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Could short winters days have an affect on our insomnia?


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So last winter around the same time I have horrible insomnia that last from November to about march - during this time I was lucky to get a couple hours a sleep a night for those months and then as spring started my sleep started improving and was was decent (4-5 hours a night) until well into summer.

 

The odd thing is that as fall approached my insomnia started back up and now that im in Jan my insomnia is the worse its been in a long time.

 

Anyone think that the low sun levels of winter could affect what little melatonin our body has? I know that i have been looking into red light and infrared light therapy ( which is the same wavelengths of the sun) for raising melatonin. Made me wonder if winter months could make our insomnia worse.

 

Thanks!

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Oh dear, I am so sorry you are having a struggle with this ocean34.  Sleep for me always tends to improve in the fall and winter so this hasn't been my experience.  Are you getting as much exercise as you do in the warmer months?  I hope you will hear from some others here.
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I have had similar experiences.  All of the waves/setbacks (sleep only) were in January and February for me as well.  This year I'm doing a lot better than last year, but my sleep is still off a lot more during January and February than any other time of the year. 

 

Not sure why, but I do know it always evens out, so I don't worry about it too much.

 

 

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I'm not sure if it is affecting my sleep or not. I am sleeping more, little by little but it is still very broken. I only sleep a couple hours at a time. I will let you I know if my sleep changes this winter or not. I am sorry you are going backwards in your sleep. Mine is back and forth too.

 

HM

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Oh dear, I am so sorry you are having a struggle with this ocean34.  Sleep for me always tends to improve in the fall and winter so this hasn't been my experience.  Are you getting as much exercise as you do in the warmer months?  I hope you will hear from some others here.

 

I exercise constantly even on the days when i havnt slept the night before - although if I jog, even if do in the morning, I usually am ramped up that night and dont sleep. I also  lift weights and my diet is pretty strict as well with very little sugar - no caffiene, msg, gluten nicotine or alcohol

 

well im glad your sleep gets better in the fall! I hope you are heaing :]

 

thanks

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I have had similar experiences.  All of the waves/setbacks (sleep only) were in January and February for me as well.  This year I'm doing a lot better than last year, but my sleep is still off a lot more during January and February than any other time of the year. 

 

Not sure why, but I do know it always evens out, so I don't worry about it too much.

 

Well, thats the problem with me mine doesnt even out - there is just bad and worse

 

I am hoping once we get back more towards spring this wave will start clearing up some

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I'm not sure if it is affecting my sleep or not. I am sleeping more, little by little but it is still very broken. I only sleep a couple hours at a time. I will let you I know if my sleep changes this winter or not. I am sorry you are going backwards in your sleep. Mine is back and forth too.

 

HM

 

thanks! I hope your sleep continues to get better - be nice if we could all sleep sound all the time  :)

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I just heard on the radio that because of the reduced sunlight in the winter in the northern hemisphere, that sleep issues are more common because of the shorter days.  With the of lack of sunlight,  it's recommended to get out in the morning, if possible, even if only for 5 minutes or so on sunny days.  People can suffer from a form of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that may cause sleep issues.  And this makes sense as I live in Wisconsin....so it matches nicely with the periods where my sleep falls off the rails from time-to-time.

 

 

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Several years ago I bought a therapeutic full spectrum lamp.  I use it every day that there is no sunshine and it really does help with mood and sleep. 
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Anyone think that the low sun levels of winter could affect what little melatonin our body has? I know that i have been looking into red light and infrared light therapy ( which is the same wavelengths of the sun) for raising melatonin. Made me wonder if winter months could make our insomnia worse.

 

I take it that taking oral melatonin is of no help to you?

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Anyone think that the low sun levels of winter could affect what little melatonin our body has? I know that i have been looking into red light and infrared light therapy ( which is the same wavelengths of the sun) for raising melatonin. Made me wonder if winter months could make our insomnia worse.

 

I take it that taking oral melatonin is of no help to you?

