going to bed for the night consistently

I experience a similar sleep pattern, where I wake up after about 3 hours to pee, then two more times 90 minutes apart (also to pee) after dreams. After six hours, I feel the most rested and alert. But it's only about 4:30am. I'm warm under the covers and it's cold in the house, so I do deep breathing and breath counting. After a while I wake up again a bit groggy, but I can't delay, so I force myself out of bed.

I might start the day at 4:30am If I had something really fun to look forward to and if I didn't have a dog with separation anxiety issues.

I've been taking Nuvigil (Armodafinil) for several months and just added Effexor (Venlafaxine). The latter makes me want to eat a lot at night.

Before I started these meds, I'd be nearly falling asleep at work at 4:30pm. I'd even manage to drag myself to work in the morning while longing for the day to be over so I can go back to bed. So it's definitely an improvement.

My sleep cycle seems to be about 90 minutes, so I should adjust my bedtime so that the last 90 minute cycle ends when I need to wake up. I wonder if I should go to bed at midnight, then. Maybe I'll try it sometime.

It is worth trying!

I have Armodafinil but it does not work for me. Modafanil, the older version, worked wonders for two days and then stopped working and has not worked since. I occasionally restart it but no, nil.

Almost 11pm. I will explain tomorrow what has kept me up. And I am not sure I will be able to fall asleep. I am excited. Fun times, suddenly. This might mean I am developing hypomania, a known side effect of amphetamine. If I cannot fall asleep tonight, I won't take more amphetamine tomorrow morning. We will see how the situation develops.

I cannot believe my luck. Slept through the night
Woke up several minutes before the 7am alarm. Took just one dose of amphetamine. Going to the office now.

I had a wonderful day. Productive at work and then a good workout at the gym.

No hunger pangs today, knock on wood.

No daytime sleepiness.

Need to change the BiPAP filter now, pour the distilled water, take nighttime meds, put on my audiobook and go to bed. It is already 11:04 PM. Will I sleep through the night AGAIN? Or will I revert to my old ways of poor sleep?

Almost slept through the night: woke up once to pee.

Did not wake up hungry in the middle of the night. Ate breakfast at 8AM. Considering that my dinner was light, it was a good span of time between feedings.

A confession: I kept checking this forum after I wrote my last message on this thread here. And then I had to apply clobetasol, take off brow and lash mascara, change the BiPAP filter, pour distilled water into the humidifier reservoir, put on an audiobook, straighten my two comforters. I went to bed at, gasp, midnight. Because of this, this morning I was catching up on sleep. It was not fun but I am completely OK now and greatly enjoyed my first work meeting at 10 which I took from home. One dose of amphetamine was enough. I am going to the office now. I should not go to bed at midnight but then this forum is addictive to me and I should be honest about it.

Interesting datapoints from Oura today:

Lowest HR only 61 bpm. This is very low for me. Usually it is 68-72 bpm. I wonder whether that is a positive effect of HIITs done last evening. It is known that after the heart rate increased during exercises, it decreases afterwards. I measured my blood pressure late last night to make sure it was not elevated from the amphetamine (it wasn't) and noticed that my pulse was 68 and usually it is in the low 80s and attributed it to exercise. Maybe lower nighttime HR is for the same reason. I will keep monitoring Oura data and correlating it to evening exercise to see if a clear pattern emerges.

Average HRV 16. This is very low by population standards but high for me. I often get only 8-9. Likewise could be positive aftereffects of the cardio workout.

Total time asleep 7 hrs 39 minutes

Sleep efficiency 79%, sleep score 70 (lowest of what is considered Good), timing "pay attention" meaning do not go to bed at midnight and I know that

deep sleep only 20 mins

readiness 80 mins, quite good

@SquarePegGuy I wanted to thank you and update you. I have not yet downloaded the software for Mac because I am waiting for my techie friend to help me. Next week I will be busy with work, but the week of Jan 22 we will figure something out.

