's hard to tell which is responsible, but anyway there's a good trend as of late.
> Also, don't worry about the amount of sleep unless it changes, I've learned. I feel better if I sleep a good 10 hours. BUT, I sleep better if I don't take a nap (no surprise). So, I'm using a stimulant to keep me awake thru the day as best i can.
I usually love a *lot* of sleep! But recently I just wake up after like 5 to 7 hours, and maybe that's because that's when the ambien wears off or the depression is getting better. I hope it's the depression improving but it's probably the ambien wearing off. There's that damn depression again, making me all negative! ;)
> I've heard it since I started getting treated for this illness - good sleep hygiene is a priority and meds can definitely help. Watch out
I'm definitely significantly affected by changes in sleep and sunlight!
Jon
poster:JonW
thread:110477
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020617/msgs/110598.html