 

No i dont take anything that will mess up hormone levels and melatonin is like other pills - the more you use it the more you need.

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I can understand and appreciate not wanting to take anything, but equating OTC melatonin and other OTC things to Rx benzos is comparing apples and oranges IMO. Some ppl have successfully used small amounts of melatonin to aid with sleep during their benzo recovery period. I personally do not think it is harmful but the main problem is it is not helpful for most ppl with benzo induced insomnia.

 

I prefer taking nothing also. I have tried many OTC things in the past. Nothing was really harmful to me. The problem was I never found anything that was helpful. If I did, I would not hesitate to use it.....not forever, just for awhile. :)

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Not sure who is equating Melatonin to a Benzo or other Rx drug???  I am not against it at all...just not sure how well it works, and as you said, I highly doubt it will touch Benzo-induced insomnia?

 

There remains significant debate about the use of melatonin in psychiatry and sleep disorders. Evidence continues to emerge, but studies are limited by the lack of consistent methodology and attention to both the chronobiotic and hypnotic effects of the molecule. Dosing and timing of melatonin can play a large role in its efficacy and can lead to variable effects. A low dose (1 to 3 mg) 3 to 4 hours before the preferred bedtime will help with a delayed sleep-wake phase, while higher doses (3 to 9 mg) given 60 to 90 minutes before the desired bedtime will help with jet lag sleep disorder or primary insomnia. However, significant clinical evaluation is frequently required to understand the roots of insomnia and the proper timing of melatonin administration.

 

Unfortunately, in the United States, melatonin is considered a dietary supplement; hence, the quality of the source of melatonin is always a concern. Melatonin receptor agonists address some of these concerns about purity and quality, but fewer data are available with these agents.

 

It is clear that forms of exogenous melatonin (especially controlled-release) and melatonin receptor agonists have a role in the treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders in patients with insomnia (especially in the elderly) and in those with comorbid depressive disorders. The safety and tolerability of melatonin, especially compared with other hypnotic agents, suggests a very favorable cost-benefit ratio and is one of the primary considerations in the treatment of insomnia.

 

Increasing sleep latency through a hypnotic or sedative effect has long been a paradigm that has been overemphasized in the treatment of insomnia and psychiatric illness. Although sleep is necessary, the increase in sleep latency must be balanced with the risk of next day hangover and cognitive effects, which can often be far more detrimental to a patient’s quality of life than the actual insomnia. Melatonin and its receptor analogues appear to be moving away from this traditional “knock out” paradigm of a sleeping pill. It appears that the actual sleep induction effect of melatonin and its receptor analogues is quite modest and their mechanism of action is more sophisticated: amplifying natural circadian differences in alertness and possibly creating a more biologically normal sleep pattern.

 

--Source: www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/role-melatonin-circadian-rhythm-sleep-wake-cycle

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hormone levels and melatonin is like other pills - the more you use it the more you need.

 

You can google virtually anything to match confirmation bias.

 

PS - I tried melatonin for almost a month. It did nothing for me good or bad so I stopped taking it and nothing bad happened to me. It is unlikely you could do this with benzodiazepines.

 

If I was desperately sleep-deprived and both melatonin and benzo helped and I had to choose, I will always choose OTC over Rx medication even tho I would prefer taking nothing . The risk is much, much lower.

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hormone levels and melatonin is like other pills - the more you use it the more you need.

 

You can google virtually anything to match confirmation bias.

 

PS - I tried melatonin for almost a month. It did nothing for me good or bad so I stopped taking it and nothing bad happened to me. It is unlikely you could do this with benzodiazepines.

 

If I was desperately sleep-deprived and both melatonin and benzo helped and I had to choose, I will always choose OTC over Rx medication even tho I would prefer taking nothing . The risk is much, much lower.

 

Im not judging those who take it or trying to draw any comparisons. I have also taken it before a year or two ago. I was sleep deprived that i would done just about anything. I took it but it did nothing for me. But like you and TheWay have stated it does nothing for drug induced insomnia

:)

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