Hi, bipolar. 12-5 without waking up . . . . . awesome indeed. Isn't it something how little we are very grateful for. Yes, 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep is a big deal. I don't think I've had that in a few years.

I wonder how many out there have experienced other people blaming them for their sleep difficulties. That kind of criticism has come my way over the years. It's true that there is such a thing as good sleep hygiene. But, for people with true sleep disorders, all the effort in the world at good habits doesn't fix the problem. People have told me, "Well, you just stay up to late!" Most of the time, that is not a voluntary choice. Even on days when I have gotten up at 5:30 a.m. and have been busy all day, it gets to be 11 p.m. and I can not sleep to save my life. As a child, I would sometimes go off to school without having slept at all through the night. My parents imposed strict rules on going to bed at a set time. That didn't matter.

Most people do not understand what it is to live with this chronic problem. But they are quick to assume that the problem is caused by bad habits. I wish that were true because habits can be changed. But this is something about our brains that cannot just be changed. Then, to top it off, the problem gets way worse, as you get older.

Maybe some out there have sympathetic family/friends who don't fault you, but I've not found much sympathy.