[Blindtlk] Having a Problem...

[Arielle Silverman]

Hi Kerri. I am curious how long these problems have been going on? Has
it been since you were young or is it something that just started
recently? If it is something that has been an issue for you since
childhood, it could be a form of non-24. But, if it's more recent,
then it may have more to do with your current situation and activity
level.
One thing you could try is taking melatonin over the counter at night.
I honestly don't know if the Vanda medication is much different from
the melatonin you can buy at the drugstore. The drugstore version is
very safe and many sighted people take it. There's certainly no shame
in trying it.
You may want to try taking melatonin an hour or so before you would
prefer to go to bed. If you get exhausted during the day, you could
try a small dose of caffeine to stay awake and then take melatonin
that night.
I am confident that you aren't the only blind, or sighted, person
who's experienced these issues. I'm glad you told us about it so we
can try to help.
Best, Arielle

On 2/27/16, Kerri Kosten via blindtlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Everyone:
> First, I am very very ashamed and embarrassed to admit this, so please
> no judgment for this message.
> I am really really struggling with wanting to sleep all day and
> staying awake all night. No matter what I try to do though, I can't
> seem to fight it.
> For example, on Wednesday, I woke up at 10 PM.
> I was wide awake the rest of the night. On Thursday morning at around
> 8 AM, I got up and went to my couch to watch TV.
> At 10, I sat on the floor and listened to one of my favorite radio shows.
> At noon, I again went to my couch and put on the radio.
> At around 2, I began to become exhausted.
> When I try to fight it and stay awake I become increasingly exhausted
> until I get a headache.
> Unable to take it, I usually end up laying back down and falling asleep.
> Here is the thing though. Even if I manage to stay up all day when it
> is time to go to sleep I am still wide wide awake all night and don't
> get tired until like 1 or 2 the next day so have to try to fight the
> whole thing all over again.
> I can't sleep at all at night, but if I try to stay up during the day
> when the world is awake my body fights me with everything it has.
> But when it's night I am wide awake.
> This is happening every day and is making me feel really ashamed and
> depressed.
> I read the thread on Non 24-7. I am a member of the NFB.
> Like everyone else on this list, I hate those commercials on the
> radio. It makes me very very ashamed that I struggle to get through
> the day like those commercials say.
> I don't want to ruin any blind persons chances of employment because
> an employer hears those messages on the radio and believes them. I
> myself want to fit into the sighted world. My passion is sports, and
> so I've always wanted to do something with sports media. I want to
> show blind people can do things. I don't want to give off the message
> we can't even stay up during the day.
> I also feel ashamed because I can't really get a job or go to school
> or anything if I can't even stay up during the day. Sure I'm awake all
> night, but if I sleep all day I feel so depressed I slept through the
> day, I have no motivation to do anything.
> Even as I type this, I'm really upset. I fell asleep today at 1 PM. I
> am a huge sports fan and my favorite team had a game at 6 PM. I'll
> admit, I forgot to set an alarm for 6 PM to wake myself up. Anyway, I
> ended up waking up at 8:30 PM and missing the entire game. I found out
> my team won, but this is the first time I've ever missed an entire
> game.
> Today is also my Mother's birthday. When I was still awake this
> morning at around 11, I called her but she was out so didn't answer.
> She tried to call me back at 1:25 PM and I totally missed her call
> because I was asleep. I of course got to talk to her when I woke up
> but now I'll feel horrible the rest of the night because I have been
> asleep all day, and I missed the entire game.
> And I'll be wide awake all night and tomorrow I'll get exhausted at
> around 1 PM again.
> And yet, when I determinedly try to fight this, my body battles me
> with everything it has until I give in.
> This is out of control!!
> Does anyone else struggle with this?
> Is there anything that works or do I have to go to the doctors and
> admit these stupid ads Vanda has on the radio are true at least for
> me?
> The world is already so much about sight...I don't want sleep to be
> about sight too!!
> How do others deal with these sleep issues?
> If I go to the doctors and say I get my nights and days mixed up will
> they automatically assume I have this non 24 thing and immediately
> contact Vanda no matter how much I protest?
> Is there any way to lessen the exhaustion or something enough to stay
> up the entire day so I can force my body to sleep at night?
> I don't know what to do...
> Thanks,
> Kerri
>
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