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Grrr...Wake-up Nightly in a Hypervigilant State

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
I came across this paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02713-7 which is about glial cells damping neurons. The following bit might apply to PWME, since ME seems to involve the glial cells:

"ADO derived from ATP released by astrocytes is proposed to regulate sleep onset10. Badimon et al. found that the extracellular level of ADO in a brain region called the striatum was reduced by 85% in anaesthetized mice lacking microglia, compared with control mice that had microglia. This suggests that the build-up of extracellular ADO that generates sleep pressure might largely be derived from the activity of microglial CD39. Thus, microglia-facilitated negative-feedback control of neuronal activity could be a side effect of the evolution of a system to induce sleep (or vice versa)."

I'm not sure how to apply that to improve our sleep, but it's a possible lead for further research.
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
I'll fall into a rather bizarre sleep of perhaps 45 min. when I have something hot in my hand.

Have you tried applying that to trigger sleep intentionally? Wear a glove or mitt with a chemical heat packet, or a small bottle of hot water? If it worked reliably, you could use an electric glove.

A convenient reliable sleep switch would be useful, even if the details sound a bit odd. :)
 

lenora

Senior Member
Messages
4,913
Wishful, yes, I have thought of that very thing. The only reason I don't is that I'm in a bizarre sleep that I don't think I'd want to be in for long. I use an electric blanket constantly and find that I have a better chance of sleeping if that's on. I think I'm just completely exhausted from being up for so long, and fall asleep on the spot. I generally wake myself up.....usually when I feel hot liquid running down my hand. It helps that I'm in a leather chair and the colors all blend together. I do think the heat relaxes me and allows me to drift and out of falling asleep. Even though I'm "on guard" it still manages to happen. Weird, isn't it? If I ever do rig something up to help me doze off, I'll be sure to let you know. Even at the best of times, I never get more than 2 hrs.....and that's really stretching it. So now I have a backache that's keeping me wide awake. Always, always, always something. Do you think I could touch my husband with my electric glove. Especially if I'm sitting in a cup of hot tea or something? :)
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
Weird, isn't it?

What comes to mind is that 'special spot' on some cats and dogs where if you touch there, they'll automatically do some certain action, such as lick their right rear leg or scratch their left ear. Maybe you've got a 'go to sleep' spot that responds to heat. Likely not, but if it was that, then it could be cleverly exploited. I would have liked that last night (insomnia at 12:20), because I just knew I wasn't going to fall asleep again without help. Luckily melatonin worked.

I still want the sleep inducer device from SF stories. :sleep: