As mentioned in part one of this series, I suffer from chronic insomnia. A few months ago I was finally able to get to a sleep clinic to help determine what was going on and hopefully find a solution.
(I’ve tried pharmaceutical sleep aids in the past but I’ve had a paradoxical response to all that I’ve tried so far. The reaction has varied from something like a strong caffeine buzz, to an all out panic attack.)
Before doing the actual sleep study there was a rather lengthy survey to help narrow down possible causes. Once I completed the survey, I was shown to a sleep study room where I changed into my PJs and a technician came in to wire me up with electrodes and a sensor to monitor my breathing.
(A word of warning to anyone who is planning on having a sleep study… bring a hat. The copious amounts of goop they use to attach the electrodes isn’t coming out of your hair until you have had a LONG shower)
Strangely, in a cold hospital room with electrodes and sensors glued all over my head, I actually managed to fall asleep relatively quickly. I had to wait several weeks to be called back for a review of my results and, in spite of being aware of some issue, I was still surprised by what I heard.
The doctor’s first comment was “Well, we have a perfect storm for insomnia here”. It turned out between the survey and steep study they determined that I suffer from the following nine sleep disorders/parasomnias (abnormal behaviours during sleep), which I have listed by the frequency experienced. (see here for descriptions)
- Restless leg syndrome
- Hypopnea
- Night sweats
- Snoring
- Nightmares
- Hypnagogic jerk
- Exploding head syndrome
- Sleep paralysis
- Night terrors
During my 6 hour sleep study I experienced 23 recorded waking episodes which prevented me from completing a full REM cycle. The kicker was that of the 9 issues, only the first 4 have possible treatments; and while they were recorded, they weren’t considered severe enough to warrant treatment.
The doctor was able to offer that my difficulty in initially falling asleep is likely more psychological than physiological. Which wasn’t a big surprise.
I have never looked forward to sleeping. Sleep has been a source of frustration, discomfort, and on occasion terror. It stands to reason that just the idea of going to sleep creates enough stress to make it difficult to achieve. If I could get past the aversion to falling asleep it might increase my sleep enough to lessen the last 4 items, which can be brought on or worsened by lack of sleep.
Based on recommendations from the doctor, I have been experimenting with exercise, diet, pre-bed routine, and journalling, with mixed results. A couple more nights a week, I can manage to fall asleep sooner than before but there hasn’t been a significant change in the quality of sleep. I remain hopeful that it will come with time, practice, and perseverance.
Part 1 – Chronic Insomnia
Part 3 – Parasomnia
Part 4 – Parasomnia/Paranormal