[darylb41]

I have been on Ritalin for a while. I went from terrible student to strait As and i have been on the president's list 3 strait semesters. Ritalin was a miracle drug for me but lately I have been waking up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I take 2 20 mg Ritalin Sr one at 6 in morning and one at 1.

My problem is that my dreams wake me up. I will be dreaming about a word problem in trig or about a paper I am doing for Am. Lit. The problem is that in the math problem i will try and work the problem out and I will not be able to get it or I don't have all the info I need to get an answer. In the English paper I will be trying to proof read it or rewrite it. Now remember this is a dream and for some reason I can't get the work done. I will be concentrating so hard that I wake up and The thought of the problem haunts me after I wake. My mind will not let it go kind of like an obsession. I will have to get up and do some homework or watch tv to get the thoughts out of my head so I can go to sleep again.

This has happened 3 or 4 times a week for the last month. I am taking 21 hours this semester and spend countless hours on homework. I really don't have a life except for school. I have become obsessed with it I think but I don't want to drop any courses because i have come this far. I dont know why these dreams are occurring and why i can't go back to sleep after I wake up.

When using Chntix to try and quit smoking a cpl years ago I had a nightmare where I was being chased my magic cannibals. No matter how hard I ran, how fast I drove, or how many I killed, they kept popping up in front of me. This went on for a while until I was so freaked out that I started yelling at the top of my lungs at them. When I did that , I woke up and the dream went over and over in my mind. These dreams are doing the same thing almost. I quit taking Chantix and the dreams stopped but I can't stop taking the Ritalin or I will fail school. That is why I don't want to tell the doctor about my dreams and my appointment is next week. I am afraid he mught take me off. Oh well....

[BlackCanary]

My son takes melatonin in the early evening. Helps him to fall asleep.

But, what you are describing happens to me, w/o ADD. It's often connected to being anxious about something. Also, once you start waking at a certain time, it's hard to get your body to break the habit. There are techniques to clear your mind before you sleep - journaling, meditation, calm music, white noise, etc. Even if you don't think a noise is waking you, try some of the little foam earplugs. It may help you sleep more deeply and not wake.

[Perna]

I hate when that happens! I use to have problems with Excel spreadsheets when I was teaching Excel, authoring a course in it. I think you need to back off a little on how much work you are doing, accept that you will do "fine" and "know" you can get As because you want to and will be able to make it happen now no matter what; relax a bit? I'd start reading some novels before bed or watching sit coms or something?

[Elana05]

Hi daryl,

I have to agree with Perna. Can you lower your dose of Ritalin? I just really don't think you're going to "fail" if you were to lower your dose or take a break. You need your sleep and time to rest (take a walk, or go out with friends, see a movie). These things are also important. It's about balance...

E

[darylb41]

I guess something is going to have to give. I have never been good in school and now that I am I Love it. It feels good to get the highest grade in a class. But I am taking too much and I an going to drop Am Lit. It takes me hours and hours to write a paper for that man. Besides I thought that class was suppose to be about reading and here we are writing a paper a week on diaries logs, sermons and politics. I already feel better just knowing I will drop it. when I take Lit again I think I will take another , one with plot in it. I already knew what I had to do but I just needed to hear what others said. thanks

[MrWoods]

take some meds to help you sleep, or drink a can of beer. these help me if im still up into the night.

[Aunt Donna]

Originally Posted by darylb41

I guess something is going to have to give. I have never been good in school and now that I am I Love it. It feels good to get the highest grade in a class. But I am taking too much and I an going to drop Am Lit. It takes me hours and hours to write a paper for that man. Besides I thought that class was suppose to be about reading and here we are writing a paper a week on diaries logs, sermons and politics. I already feel better just knowing I will drop it. when I take Lit again I think I will take another , one with plot in it. I already knew what I had to do but I just needed to hear what others said. thanks

You did the right thing in dropping the course. You had too much going. For the record, I have trouble sleeping when I am working on big project, working it in my head in my dreams.

[MrWoods]

in my short life so far (only 21) ive found its all about what you want. i made it through marine corps boot camp with a popped tendon in my right shoulder, pilonidal cyst the size of a golf ball(cyst at the top of my butt), depression, undiagnosed ADHD, and parasomnia (abnormal movement during sleep).

and i wouldn't have know about the ADHD or the parasomnia but i almost broke my wifes finger in my sleep and was thinking about it at work and had an anxiety attack at work.

[kikki27]

Originally Posted by darylb41

I have been on Ritalin for a while. I went from terrible student to strait As and i have been on the president's list 3 strait semesters. Ritalin was a miracle drug for me but lately I have been waking up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. I take 2 20 mg Ritalin Sr one at 6 in morning and one at 1.

My problem is that my dreams wake me up. I will be dreaming about a word problem in trig or about a paper I am doing for Am. Lit. The problem is that in the math problem i will try and work the problem out and I will not be able to get it or I don't have all the info I need to get an answer. In the English paper I will be trying to proof read it or rewrite it. Now remember this is a dream and for some reason I can't get the work done. I will be concentrating so hard that I wake up and The thought of the problem haunts me after I wake. My mind will not let it go kind of like an obsession. I will have to get up and do some homework or watch tv to get the thoughts out of my head so I can go to sleep again.

This has happened 3 or 4 times a week for the last month. I am taking 21 hours this semester and spend countless hours on homework. I really don't have a life except for school. I have become obsessed with it I think but I don't want to drop any courses because i have come this far. I dont know why these dreams are occurring and why i can't go back to sleep after I wake up.

When using Chntix to try and quit smoking a cpl years ago I had a nightmare where I was being chased my magic cannibals. No matter how hard I ran, how fast I drove, or how many I killed, they kept popping up in front of me. This went on for a while until I was so freaked out that I started yelling at the top of my lungs at them. When I did that , I woke up and the dream went over and over in my mind. These dreams are doing the same thing almost. I quit taking Chantix and the dreams stopped but I can't stop taking the Ritalin or I will fail school. That is why I don't want to tell the doctor about my dreams and my appointment is next week. I am afraid he mught take me off. Oh well....

Hey I had the same thing dreaming that I went to high school again thats crazy cause now Iam In college I always having dreams like this cant shake the dreams off .That might be an side effect from ritalin .But other than that I think GoD for inventing ritalin cause now I can focus and not forggeting where my things are at .You dont have to tell him .Huggs