I hope this isn't too unfocused, but these are a few potential pieces of the puzzle I've been mulling over for some time, and to me, are seemingly interrelated.
Generally speaking, I’ve only experienced restful, fatigue-reducing sleep, approximately 8 to 10 times per calendar year over the past seven years. I typically fall asleep around 10 p.m. and then awaken between 3 and 4 a.m. due to being overheated and/or experiencing tooth related pain.
I'm usually up for one hour before falling back asleep again, waking up fully between 5:30 and 7 a.m.
The only time I feel some amount a recovery, meaning, my muscles muscles don't ache, my body feels rested, and the tension disappears, comes as a direct result of my utilizing the 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. sleep window.
Sometimes I experience this result from sleeping a mere 15 minutes during this specific time frame, or the sleep duration can last up to one hour within this specific time frame.
And when I awaken after these pseudo naps between 5:30 a.m. and seven, it's almost always in the midst of a vivid dream state, which I'm assuming is a partial REM sleep cycle.
This may equate to nothing …… but any theories?
Additional Information
Immediately prior to my becoming ill I worked the graveyard shift, technical support, for seven years (roughly 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.). I thought it possible that my circadian rhythm never reset once I switched back to the day shift, possibly causing these difficulties, but I've never found any literature to support this theory.
I also considered the fact that my digestive processes were permanently offset, complicating the digestion (peristalsis) and affecting my ability to properly utilize nutrients… some form of gastroparesis. An eventual “emptying test” seemed to disprove this theory.
Mostly Unrelated
Since April 2018 I've been experimenting with nightly CBD oil / THC vaping. Initially I started with a 3:1 CBD to THC ratio and experienced refreshing sleep 10 out of the first 14 nights!
Ever since that initial burst of refreshing sleep the effectiveness has diminished, however I do get refreshing sleep at least once a week now, which is an improvement.
After two months at a 3:1 ratio, I increased the THC to make a 1:1 ratio (resulting in slight, but fleeting sense of relaxation immediately after ingestion) which has seemed to have no effect whatsoever on my overall sleep quality at night.
The lasting benefit of vaping has been that I am now able to take occasional 10 to 20 minute naps during the day, which are typically refreshing and typically involve waking in the midst of vivid dreams.
Prior to this experimentation and despite being exclusively bed bound and physically exhausted for the past three calendar years, I'd never been able to nap even once.
Lastly, and this part isn't sleep related, but ever since I've begun utilizing the CBD / THC I've had an appetite. If I don't eat, I actually get hungry. My body, or my brain, craves food. It's a weird sensation. This is the first time I've been hungry or felt hunger in the past seven or eight years.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope my words make grammatical, and perhaps even logical sense. Up until nine months ago I was unable to read more than a paragraph or two per day, much less form and dictate meaningful sentences into my phone...
Kind regards,
H
Generally speaking, I’ve only experienced restful, fatigue-reducing sleep, approximately 8 to 10 times per calendar year over the past seven years. I typically fall asleep around 10 p.m. and then awaken between 3 and 4 a.m. due to being overheated and/or experiencing tooth related pain.
I'm usually up for one hour before falling back asleep again, waking up fully between 5:30 and 7 a.m.
The only time I feel some amount a recovery, meaning, my muscles muscles don't ache, my body feels rested, and the tension disappears, comes as a direct result of my utilizing the 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. sleep window.
Sometimes I experience this result from sleeping a mere 15 minutes during this specific time frame, or the sleep duration can last up to one hour within this specific time frame.
And when I awaken after these pseudo naps between 5:30 a.m. and seven, it's almost always in the midst of a vivid dream state, which I'm assuming is a partial REM sleep cycle.
This may equate to nothing …… but any theories?
Additional Information
Immediately prior to my becoming ill I worked the graveyard shift, technical support, for seven years (roughly 7 p.m. until 5 a.m.). I thought it possible that my circadian rhythm never reset once I switched back to the day shift, possibly causing these difficulties, but I've never found any literature to support this theory.
I also considered the fact that my digestive processes were permanently offset, complicating the digestion (peristalsis) and affecting my ability to properly utilize nutrients… some form of gastroparesis. An eventual “emptying test” seemed to disprove this theory.
Mostly Unrelated
Since April 2018 I've been experimenting with nightly CBD oil / THC vaping. Initially I started with a 3:1 CBD to THC ratio and experienced refreshing sleep 10 out of the first 14 nights!
Ever since that initial burst of refreshing sleep the effectiveness has diminished, however I do get refreshing sleep at least once a week now, which is an improvement.
After two months at a 3:1 ratio, I increased the THC to make a 1:1 ratio (resulting in slight, but fleeting sense of relaxation immediately after ingestion) which has seemed to have no effect whatsoever on my overall sleep quality at night.
The lasting benefit of vaping has been that I am now able to take occasional 10 to 20 minute naps during the day, which are typically refreshing and typically involve waking in the midst of vivid dreams.
Prior to this experimentation and despite being exclusively bed bound and physically exhausted for the past three calendar years, I'd never been able to nap even once.
Lastly, and this part isn't sleep related, but ever since I've begun utilizing the CBD / THC I've had an appetite. If I don't eat, I actually get hungry. My body, or my brain, craves food. It's a weird sensation. This is the first time I've been hungry or felt hunger in the past seven or eight years.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope my words make grammatical, and perhaps even logical sense. Up until nine months ago I was unable to read more than a paragraph or two per day, much less form and dictate meaningful sentences into my phone...
Kind regards,
H
