One year off and sleeping only in day...awake all night

I've gone from horrible insomnia to sleeping in 2 hour increments, but only in the daytime.  Does anyone else have this?  I think I went for so long staying awake all night that my body became accustomed to it so when I did begin to sleep a bit, I didn't drop off till early in the morning...about 6 or 7 am.  Now I'm stuck in that pattern and nothing I do changes it.  If I stay in bed, I can continue to sleep for a couple of hours at a time through mid afternoon.  But, then I'm awake till early the next morning. This has been going on for months. 

 

Does anyone else have this problem or found a solution?  I'm also tapering an AD which I'm sure is making it worse. 

I've gone from horrible insomnia to sleeping in 2 hour increments, but only in the daytime.  Does anyone else have this?  I think I went for so long staying awake all night that my body became accustomed to it so when I did begin to sleep a bit, I didn't drop off till early in the morning...about 6 or 7 am.  Now I'm stuck in that pattern and nothing I do changes it.  If I stay in bed, I can continue to sleep for a couple of hours at a time through mid afternoon.  But, then I'm awake till early the next morning. This has been going on for months. 

 

Does anyone else have this problem or found a solution?  I'm also tapering an AD which I'm sure is making it worse.

Yes, Thats me.. -nocturnal..  I function much better without daylight...

 

For me its chemical imbalances, and improves with the good points of my tapering, but its slow to improve, -like over months, and quick to deteriorate, -I guess presenting as day fatigue..

 

Overall, and after many yrs, it is getting better slowly, but I dont fight it too much... -Just a general push in the right direction... I refuse to lay in bed at night wide awake for hours on end, esp as its often when I can get a few things done...

 

I guess if I were med free and felt otherwise healed, I might push back more firmly...

 

 

 

It's 3 am and I'm wide awake.  I sleep best around 3-4pm. 

Could be a circadian rhythm disorder and not benzo withdrawal (??). There are ways to re-set your clock using light therapy, meal times, etc., but may be go see a sleep specialist if you haven't done so already. 

The sleep specialists are for diagnosing sleep apnea which I don't have, so there's no reason to go.  I've done all the sleep hygiene things such as light therapy, going to bed/getting up at the same time, etc....but none of it helps.  My guess is the AD taper is making an already bad situation, worse. 

 

I wonder if others have gone through this and been able to eventually learn to sleep at night.  I really don't like being up all night and sleeping only during the day as daytime is the only time to be out and about with other people.  My current schedule makes me more isolated than I've ever been. 

The sleep specialists are for diagnosing sleep apnea which I don't have, so there's no reason to go.  I've done all the sleep hygiene things such as light therapy, going to bed/getting up at the same time, etc....but none of it helps.  My guess is the AD taper is making an already bad situation, worse. 

 

I wonder if others have gone through this and been able to eventually learn to sleep at night.  I really don't like being up all night and sleeping only during the day as daytime is the only time to be out and about with other people.  My current schedule makes me more isolated than I've ever been.

 

Sleep apnea is the most common, or one of the most common, sleep ailments diagnosed but sleep specialists can absolutely make other diagnosis and provide help.

 

Here is a link to Jefferson Sleep Center (in Philadelphia) as an example: https://hospitals.jefferson.edu/departments-and-services/sleep-disorders-center/diseases-and-conditions.html

 

As you can see, they go well beyond sleep apnea, but I suppose what you have access to depends on your location. Most larger hospital systems have a sleep disorder center.

 

Or may be it is all withdrawal related and it's just a matter of time and patience (?). I don't know, but I wouldn't completely rule out seeing a sleep specialist. You can always ignore their advice!

 

 

I am not off and having horrible time.

 

The circadian rhythm disorder was pre benzo and got worse... days and nights reversed.  But I did get some sleep.

 

Was put on benzos as, well, had to live a little bit and get stuff done... but is decades later.  Took mirtazapine and went off a cliff.  Was low dose and 6 weeks.  Anyhow, never been the same and it is 2 years later.

 

I decided, probably stupidly, to get off benzo so tapered tapered... here I am now.  But, yes, isolated... agoraphobic.  Way worse than ever.

 

Finally was ready to revisit sleep guy (last one I saw was 40 yrs ago and they were no help)...  he said no  (big university guy).

 

Have about given up.

CRD ruined my life then this from trying to get some sleep.

 

CRD is inherited, but am sure other factors play in from childhood.  STILL... what to do.

 

Maybe we can be buddies her... 

Does anyone know how to reset one's sleep schedule to sleep at night rather than in the day?  My sleep got messed up due to withdrawal and now I can sleep but only in the day.

 

I don't want to go to a sleep specialist for reasons I'd rather not go into.  I just need to know how to do this on my own.  I'm wondering if anyone has done so.  I need specifics and not just "practice good sleep hygiene."  I've done that and it still doesn't help. 

 

I've tried staying up all day but when I do go to bed, I can't go to sleep till my normal 7 am or so.  There has to be a way to do this!  Night shift workers have had to face this so if they can do it, so can I!  I just need to know how.

 

I am still tapering an AD, so I may be fighting a losing battle as it's a very brutal taper....as bad as the benzo taper.

I'm about 16 months off and also have this problem, I feel lucky if I fall asleep by 4 am. Pre benzos I was not nocturnal. lol

Have you had any success with trying to get back on a night-sleeping schedule?  What's your sleep like during the day?