I know there is a relatively recent "sleep issue" thread which I have read, but I have a particular problem and I didn't see anyone else having the same issue.
I work a rotating shift (overnights, evenings, days) and I am now at the 2 year mark with this work schedule. I also spend 15-18 hrs per week triathlon training (half IM and full IM). I have had sleep issues all my life (a lot of time it would just take me several hours to fall asleep - this dates back to when I was a kid) but nothing that was affecting my life. Then I got this job. For the first year, I was ok. I could still sleep at night and most of the time I could sleep during the day when I worked nights. Sporadically I would have problems like I have always had, but after a night or 2 of not sleeping well, I would be tired enough and sleep again. After a year, I stopped being able to sleep during the day. At this point, I moved to a new apartment that was darker and quieter, bought one of those white noise machines, and went to the doctor to get Ambien. For a while, taking 1/3 of an Ambien pill would work when I needed help, but I wasn't taking it consistently, and would take melatonin on nights (or days) when I didn't take the Ambien.
Now, after 2 years, I find that I cannot sleep at night either. Ambien no longer helps (after taking it nightly for 6 weeks straight I think it has lost its effectiveness) so I've stopped taking it to try to wean off of it. So even though I am exhausted when I go to bed, I can't sleep. I can take deep breaths, relax my body muscle by muscle into total relaxation and feel myself like 1 second away from falling asleep, and then my brain goes "OH MY GOD I'M ALMOST ASLEEP" and that's it - I come back from that state.
Has anybody had experience with this? I think it must be a mental issue I am having. I am wondering if going to see my doctor again would be a good idea, or maybe seeing a therapist? I am getting desperate...
---
IM Coeur D'Alene 2011
IM Wisconsin 2011
http://alexaharding.blogspot.com
I work a rotating shift (overnights, evenings, days) and I am now at the 2 year mark with this work schedule. I also spend 15-18 hrs per week triathlon training (half IM and full IM). I have had sleep issues all my life (a lot of time it would just take me several hours to fall asleep - this dates back to when I was a kid) but nothing that was affecting my life. Then I got this job. For the first year, I was ok. I could still sleep at night and most of the time I could sleep during the day when I worked nights. Sporadically I would have problems like I have always had, but after a night or 2 of not sleeping well, I would be tired enough and sleep again. After a year, I stopped being able to sleep during the day. At this point, I moved to a new apartment that was darker and quieter, bought one of those white noise machines, and went to the doctor to get Ambien. For a while, taking 1/3 of an Ambien pill would work when I needed help, but I wasn't taking it consistently, and would take melatonin on nights (or days) when I didn't take the Ambien.
Now, after 2 years, I find that I cannot sleep at night either. Ambien no longer helps (after taking it nightly for 6 weeks straight I think it has lost its effectiveness) so I've stopped taking it to try to wean off of it. So even though I am exhausted when I go to bed, I can't sleep. I can take deep breaths, relax my body muscle by muscle into total relaxation and feel myself like 1 second away from falling asleep, and then my brain goes "OH MY GOD I'M ALMOST ASLEEP" and that's it - I come back from that state.
Has anybody had experience with this? I think it must be a mental issue I am having. I am wondering if going to see my doctor again would be a good idea, or maybe seeing a therapist? I am getting desperate...
---
IM Coeur D'Alene 2011
IM Wisconsin 2011
http://alexaharding.blogspot.com