I have an odd issue...

Note: Question/issue explanation starts with bolded word.

First off, I have been having sleep issues since August 2012 which has basically halted my life, not so much due to not being able to fix it, but due to:

A. Not realizing the problem actually was sleep until last year in May
B. and then only having two months of better sleep before frequent sightseeing and whatnot on family's part completely delaying me fixing, replace that with working to move back to my home country and then fixing the home itself and you have the other reasons which delayed it...I will end the backstory here, sorry for the wall of text >_>;

Aside from emotional issues and from what I've noticed OCD-like symptoms alongside others due to said sleep issues, I have another which I can't find an explanation for.

I have an extremely hard time watching or reading, or playing things I have missed out on in this period.
For example, Doctor Who. I had a hard time convincing myself to watch this(Season 7) which I did eventually accomplish, but it was ridiculous, this is the show I consider to be my personal favorite by far, more than that, I find it extremely positive and it often gets me motivated and my creative cogs running.
Other things as well, just attempting to do so will literally make my shoulders slump and render me close to tears, caught up in sheer anxiety and thoughts about how much I have missed and what not.
It's really pissing me off, it's just wasting more time and the issue doesn't crop up with things that are older than I am, meaning it's restricted to things missed out on when sleep deprived.

Is there an explanation for what I am experiencing at all? Just having a word to place on this would help a lot.

EDIT: Hopefully this is in the right forum, if not, please move to the appropriate location :3

Hello Sight, welcome to Psych Central.

So for over a year you have not been able to sleep properly. Have you seen your doctor about this? Not having the correct amount of sleep for over a year is going to affect you in a big way. Particularly if you are missing REM sleep which is when the brain does the processing over what you have been doing during the day. Lack of sleep can cause you to dream while you are awake, lower stress threshold, impair your memory, trouble concentrating, depression, anxiety, slow cognitive processes, higher blood pressure and increase risk of heart disease. So it is pretty important to get that sleep.

Here is a link to an article about sleep deprivation >>>> 8 Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Your Health | World of Psychology

Please go and see your doctor.

I started this post awkwardly pointing out that I thought you hadn't answered my actual question, then I realized that sleep deprivation basically renders me into a human with alien emotions which make no sense half the time until said human gets proper sleep.

However, ATM I am at India(haven't updated profile yet) and I have no clue where and with whom I would consult on sleep issues here, don't think there's a sleep doctor here, and asking friends and family + google search hasn't rendered anything concrete.
On the other hand, my life is finally calming down so I CAN focus on fixing my sleep myself again, hooray for not going anywhere outside the country repeatedly for the rest of the year! <3

Sorry for the dumb thread, and thanks for taking the time to reply!

Not a dumb thread at all.

Yes you see the sleep deprivation/insomnia can cause your memory/concentration issues.

The other thing to note is that one of the symptoms of depression is early waking and anxiety can make you feel so anxious that you may have trouble getting to sleep. So, it's like a chicken/egg thing. The correct amount of sleep will help you but you will need to get treatment for the depression and anxiety.

You don't need to see a sleep doctor, just a regular doctor will do to get some medication for your mental health and sleep.

To aid a restful sleep -

Do not eat too late.

Make your bedroom comfortable.

Have a bath to relax you.

Come off the internet and stop studying at least one hour before going to bed.

Practice relaxation techniques, you can buy a CD to guide you through the process of relaxing your whole body.

Go to bed at a reasonable time and get up the same time each morning.

Visualize a safe place.

I hope this helps.

Hi, I'm pretty sure I understand about the not watching/reading/etc. things you've missed. I have that problem, and I often wonder what the heck to "call" it. It feels like OCD and some type of anxiety. I hate it! Mostly, I cope with it by just making myself not think and hit the play button or open the book and start reading.

As for the sleep issue...that will definitely cause all sorts of subsequent problems.

Just to mention, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders can affect your heart health, your emotional state, memory, immune system and so many other things. I know you are in India, but when you can find a neurologist or other professional, I hope you will have some sleep studies done to determine what can be done. CPAP machines, that help "force" air into your lungs gently during the night, and help you to reach the deep REM sleep you so badly need. there are also mouthpieces (small) that can also help and so many other things and options....I hope you will at least consider it...

Hugs,
WB

I have another question, and I figured it would be a better idea to just ask in this thread instead of creating another as it's directly related to my sleep issues.
It's a question which has come to the forefront of my mind multiple times these past months, but I never managed to get a proper answer on the subject.
Can sleep deprivation cause memory loss? As in, can you lose a part of your memory permanently?
Or does it just make it harder to remember things, and with better sleep you start being able to remember again?
My memory normally is extremely good, which is why this question is all the more important for me :C

BTW, thanks for all the advice, it's really helpful <3 Also great to know I am not the only one with the odd issue in my original post <3

Hello Sight,
I don't believe that the effects are permanent, you just need to get that REM sleep.

It doesn't mention in webmd brain damage from sleep deprivation. It mentioned an affect of memory, and more studies needed.
The news articles from business owned papers(question money trail and self interest of study), that studies on shift workers shows brain damage, loss of cells. I'd prefer to see a published med source over something like Forbes or CNN, for this answer.

Here's the webmd article. ..

http://www.m.webmd.com/sleep-disorde...-memory?page=4

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I solved my problem by getting Ambien (zolpidem) from my p-doc. I realized I had to say "insomnia" to get this medicine, not just "I have trouble sleeping". Insomnia is apparently a medical category where magically you qualify for Ambien. Sheesh. Ambien isn't a tranquilizer. It works directly on the sleep function in the brain, and puts you to sleep, ready or not.

I only had to mention trouble staying asleep, getting to sleep. Perhaps, for me, being a mom played a role. Need to be able to function while being a mom. And with my neurological illnesses, rest is about Neurologically being able to function.

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I have sleep apnea diagnosed when i had a overnight stay at a sleep center. The results were i had NO REM sleep,a case they never saw before. it was so hard to fall asleep for so long, but i was given the sleep apnea breathing machine which also helped greatly in sleeping. I think i agree that memory loss is caused sometimes by a not so good sleep schedule and also i did sleep in the day alot instead of the nighttime, which was also reversed with the machine. Good luck i hope you can get a sleep study done somehow

Doing the things you missed out on during that period now, actually means admitting you missed out on things, and thus that you have a real problem.

Might that be what's hard for you?