Sleep/Insomnia Question...

[usernamenumber]

I remember realizing in... I think it was high school, that this was a pattern. It's always Spring when I get this particular kind of insomnia the worst. It's not just that I don't sleep, I'm wired, at least physically, all night, no matter how much sleep I've gotten and how tired I should be. This week I've had about 14 hours of sleep since Monday morning.

I always have occasional bouts of not being able to sleep when I try to go to bed, but they always seem to become the most chronic during the springtime.

So my question is: has anyone else experienced this? Anyone have insights into what could be the cause? My diet doesn't change much throughout the year, and I've experienced this while living all over the country... the only thing unique to Spring that M and I could think of was the extra sunlight, like some kind of reverse seasonal affective disorder (which I've sometimes thought of myself as having, since eventually the insomnia makes me more prone to depression). Idunno. Thoughts?

Comments

[ayelle.livejournal.com]

Like others my first thoughts were "it probably is the increased sunlight" followed by and/or "maybe allergies." In your current place and all the places you've lived, how much sunlight gets in? I've noticed pretty significantly different sleep patterns in apartments that get a ton of sunlight (my current one) and apartments that didn't.

In my case, since I don't have insomnia, being exposed to more sunlight can be a good thing because it helps me adjust from my natural night-owl schedule to a more normal one. But I need to be in control of it. If I've been up late working, I have to be careful to shield myself from sunlight in the morning or else I'll end up getting a lot less total sleep than I need. If your body's natural impulses (insomniac as they may be) and the sun are at war with each other, I can see how it could create havoc.

I don't use a sleep mask because I'm able to turn the bedroom into a sun-shielded cave, but a sleep mask isn't a bad substitute for that. Maybe you're extra-sensitive to the effects and need, like, light-blocking curtains.

And, yeah, apparently allergies aren't always obvious in how they present. Every time someone mentioned allergies to me I'd say "Gosh I'm glad I don't have to deal with that" until I went to an allergist one spring for food allergies, and he took a look in my nose and diagnosed acute allergic rhinitis.

Lastly, if you tend to be on the computer late at night, I suggest using this software to change your computer's light to a less stimulating yellow glow: http://stereopsis.com/flux/