Eventually you would feel like going to sleep very early, which is the Holy Grail for adrenal fatigue,
both are true but I can't get them combined
I tried it for a while, having very few artificial lights around. In winter I did get sleepy around 8 in the evening. Fell asleep fast too (I usually do, sorry I know you don't)
Guess who lay awake from 1 to 3...
I came by to let you know where my thinking stands.
I'm thinking our particular sleep pattern has to do with the parasympathetic nervous system. Our bodies cannot sustain homeostasis after five hours of sleep for some reason. A cortisol response is initiated.
To find out the reason I'm approaching it from two sides:
- what happens in those 5 hours? Is there a reason for the body to panic? I know we probably get two Deep Sleep cycles by then but why do we rise all the way to waking and not stay in slumber? Body temp? Breathing? Anything to do with the parasymp. nerv. system. I'm looking into.
- what does the cortisol peak do that 'solves' the problem the body perceived? There may be a clue there in what it tries to solve. I know it acidifies stomach acid (but I ruled that out), it promotes intestine motility (but I ruled that out), it raises blood pressure (I doubt it since we're lying flat but haven't ruled it out yet), et cetera.
Another approach is stopping the reaction, without taking away the cause. The sleeping pills and relaxing supplements mentioned by others do this. This is an end solution, but it works.
Antihistamines work because they keep the hormone receptors in the cell occupied, so the body may give the command to make cortisol but it never reaches the adrenal cells that have to make it. The problem with receptors is that if the body doesn't get a response it makes more receptors or changes them. That explains upping doses and rotating meds. And varying experiences with hormone treatment.
I'm also thinking on two scales far apart from each other: I think you and I share a DNA mutation that causes our bodies to scramble homeostasis after 5 hours of deep sleep. Finding this mutation is a needle in a haystack... but if we do we can circumvent it, I am certain.
The other end: it's the hypothalamus that perceives the threat and gives the order to produce cortisol. The big orchestra conductor in the brain. The hypothalamus can be reached and taught, somewhat. I also think the hypothalamus is our subconscious. Or its quirky brother anyway.
Talking about bros: my brother has this extreme sleeping pattern also but he is healthy (at 36 yo). He uses his time at night to work on his movie stuff. And he makes sure any job he has doesn't start early in the morning, he HAS to sleep in until 8 or 9.
This might give us hope?
untill later, Anna
PS what I understand is that dr Cheney uses Clonopin to reduce the exited brain chemistry. He also mentioned Valerian and Magnesium which do the same. Valentijn mentions a less jittered brain during the day with slow release NAC. I monitor my food because my brain chem. is ridiculously sensitive.
Pair these brain chemistry approaches with hypothalamus, cell processes that deplete certain stuffs (amino acids, hormones, vit) and an inborn thing for sub optimal processes (dna mutation) and I have another working theory about sleep to research. One that echoos the experiences everybody here brings to the thread. (!)