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BipolaRNurse · May 22, 2013, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultramar

Lack of sleep is a big trigger for me as I imagine it is for many others.

I've had trouble with sleep most of my life, but since taking Seroquel it has gotten a lot better.

Nonetheless I can be terrible about getting to bed at a decent time. I know that after taking Seroquel, I will (usually) be semi-comatose in about 45 mins, but I end up taking it far too late, and then go to bed far too late. I get caught up in what I'm doing (forget) and/or just don't feel like going to bed. This causes big problems all around.

Does anyone have any advice on developing a pretty strict sleep schedule (making sure you go to bed at a certain time every night [at least weeknights]) and if night meds come into it, making sure you take them when you should --so you can go to bed when you should?

Does anyone have some sort of ritual surrounding going to bed that helps, ways of reminding yourself, or any other recommendations?

Thanks.

Oh, my goodness, I could've written this post myself. I am TERRIBLE at sleep self-discipline when I'm not working. I get up at a decent hour in the morning but have taken to staying up until 2-3 AM, at least until the past few days since I forced myself to take my nighttime meds at 11 PM which gets me to sleep by 12:30-1 AM.

It's amazing how much of a difference it's made in controlling my moods. I'm getting out of a nasty mixed episode that lasted over 2 weeks, and now I haven't cried or been irritable in almost 72 hours. Go me! Yes, I'm still staying up pretty late, but I get up around 7 and feel adequately rested.

I do best on about 6 hrs. sleep anyway---if I get much more than that, I feel like hammered $#!* the next day.