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Mornings Are a Problem

Winding Vines

Winding Vines

Bluelighter
Joined
Nov 10, 2002
Messages
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All of my life I've had issues waking up as well as my general attitude until four hours after waking.

I've tried what seems like everything:
-been on medications, had hormone panels, no depression (though I did previously), take melatonin, changed my diet, changed my sleep schedule, exercise, blue spectrum lights.

I am naturally nocturnal and do notice that my disposition isn't as bad when I wake in the PM, but the AM is terrible. Horrible grogginess and generally intolerant of everyone.

I don't drink coffee anymore and the medications I take for my ADHD do help somewhat. I do have mornings where I wake more refreshed than in the past but it still greatly impacts retaining a sense of "normality" in a society that runs 9-5.

Any suggestions?
Thanks guys.
 
Work the third shift. Plenty of people don't give a damn about the "normality" of a 9-5. Work 9p to 5a if it suits you. You only live once and you have to do what works for you.
 
Fuck 9 - 5's - I'd put more effort into getting in tune with your circadian rhythms. It sounds like you have a lot anyways, so not having anything to offer is frustrating, but your use of language - "naturally nocturnal" - is conditioning your behaviour somewhat.

As I have just posted in another thread, "It takes 40 days to break a habit. 90 Days To confirm a new habit. 120 Days, The new habit is who you are. 1000 Days - You have mastered the new habit".

I don't believe any of us are naturally nocturnal but hey that's just my opinion, as the research done into it is sketchy at best right now; but I am working with teh same thing myself, except in the later stages of it.

I used to consider myself a night owl - but it was just conditioning.

A lot of it has to do with our uses of artificial lighting - this conditions us, but also just how out of touch with nature we have got in every way to "further progress" - people have been working hours out of synch with their internal clocks for centuries at least - I personally had a really messed up sleep pattern - for about 10 years, maybe more - this was through conditioning myself into bad habits, which take a long time to get out of, especially when I hadn't really tried hard to do it. I found it stupidly difficult to go to bed before 2 am, this is conditioned.

Now I have had months of waking with the sunlight, a few years ago, then got back into bad sleeping habits, then got it back somewhat by living in nature, messed up over xmas/NYE period, and now making extra efforts to do it right this year.

http://www.tmscotland.org/mav/tips.html a little bit. I have found ayurveda's breakdown of things to be helpful - simple and plain - the day, as I'm sure you know, is broken down into sections of 3 hours; each providing your body with a different bodily function.

Also that your dominant nostril your nose is using throughout the day changes every 2.5 hours - breathing through the left nostril for 10 minutes was an amazingly calming effect, and breathing through the right is extremely energizing - in fact I am sure that is a good thing to do early in the morning as soon as awoken (press thumb over left nostril and breathe deeply for about 10 minutes even if you are still lying in bed, I will try it and report back anyways...can't believe I didn't think of this - so much knowledge...putting into practice is key 8) silly me).
 
I could safely say I'd have written the original post...

And then the past three months of my life taking amino acids and piracetam/choline (as well as trying a bunch of other nootropics) have absolutely changed my life.

Abso. Lutely.

I would see if you could take a neurotransmitter deficiency of some sort, that's what I had and I've fixed it immensely.

That's what a lot of us have, but aren't willing to admit.
 
Ho man i've been struglling with sleep a really long time, i have tried everything, medication, drugs, sport, sex, no one will do the trick.


Now i just have accepted it, stop figthing against myself, i sleep when i sleep, i get up when i get up , i dont dlame myself. I hope it can get better, but if it does not i will stilll be happy.
 
I have been going through many of the same problems. The suggestion to change daily schedule or the time you wake up does not make a difference. I tried that and was working the 4-midnight shift instead of an 8am-4pm which I am now. I had the same issues, life is just intolerable for the first couple hours no matter what time of day you wake up. You say you are not depressed but a lot of the times people are without realizing it, because they are "comfortable" in the moment. I go through spouts where I think I am not depressed just because I am satisfied for the time being. But in reality, I feel I under-accomplished in life as I know I am (was) capable of much more. That is my issue for not being able to wake up with a positive attitude. Sometimes, if I don't have time to think in the morning (in a major rush or overslept), I don't even notice that miserable feeling. It is all about they way you "look at the glass" so to speak, half empty, or half full....

I also suffer from rebound anxiety as I take a short acting benzo daily which does not help, but I felt this way before that. It was so bad at one point that I could not deal with life and would vomit in the morning just from not wanting to wake up and having to take on the day. This is why I started taking the benzo in the first place, now I am just in a worse place.

No joke, I am in the same place as you right now. So exact that I think I made a thread about it once. Check out my name and threads as it may help you. Also feel free to PM me to talk about it, get advice, or even just to vent!!! Good luck!
 
B1tO'RoughJack said:
^the blame cessation is key, but "hope" is not - hope is when only external factors can help you, but in reality you just need the knowledge and the willpower to do what you need to do.
Click to expand...

SO well said, b1t0... SO well said.

You will only improve if you have the mindset to match. MIND OVER MATTER.

As someone who has to do this on a daily basis to combat his lyme disease, I know all too well.
 
I feel yeah. I'm a night owl. age has to do with it. I know younger people have their circadien rhythms offset from the older population such as natural melatonin being produced later in the night. try taking melatonin earlier in the night and going to bed earlier. I used to go to bed at 5-6 am and get up at 2-4pm. now I go to bed at about 1-2am and get up at 9-10am
 
i have the same problem, but just feeling like unable to wake up when i need to? and really depressed about it afterward. never that "invigorated" or "refreshed" feeling. i have literally had a friend put adderrall into my mouth as i was half unconscious so i'd wake up when my alarm went off. i'm on ambien but it doesnt help me sleep so i use it to decrease anxiety during the day.
 
try going to bed at 10:30pm and waking up at 7:00 am every morning for a few years, you won't be nocturnal anymore. Your body is made to run with the sun, if you're sleeping all that sun away you are doing yourself harm mentally at least. I get depressed as fuck if i sleep all day. I am 'naturally nocturnal' as well, i just love staying up until the morning hours but i've adjusted my schedule to mornings and with some sort of stimulation (even coffee is fine) i can make it without wanting to kill myself, just takes a while to get used to.
 
True say.
RobotRipping said:
try going to bed at 10:30pm and waking up at 7:00 am every morning for a few years, you won't be nocturnal anymore. Your body is made to run with the sun, if you're sleeping all that sun away you are doing yourself harm mentally at least. I get depressed as fuck if i sleep all day. I am 'naturally nocturnal' as well, i just love staying up until the morning hours but i've adjusted my schedule to mornings and with some sort of stimulation (even coffee is fine) i can make it without wanting to kill myself, just takes a while to get used to.
Click to expand...
 
^don't ever lay there for hours, if you aren't asleep within 30 minutes, get up and go do something and stop worrying about getting to sleep. It's the stress of sleeping that causes me to sleep less more so than anything else. I've done the laying there thing for hours most of my life and it is not effective at all but if i get up every 30 minutes, im usually asleep far sooner than i would have if i just laid there the whole time. Protip.
 
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