[Secretum]

I'm so mad at myself right now, and it's frustrating because I know it won't do anything.

I am taking a class at a community college for fun this summer. Two days ago, I was an hour late for class (it's a 2 hour class) because I didn't hear my alarm and I overslept. Today, I overslept even later and missed the entire class. And we had an exam today, and exams can't be made up; if you miss one, you get an automatic zero.

I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do. I've always had a hard time waking up in the morning, but it got worse since going on sedating antipsychotics.

I'm going to change the sound the alarm on my phone makes to something more obnoxious, but I don't think that alone will solve the problem. I already put my alarm on the other side of the room; that doesn't help.

Please give me some suggestions. I'm at my wits end. I can't believe I missed my exam today. I'm trying not to get too mad at myself because I know that it won't solve anything, but I'm having a hard time with it.

Thanks!

[ceramichornets]

I'm not really sure how to help because I hate waking up, too. I have to psych myself up for it all night, and that seems to help, in a way. The more I remind myself "You HAVE to get up at xx time" the more likely I am to get up as soon as my alarm goes off or even earlier.

I've heard recommendations of putting your phone/alarm away from your bed so that you have to get up and turn it off, but in my opinion this makes you more likely to stay in bed. Or, have something set up that you can look forward to in the morning - prepare for a big breakfast, find something on TV you want to watch while you get ready/want to get up even earlier for, etc. Also, laying out your clothes the night before and having everything ready makes your morning go by a lot faster.

[Flummixed]

I'm on some sedating stuff myself and I have to take them around 5PM to ensure that I am up by 1AM to go to work. If I take them later then that I am beyond hosed.

[Standup2me]

I've had to put a second alarm clock in a different room, so that I must get
out of bed to shut it off

[usehername]

I use a light box alarm clock. I still can't wake up, but I wouldn't wake up if a bomb went off. The light is easier to wake up to than a sound I can't hear though. I also had some luck setting my phone to vibrate instead of make noise for my alarm. For some reason I can't hear sounds in my sleep...

Sent from my MyTouch 4G Slide using Tapatalk

[Sometimes psychotic]

My alarm gets louder over time so eventually you have to wake up or risk having the neighbors call the cops. Another option there are some phone apps that wake you at your lightest phase of sleep within a specific time window. So you lay the phone on the corner of the bed and I guess in lighter phases of sleep it can sense movements or something and will wake you up then even if it's a half hour early because if you wait it can be impossible and a bad feeling to wake up. It's supposed to help optimize your sleep cycle so you wake up feeling refreshed not groggy.

[usehername]

Originally Posted by Sometimes psychotic

My alarm gets louder over time so eventually you have to wake up or risk having the neighbors call the cops. Another option there are some phone apps that wake you at your lightest phase of sleep within a specific time window. So you lay the phone on the corner of the bed and I guess in lighter phases of sleep it can sense movements or something and will wake you up then even if it's a half hour early because if you wait it can be impossible and a bad feeling to wake up. It's supposed to help optimize your sleep cycle so you wake up feeling refreshed not groggy.

What's that app called?

Sent from my MyTouch 4G Slide using Tapatalk

[Atypical_Disaster]

If I need to get up earlier, I take my meds earlier in the evening because they knock me flat too! That's the only thing I can think of.

[Sometimes psychotic]

Originally Posted by usehername

What's that app called?

Sent from my MyTouch 4G Slide using Tapatalk

Sleep Cycle alarm clock

Here is a website for the app..it's got iPhone and droid links...

[sarahblue]

If you're taking the class for fun, how important is it that you miss a class or an exam?

[bleutamales]

Like others have said put the alarm across the room on the most annoying sound. I've had luck setting the alarm on my phone and then setting the phone to vibrate and then sleeping ON the phone. When it goes off I'm like "what the what is in my bed?"

[Angry1541]

If left to my own devices I would sleep in most days and be late to work...my wife HAS to prod me outta bed, or I will be late....period....as is I push it already with hitting snooze...and I have to be lights out by midnight or close to, or I am screwed.

Just what I do.

[otroo]

If you have a truck stop near you go in and see if they sell Screaming Meanies of not you can get one online. This should wake you up. I had one while I drove truck and used it for long nights. Careful it might scare the crap out of you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Secretum]

Ugh, I'm at my wits' end. I only made it to class 2 days out of 5 this week, and one day I was 40 minutes late. I go to bed by 10 (have to be up by 7), set an alarm for 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, 7:07, and 7:15 on my phone, use an app that sends out an alarm when I'm at the lightest point in my sleep cycle...I do all of this, and I STILL can't get up. And I've cut my zyprexa from 11 mg to 5 mg, so you'd think I'd be less sedated...nope.

Just need to vent. I feel like this is totally outside of my control. I hate knowing that something so easy as getting up on time, something that most adults are able to do without a problem, is such a challenge for me. I feel like a different person when I'm asleep. I can't make the decision to wake up, because my dreams are more real than the waking world.

I so easily could have gotten an A in the summer class I'm taking (got nearly a perfect score on the last two exams!) but I got a zero on one exam because I slept through it (ugh), a zero on one in-class writing assignment because I slept through that, and my participation grade sucks since I'm never in class.

I hate it.

[LastQuestion]

I put my ADD meds

[venusss]

I have to literally push myself out of my bed and get some coffee or any other natural stimulant on me.

Having only futton on the floor also kinda helps. It's good for sleeping, but no way I am tempted to lounge in it too long.

[LastQuestion]

I put my ADD meds next to my alarm and take them when I turn it off. If you don't have add meds then try doing a tablet of caffeine, or step some black tea the night before (bitter tea is a kick in the pants for me).

[Secretum]

Alright, I've bought some caffeine pills. 200 mg/tablet. I'm going to take one two hours before I have to wake up; hopefully between the caffeine and the need to pee from drinking so much water, I'll wake up, haha.

[usehername]

I use light box alarm. They come from Sweden iirc, and work like a light box, only they're an alarm clock. Amazing device that solved my 32 year battle with this completely.