Category: Health and Wellness
Totally blind people, who cannot perceive light, often report difficulty
falling asleep and staying asleep, as well as fatigue, poor concentration and irritability while awake.
This is really interesting. Thanks for posting it.
Bob
Yes, I had never heard of this before. Does a doctor have to diagnose this problem?
no idea, but I for one intend to find out.......
Same here. I've suffered sleep problems for probably eight or nine years, I've had two sleep studdies, one where the camera didn't work properly, and a second one a few months later which proved inconclusive. The problems I have are very similar to those discussed in the first post. I'm awake now, at 8 minutes past two in the morning, I'm only just feeling somewhat tired and I've been awake for around 14 hours. I can't help that. I'd love to feel really relaxed, tired and really quite sleepy at around halfpast nine, ten o'clock in the evening, so I can have at least 8 and a half, 9 hours sleep before I have to get up and get ready to go over to College in the mornings, but my body clock doesn't want to sleep around that time. I'll sleep, hopefully just for short periods on and off during the day, and not, please, please, never, during lectures or other things where I'm required to stay alert and awake, but it just doesn't happen that way with me. A warm or very hot room doesn't help and within about five minutes of sitting down, if I'm just listening to a tutor's or lecturer's voice, then, O dear. I'm well away, until of course, the lecturer, then the people sat next to me, then, cringe, the whole bloody class notices me slumped back in my chair, mouth agape, eyes fixed on the ceiling, dead to the world with an insane wide-mouthed smile spread across my face, that I, through absolutely no fault of my own, believe me, haven't been giving them my full attention. I was told to get out of the room by my Chemistry tutor once because I slumped forwards on the bench in the science lab, not wishing to fall off the high bench stool if I slumped back probably. The next thing I knew, was "Jenny, get out" rang through the room. I insisted I hadn't been asleep, but I wasn't sure Mrs. Betts believed me, but she gave in and let me stay till the end of the lesson. I'm not quite sure of my sleeping patterns as a baby. I've almost always fallen to sleep listening to a music box, cassette tape or talking book. Mum said I'd fall asleep in about a minute when we were in hospital and she wound up the little music box and put it in the cot with me. I wish I could stay awake when I wanted to stay awake and sleep when I want to sleep, and I think now, that wisxh may come true. i'm a total, don't have a lot of light perception, so this thing about Melatonin deficiency for me, could mean the difference between success, staying awake and alert during the day at College, or sleeping most of the time, failing my course and not getting a job and wasting yet another year and also probably my last ever chance of becoming a working woman.
Jen.
Oops! I meant wish in the last post.
This is interesting because I have a hard time getting to sleep at night. I want to go to bed early, but I'm not tired. I'll look more into melatonin deficiency, since I'm totally blind with no light perception.
I have been a sufferer all my life. but have finally accepted it, and adapted to it.
But melatonin can be bought over the counter (I forget the brand name), do a google or something like that or ask your druggist. and it works for those of us with no light perception. I don't know about the effectiveness for others.
Hey Dumbledoresgirl, that was aquite a story and--not to make light of the problem for I understand it well--I just want to ask, do you druel too? <lol>
Bob
Lol! I have light percepion and still this happens to me. I kind of just sruggle at the moment, though if I d exercise or a lot of things in one day that are very involved, I'm ok.
It also depends on when I get up or whatever
Wow I didn't realise that so many other visually impaired people suffered from not sleeping properly. I'm absolutely terrible sometimes and especially if there's a lot on. I can easily become an insomniac which is a nightmare for whoever has the misfortune to be in bed with me!!
I looked into taking Melatonin but my GP advised against it as there's little known concerning long-term affects. I use exercise, hard studying and a busy life style to knock me out at night. If anybody has other methods which help apart from Melatonin I would be very interested to hear about them.
Firstly, yeah, I drool as well bob, especially embarrassing if I stay at a friend's place and fall aslep on my side or on my front. My GP advised I had another blood test when we discussed me taking Exogenous Melatonin because apparently, people with an overactive thyroid shouldn't take it. I just hope the result's good and the blood test was worth it, since I also have quite a bad needle phobia.
Jen.