Help, Advice? Adjusting to Daylight Saving Time?

[oceiv]

@GracieJ Really interesting stuff about Apollo and the time a blue light is effective for you. This may correlate with info in an article I just read. Note, the article's tone isn't the best, but there's some useful info in it. The advice is for delayed sleep onset (probably the opposite of your sleep problem, but the advice may reinforce the notion that different people need melatonin at different times):

We also use melatonin, but not as a sleep aid. Instead, we use it to alter people's circadian rhythm, and therefore, we give it 5-7 hours before desired bedtime and we use small doses (0.5-1.0 mg). And I always recommend that they try this at home the first few times in case it makes them sleepy right away.

Your sleep schedule does sound very complicated. I wonder if you may be dealing with two different sleep disorders? One would be your short 18 hr cycle, maybe Advanced Sleep Phase Syndrome? Second would be either the early-waking (more info) or the maintenance type of insomnia. I know people who have the former.

As for why your sleep schedule boomerangs, maybe when you're trying to stay up, you're being exposed to blue light in the hours before your bedtime? Blue light suppresses melatonin and therefore sleep. I can't tolerate blue light very well, period. Florescents and LEDs are painful. I tried blue light therapy. It gave me severe headaches. But recently found it may be keeping me up. This is why I'm looking for a blue-light-blocking filter for my laptop for use in pre-bedtime hours. Since both of us have counter-intuitive sleep problems, it's great that you think in off the beaten track ways. I hope you transition fully to this dastardly DST.

 

[oceiv]

It usually takes me a week or two to adjust to the time change whether it is in the fall or the spring.

This is a tough demand on our already-exhausted systems. I wish that we ME/CFS patients could get an opt-out of DST. Is there anything that makes you transition better? Interesting to hear our varying experiences with DST.

I haven't read this whole thread so sorry, if someone has already said this. I change my clocks but stick to my old schedule, then change slowly, maybe 10 minutes a day.

Sushi

This method is a good variation of what sleep doctors recommend. Wonderful that this works for you. If others can do the @Sushi method, it's a good one to try.

I hope we all transition to DST fully, soon.

I wonder how many ME/CFS patients had preexisting sleep disorders before getting sick with ME/CFS?? Has there been a poll on this topic here before?

 

[GracieJ]

I think my sleep boomerangs after the time change like that because of adrenaline kicking in. It is one of the only times that happens. As I do have to get to work, that extra pushing while tired with the jet lag feeling screws everything up even more.

My GoLite at 8:30 pm produces great results consistently, until the time change. I actually have not had to use it for several months, right over winter to boot.

My all-nighter gave me a great night's sleep two nights ago. Last night, I slept about two hours and woke up. Here we go again, will be fixed soon.

How are you all doing?

 

[oceiv]

Adrenaline, of course! Two hours is rough. Hoping for a quick fix for you too. I'm in my second day of an unexpected PEM episode. It screwed up my sleep. Hoping to get back to schedule, soon.

 

[oceiv]

It's looks like as my PEM is starting to wane, my body went back to retaining the time change from the @GracieJ method. How very cool!

How's everyone else?

@peggy-sue @GracieJ

 

[GracieJ]

I think I have made the worst of the adjustment. My bedtime is already normal and I actually sleep where it is needed. Yay!

This radical out-there method came from too many all-nighters after the time change. Torture. Running with it ended it.

The test day was Monday and a little rough. I had to be to a three-hour training at ten am, the old nine am. Yeah... that one hurt. Hello, PEM. Doing better today.

 

[WillowJ]

If you don't mind answering, how did you or others handle those 8 am appointments when you were on this schedule? Just stay up or are there some other strategies I'm overlooking?

My sister does the just stay up thing. I tend to just get up, then go right to bed after. But I may try to fiddle my schedule so I am getting at least 6 hours resting before having to get up. If I start 3 days ahead, this might be mildly successful. Or I might just wear myself out enough that I can reset my schedule temporarily. Though it always travels back to up late, sleeping late. I just feel more awake at night, and nauseated if I get up in the morning.

I finally got used to the new time a week or so back. But just now working my way through alerts.