r/DSPD • u/ktfarrier • 5d ago
Preparing for the morning?
I've had dspd all of my life. My mom tells me when I was a baby, I'd never sleep at night - only in the day. Well, I'm almost 40 now and despite trying to be 'normal', if left unchecked, I revert back to my bed by 5-6am, wake up noon-2pm. That's my sweet spot. Obviously it doesn't work if I want to be a functioning member of society.
I have a dentist appointment in a few days at 10am. What are some of your methods to 'reset'? Pull an all lighter the night before? Prepare a few days prior? What I find I revert to is nap the day before from 8pm to 12-1am, and then stay up until my appointment, come home and sleep. It messes me up even more. I was just wondering if anyone had any insight?
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u/cle1etecl 4d ago
Setting my alarm way in advance so that there is a lot of time for snoozing and trying to scrape together a semblance of energy before I get up. All while being anxious that I don't properly fall asleep during that time and sleep through the appointment 🙃
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u/ktfarrier 4d ago
Ugh, this is incredibly relatable. Honestly, before I found out about dspd and this sub, I just thought I was cursed.
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u/__ssdd 2d ago
oh the anxiety is REAL. I've slept through appointments because I was so stressed about not waking up that I ended up lying in bed wide awake for 4 more hours. The irony is not lost on me. (That, or I do make it but I'm way more miserable than I would be if I just fell asleep when I went to bed.)
I used to pull all nighters to manage this but unfortunately I turned 25 and it's really not an option anymore.
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u/Alect0 4d ago
I'm 40 and I know by now I can't reset so I just don't book 10am dental appointments any more if I can help it. If I can't avoid it then I set half a dozen alarms and get my husband to force me out of bed. Though ultimately it's not his responsibility so it's still on me to get up.
I don't recommend all nighters as I don't want to risk developing N-24 and I've definitely headed that way in the past when I've tried this.
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u/ktfarrier 4d ago
So your early appointment would be just you waking up on a few or less hour sleep. I try not to book early appointments either!! I just googled n-24, looks exhausting!!
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u/Alect0 4d ago
Yep that's right. Next week I have to get up for flight for work 1h after the time I fall sleep and go to a two day conference for example so I know I'll get one hour sleep and just have to deal with being wrecked at the conference. It has taken a while to get to this point but I've just stopped stressing about it as nothing I can do.
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u/ktfarrier 4d ago
Being in this 'wrecked' state during events, do you ever feel you could make a mistake driving, etc? How do you help yourself feel more awake?
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u/Alect0 4d ago
Yes I do feel that way sometimes so I organise public transport or other ways of transport (for example next week I get taxis). I drink caffeine, get up and go to the toilet if I feel I will fall asleep (people must think I have a tiny bladder sometimes), have a drink bottle on hand as having little sips is one way to stay awake, sucking on mints/lollies, and sometimes I have to do the cliche of pinching myself really hard. It has gotten easier over time to adapt as you come up with new strategies.
A few times when it is really bad I have gone to the toilet and slept for 10min (set an alarm on my watch) to get by.
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u/nightowlclinic_ 1d ago
I always wondered if I was the only person that went to the toilet to have mini sleeps!
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u/Hatecookie 4d ago
I don’t schedule things in the morning if it can possibly be avoided. I have a class once a week at 9:30am and the night before I take every downer I can get my hands on, beta blocker, melatonin, Hydroxyzine, and Benadryl around 9pm so I can be really sleepy by midnight. I basically have to stop my entire life for that evening and make going to bed at midnight like a life-or-death priority. No getting out of bed for any reason except bathroom, even if I lay there awake with my eyes closed for 6 hours.
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u/allegedlypizza 3d ago
Beta blockers inhibit melatonin. When I went to sleep medicine for DSPS treatment they changed the timing of my beta blockers and had me try a different anxiolytic at night for the same calming effect. Just something to think about when you're throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. The effect of beta blockers on melatonin can vary though, depending on what kind of beta blocker you're on.
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u/ktfarrier 4d ago
So you essentially 'drug' yourself once a week to be up for class (whether the drugs work or not). I'm often upset taking sleeping pills because it takes me 2+ hours to feel an effect half of the time, Russian roulette.
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u/Hatecookie 4d ago
I don’t take sleeping pills, they kind of scare me how fast you can build up a tolerance to them. I checked to make sure none of these drugs will interact with each other, too. They all have a calming effect but none of them are sleeping pills.
But yeah, I have found that sometimes even laying in bed with my eyes closed although I am still awake allows me to get some semblance of rest, just letting my brain and body do nothing. If I didn’t take all of the pills, it would be unbearably boring.
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u/ZoyaZhivago 3d ago
What’s the point, if it’s gonna be terrible quality sleep anyway? I’d rather just get 4 hours of solid REM than 8 hours of forced/interrupted sleep. I have to get up between 9:30-10am at least twice a week (my two earlier days at work), and that’s what I do. But I’m wired to run on less sleep than average, so I guess everyone’s mileage may vary.
