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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jane d on September 24, 2002, at 10:44:20
I know several people have posted here about experiencing sudden attacks of sleepiness. I liked this description from Maya Angelou's autobiography (latest) "A Song Flung Up to Heaven". She has just learned of the murder of a friend, and walked straight to the bedroom in the home she was visiting and fallen asleep.
"At times when my life has been ripped apart, when my feet forget their purpose and my tongue is no longer familiar with the inside of my mouth, a touch of narcolepsy has befriended me. I have fallen asleep as an adored lover told me that his fancy had flown. When my son was severely injured in the automobile crash, I couldn't eat and could barely talke, but I could fall asleep sitting on the straightback metal hospital chairs beside his door.
"This time I woke up in a strange room knowing everything. I was still in Aunt Lottie's house, and Malcolm was dead."
I don't experience this. I do sleep too much especially when under stress. I think that is probably something different but I'd love to hear the experience of anyone who has experienced both.
Jane
Posted by Dinah on September 24, 2002, at 11:01:26
In reply to Sleep attacks and stress, posted by jane d on September 24, 2002, at 10:44:20
Howdy Jane. :)
I love the quote...
I think I've experienced both, if I understand you correctly. I always had trouble in college (and still have trouble at work) in that if I have too much to do, I'll get sleepy and nod off. I end up making the stress worse because I take away time that I could be using working.
It's not quite the same as the sleep attacks, which are completely overwhelming, sudden, and almost feel like you've taken an overdose of drugs. You can fall asleep anywhere, and have to. Sometimes I can hold off for short periods of time, for example to call my husband and tell him to get home to watch my son. But even if I can stay awake during those times, I'm not completely awake. And I am filled with the overwhelming need to find the safest place to sleep.
I've fallen asleep in my therapist's parking garage, in the stairwell of his office buiding, once during a session, in my son's car pool lane - parked of course, on my desk at work, on the floor of the bathroom, to name just a few. The sleep feels drugged, but I can be roused, and once I've slept for a short time I can function reasonable well, although I often am overcome again.
It's a relatively effective coping mechanism. I think it is somehow related to dissociation. But it can be inconvenient at times. I take care to do what I need to do so that it is not unsafe.
Posted by Tabßitha on September 24, 2002, at 12:03:38
In reply to Sleep attacks and stress, posted by jane d on September 24, 2002, at 10:44:20
When I was married I would fall asleep when I was mad at my husband. I'd just go get in bed, pull the covers over my head, and sleep.
Posted by m3 on September 24, 2002, at 18:35:49
In reply to Re: Sleep attacks and stress » jane d, posted by Dinah on September 24, 2002, at 11:01:26
I don't get the lightning-strike kind of sleepiness, but I just woke up from the stress/mood-related kind. It has a distinct physical feeling associated with it, like being drugged – I have (and remember) intense dreams, and if I wake up in the middle of a nap I feel kind of drunkenly uncoordinated.
The nice part is that I usually wake up feeling very refreshed, with a somewhat improved mood. Wish I could bottle whatever brain thing is going on.
Posted by Dinah on September 30, 2002, at 16:08:16
In reply to Re: Sleep attacks and stress, posted by m3 on September 24, 2002, at 18:35:49
I have the drugged feeling, and I usually wake up feeling, if not refreshed, then at least significantly less distressed. The brain is marvelous at protecting itself. But you're lucky about the dreams. My emotional sleeps are thick and dreamless. Of course I don't often dream at night (that I'm aware of) either. And when I do, they're that dreadfully drab and mundane kind of dream. I wake up, get dressed, go to work... What kind of dream is that?
Posted by utopizen on October 3, 2002, at 14:14:40
In reply to Re: Sleep attacks and stress » m3, posted by Dinah on September 30, 2002, at 16:08:16
So what's up with sleep lulls- you know that 1-3 period where you can't think of anything but sleep?
I've got a 1:30-2:30 class. Yeah, great timing-- my professor would have better chances of seeing my alert during class if he had me jug bottles of Nyquil on the way to it. If I am faced with having to get a class during this time again, I'll just put off scheduling it another semester.
Now if only I can ensure that I enter a career that doesn't make me work between 1-3, I'll be all set...
To give you a rough idea of how annoying this lull is to my body, even 10mg of Adderall wouldn't offset it when I took it at 1 today. Geez. The thing couldn't fall during a more unavoidable time of day. And the worst part is, it's going to be like this for the rest of my life, and there's nothing I can do about it but hope I don't have to do anything during that time.
This is the end of the thread.
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