Posted by mattdds on December 18, 2004, at 9:35:26
Hey all,
I've lurked too long without posting. Now I have a question for anyone with similar problems.
I've been plagued with sleep problems for a long time. It *was* mainly with onset (still is), but now it's getting my rear out of bed. Once I do fall asleep, which takes forever, it's such a deep sleep, that it's almost like willing myself out of a coma.
Waking up is so hard for me, that sometimes I literally can sleep through my alarm clock (which is very loud). I've resorted to a computer alarm which blasts very loud rock music when it goes off (my poor neighbors). Anyhow, sometimes even that doesn't work...I find that I'll sometimes unconsciously just go shut it off and hop back in bed, only to wake up late for work. I'm truly a complete zombie in every sense in the morning. I stagger around like a drunk, and I rarely drink.
What's going on here? I've considered sleep apnea, but it doesn't seem to fit. I'm not at all overweight, and I feel relatively refreshed if I sleep the normal 6-8 hrs. It's mainly the initial 30 mins after waking, I literally am not even safe to drive.
It's a real problem for me. I am a dentist for the US military. Tardiness is a HUGE deal. Every day is such a challenge for me. Luckily, there have only been 2 rather low-profile incidents where I overslept, so I'm not in hot water yet. But if this keeps up, it's just a matter of time before some pretty severe punitive stuff happens (think Full Metal Jacket).
In the military, commanders usually don't accept medical explanations for tardiness, they just assume you're lazy. Far from it. I'm really motivated to do my best and I love my work as a dentist.
Any ideas as to what might be going on? Or any pragmatic, and foolproof solutions? I've considered constructing an alarm, with an IV, and a caffeine drip...and I'm not joking! It's seriously unacceptable to be late in the military. It's also very demoralizing when it happens...it will wreck a week!
Thanks for any help or support. Good to see a lot of you still here, and good to see new faces.
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:431185
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041217/msgs/431185.html