In the meantime, it occurred to me to ask the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider whether they can download data from the SD card for me. It turns out that they can. They are within a 20 minute drive, so it is not too bad and I can listen to a podcast on my way. I am very curious to learn what the data will show. I have an appointment for the data download for Monday Jan 22 and I will post once I have my printout.

I had a good day today. No sleepiness and no hunger pangs. Cannot complain.

10:12PM

- took the meds
- poured the distilled water
- straightened the comforters
- starters the white noise machine, not that I think it adds much but I am experimenting with it
- applied clobetasol
- took off mascara

Now, putting on an audiobook and going to bed. Have to be at work by 9 sharp tomorrow!

I woke up at 6:30 AM or even earlier, completely ready for the day, way ahead of the alarm. But my mask fit was bad. I threw out the nasal mask. I wonder if the bad mask fit caused me to wake up early.

Oura, weirdly, gave me only 63 score for sleep but 80 score for readiness and its comment for high readiness score was that my sleep regularity was getting good. Yay me! I should continue this way.

It is now 7:15 and I have finished my mid-month finances. Paid all my credit card bills and transferred what I save mid-month. Feels amazing. I took amphetamine first thing in the morning because that is now the routine, but I no longer feel in the morning that I need it. Interesting.

I will see my internist today. Lots to update her on.

I had a good day. No hunger pangs. All ready to go to bed.
10:33 PM

10:23 PM going to bed

later than I planned

How weird. Woke up at 5:20 AM feeling hungry. Not awful hunger pangs any more but hungry enough that I was not able to fall back to sleep.

had a glass of warm milk

Spent some time in bed. Realized it was not enough. Had another cup of milk.

Was then drifting in and out of sleep while listening to very unusual Italian fairy tales. Ultimately got up at 9AM, alert and refreshed. The BiPAP machine showed 10 hours of usage. Oura showed nothing: again I had forgotten to charge it, darn.

the funny thing, at 7AM I took amphetamine, but it did not wake me up.

At any rate, I will make the most of my day today and will eat a heavy meal before bedtime hoping I won't wake up hungry at wee hours in the morning tomorrow.

I know that feeling! In fact I'm wondering if I should adjust my modem's active hours to shutdown down at 10pm LOL

Thank you, that's so kind of you! I'm curious to see your post about the data. It sounds like the amphetamine has helped you a lot.

my hunger is back today

I am going to bed 10:10 PM

very tired

in the kitchen, apples and crunchy peanut butter are ready if I wake up hungry in the middle of the night

ate those apples etc at 12:43 AM

Woke up at first several minutes before the 7AM alarm. Took amphetamine. went back to sleep. Woke up alert with the 9AM alarm and have been going since then. I do not think I will need a nap but I am noticing that I am again sleeping more.

Oura registered 8 hrs 22 minutes of net sleep and a good sleep score of 78, But when I started amphetamine, 6 hrs 30 minutes was enough. Maybe my body is adjusting to it and I will need to increase the dose.

10:06 PM

distilled water poured out, clobetasol applied, pills taken, two alarms set for tomorrow AM

just need to select an audiobook and I am ready!

overall, save for some hunger and anxiety, today was a good day

having a good day today

tomorrow is my really big day: I have to be out and ready at 8:45 AM

10:33 PM
going to bed

it is late

I MUST be up at 8AM tomorrow

at least I feel pleasantly full and hope that I won't need to get up to eat

I made it this morning.

Tomorrow, same thing: I have to be out of the house by 8:45 AM. 8:30 will be even better.

10:26 PM night-night

10:47 PM going to bed

Could not manage earlier

Also, I am now hypomanic, clearly from amphetamine for which it is a well known side effect. I have already cut the pill in half, planning to take half the dose tomorrow morning, which would be half the lowest dose. Now, just to make sure I sleep tonight. Wish me luck.

I took 1./2 dose of amphetamine this morning and it was not enough: I wanted to go back to bed. So I took 1/4 more. I am at work now and am not fully alert. It is so hard to find the sweet spot.