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u/hayh 4d ago
I'd advise against an (intentional) all-nighter, you'll be wrecked. What I do in these situations is try to be as rested as possible beforehand and try to take the pressure off to sleep early the night before - stressing about it will only make it harder. If you have anything that works for you to help you sleep earlier though, do it. For me the best thing is blue light blocking glasses in the evening, for some it's melatonin, etc. I also prep by doing as much as possible the night before: I get everything I need ready, maybe buy a pastry or a banana that I can just grab and go with if I'm able to eat in the morning, put my clothes out, and take a shower before bed so I have as little as possible to do before I leave. In extreme cases I'll even just sleep in the clothes I plan to wear so I can just shuffle out the door the next day. Avoid driving there if you can. The best is if a friend can take you, because then you also have someone to help you get going if you need it.
The best strategy though is to reschedule to a later time if you can. I assume you've already ruled this out if you're asking for help though!
Good luck!
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u/ktfarrier 4d ago
Thank you for this detailed response! It was the sort of answer I've been looking for - options to survive really!! So you really plan it out beforehand. I do this during trips/airports, even if I only get 40 mins of sleep, I can't miss my time. I wasn't able to get a later appointment, but I do often try to ask them if they can take me late.
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u/DinoBen05 4d ago
Try to knock myself tf out w drugs the night before by like 2am if at all possible.. (take them all around midnight). Also can try not getting much sleep the day before if you can force yourself out of the house working/ doing chores/ grocery shopping/ cooking or whatever to avoid naps and so you’ll actually want to sleep the night before the appointment. May or may not work- my body can pull an all nighter and be absolutely exhausted alllll day then fully get a second wind and be wide awake at midnight so depends how you function! Then leave your phone in another room to go to sleep and your alarm somewhere you have to get out of bed and turn it off. Put a drink (I use a Stanley type cup full of ice water) with a caffeine pill next to your bathroom sink to take first thing in the morning! Save something good to listen to for the morning too- like a favorite podcast episode or music playlist. As soon as you get up and grab your phone and start getting ready- open your GPS on your phone and put in the destination. Don’t let yourself look at anything else on your phone except that.. Have your clothes laid out night before and your bag or whatever you need ready next to the front door. With a protein bar inside or something to have for breakfast (always good to eat something before doctor appointments- esp if they need to take blood). These are all tips I use if I need to get out the door early for anything!
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u/Ok-Smoke-5653 3d ago
Sometimes I set some appointments for early morning, since I'm getting to sleep around 9am these days. Then I go to bed after. It is hard for me to get to sleep after being out, in the light, and having to function past my bedtime, but sometimes that's better than losing several hours' sleep for an afternoon appointment. I had a 4:30 appointment about 40 minutes away Monday, and I had to get up by 2pm to be ready & get there on time. I had my husband drive me there & back, since I didn't think driving on 4 hours' sleep would be a good idea. I have had moderately-bad headaches yesterday & today. I get headaches often, so not a definitive causal relationship, but I often get more headaches after lost sleep.
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u/NiteElf 3d ago
OP I don’t have much to add here but wanted to thank you for asking this question, bc it’s a real thing a lot of us have to work around and it’s good to have some ideas on how. Good luck with your appt!
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u/ktfarrier 2d ago
Hey, it's my pleasure! The two most common answers were: drugs the night before, or little to no sleep - and then sleep after the appointment. Living with this as long as we have, we've definitely tried everything...
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u/ZoyaZhivago 2d ago
A. I try not to schedule early appointments.
B. If it can’t be helped (or on the days I work earlier), I just go to bed around my usual time & get 4 hours of solid REM sleep.
C. If it’s SO EARLY I can’t even squeeze in 4 hours, I might nap on the couch for 2-3 hours or pull an all-nighter and sleep when I get home.
But I’m fine with less sleep than most people can function on, since I’ve had to work enough “day jobs” to where my body forced itself to adjust. As long as I hit 4 hours I’m good for the day.
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u/ktfarrier 2d ago
Can you go multiple days on 4 hrs sleep? If I get a full week of somewhat decent sleep, I can do a day on 4 hrs sleep, but if I have to do it again the next day, I'm a ripe zombie.
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u/ZoyaZhivago 2d ago
Yes. I average 4-5 hours all week (my work week is Sun-Thurs), so that’s kinda my default… on my days off, I might get 6-7 instead.
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u/Specific-Iron-4242 2d ago
Are we the same person??? I’m 40 and my mom tells me the same thing! Unfortunately I cannot commit to appointments before 11am without taking a zolpidem (Ambien). That’s my only solution, and not a healthy one!
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u/ktfarrier 2d ago
Haha we could be! Except I've never tried Ambien - but I've always wanted to. Zopiclone is a 50/50 chance it'll work. Melatonin/magnesium does squat. I need a REAL tranquilizer if I'm gonna sleep before midnight.
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u/imadoggomom 4d ago
I have a similar sleep pattern. I have a doctors appointment on Thursday at 1 pm, but it’s at an office an hour away from me. So I have to leave by noon sharp to be on time. I’ve waited 3 1/2 months for this specialist (not DSPD related at all).
I’ve done it all ways: pull an all-nighter, try to adjust starting several days in advance, etc. The only thing that works for me is to go to sleep at my normal hour (5 am) then set multiple alarms for the time I need to prepare and get out the door. Resign myself to being in a brain fog for the day. Go to bed several miserable hours after I get home. Sleep until afternoon of the next day. (This can wind up being a 16 hour sleep)
Chalk it up as a lost day.