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Im making this topic at 6.40am cos i can't sleep at the correct time these days. Thus sending my body clock bizerk. And now it's a downward spiral.

How many hours do you sleep? How many hours do you NEED sleep in order to function properly? How do you deal with the lack of sleep? What's the longest you been without sleep?

Discuss anything sleep related.

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My pattern is f*cked right now too, but I think I've sorted it this morning. Slept about 6 hours last night and woke up today so gonna stick at it.

Certain times it feels like I need all 10-12 hours to have me feeling anywhere near normal, but I think that's probably just the zone-over. I deal with lack of sleep by zoning and surfing the internet, or by chilling with insomniac friends :lol:

I have been 2.5 days without sleep before, and I felt f*cked and slept for about 16 hours afterwards.

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Im making this topic at 6.40am cos i can't sleep at the correct time these days. Thus sending my body clock bizerk. And now it's a downward spiral.

How many hours do you sleep? How many hours do you NEED sleep in order to function properly? How do you deal with the lack of sleep? What's the longest you been without sleep?

Discuss anything sleep related.

Try Melatonin....

Many of you have made a New Year's Resolution to get more and better sleep. I hope you are having great success! But I want to address a topic I am asked about repeatedly, and it may be something many of you have tried or considered in your quest for a better night's sleep: Is Melatonin good to take to help with my sleep?

So exactly what is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone. It is not an herb, a vitamin or a mineral. Hormones are naturally produced by your body as you need them. This means that it is very unlikely that someone has a melatonin deficiency. While melatonin could be considered natural, in most cases it doesn't come from the earth. There are exceptions -- foods that contain melatonin in them -- but this is a different type of melatonin than what is produced in your brain.

Your melatonin levels can be tested with a blood test, urine test or saliva test. If you are concerned that you may actually be melatonin deficient, ask your doctor about testing. Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland and sends a signal to regulate the sleep-wake cycle in the sleep center of the brain. Interestingly, melatonin is also produced in the retina, the skin and the GI tract, but this is not the melatonin what affects your biological sleep clock.

This is the really important thing you should understand about melatonin: Melatonin is a sleep and body clock regulator, not a sleep initiator. Melatonin works with your biological clock by telling your brain when it is time to sleep. Melatonin does not increase your sleep drive or need for sleep.

Melatonin is called the "Vampire Hormone" because it is produced primarily in darkness and inhibited by light. The levels of your melatonin increase in the middle of the night and gradually fall as the night turns to morning, so exposure to light before bed can push your biological clock in the wrong direction, making melatonin ineffective.

Melatonin treats Circadian Rhythm Disorders (where you sleep the right amount of minutes but your body clock is at the wrong time), Shift Work Sleep Disorders and early morning awakenings -- all things that deal with the timing of your need to sleep. Melatonin is not considered an effective treatment for insomnia.

Melatonin in pill form does not function like your body's naturally produced melatonin; it effects the brain in bursts and rapidly leaves the system, instead of the slow build-up and slow wash-out that your body's naturally produced melatonin experiences.

The correct dosage of melatonin can be a problem. According to research conducted at M.I.T., the correct dosage of melatonin for it to be effective is 0.3-1.0 mg. Many commercially available forms of melatonin are in three to 10 times the amount your body would need. In fact, there is some evidence that higher doses may be less effective. In Europe, melatonin at very high doses has been used as a contraceptive.

Melatonin can have side effects. Melatonin (two to three milligrams or higher) has reported side effects of:

  • Headaches
  • Nausea
  • Next-day grogginess
  • Hormone fluctuations
  • Vivid dreams and nightmares

Melatonin may also have some issues with safety. While melatonin is available over-the-counter, in the U.S. and Canada, melatonin is available only by prescription -- or not at all, in some countries. In the U.S., melatonin is sold as a dietary supplement, not a medication; so until recently, melatonin has not been subject to the same purity rules and standards as prescription medications. In June 2010, new F.D.A. rules went into effect that require all dietary supplements to comply with "good manufacturing practices," which include compliance in manufacturing standards and labeling.

So what does all this mean if you want to try melatonin as a supplement? Melatonin has been shown to be safe in healthy people when used for up to three months at the correct dosage.

Over The Counter Melatonin

  • When taken several hours before sleep, Melatonin can shift the biological clock earlier, making a better environment for falling asleep and waking up on time.
  • When taken in the correct dose (0.3-1 mg), it can be effective for shift workers and people with circadian rhythm disorders.
  • However, most Melatonin sold over the counter is packaged in doses ranging from one milligram to 10 milligrams, with most doses containing double or triple the amount that is needed to be effective for the population that will benefit from its use.

Other Possible Uses for Melatonin

  • As an anti-oxidant Melatonin acts upon free radicals. It may reduce damage caused by Parkinson's disease, and can have an anti-aging effect.
  • In the elderly, it has shown some promise in managing a type of insomnia called early morning awakenings ; but this area needs more study and does not take into account medications that may interact with melatonin.

Caution Should Be Taken When Using Melatonin

  • It should be used under the guidance of a doctor and sleep professional.
  • It should be used at the correct dosage.
  • It should be taken about 90 minutes before lights out.
  • It should be used for a short time (less than three months).
  • It should never be used in combination with other sleep inducing medications.
  • It should never be used with alcohol.
  • It should never be used with children younger than 18.
  • There are possible interaction effects that could change the effectiveness of your current medication regimen.

There are new and exciting experiments with patches for delivery of melatonin for use by shift workers and others who have work environments that put their regular circadian clocks to the test. Tart cherries contain a natural melatonin, and there is research to show that drinking tart cherry juice can help with insomnia. There are vitamins and minerals -- vitamin D, the B vitamins, folic acid and calcium -- that have been shown to help with both energy and relaxation.

At the end of the day (no pun intended), your first line of defense for sleep problems is good health and good sleep hygiene. Make it a habit to prepare your body and your mind at the end of every day to get the rest you need. Try that first before you start looking for something else. And when you do look, be careful.

Michael J. Breus, Ph.D.

The Sleep Doctorâ„¢

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/melatonin-sleep_b_820426.html

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8 hours is nice, rare but nice

I used to sleep 12- 14 hours when I was in uni

certain time these days, il go out friday night to a bhingi session, reach home at 4/5am, get an hours and half kip, raise up, shower and bop 2 work for 8am start saturday morn.

thats started to wear me thin, literally no bress no yansh

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Did some research and I came to the conclusion last night that I've probably been suffering from DSPD for years

Delayed sleep-phase disorder (DSPD), also known as delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS) or delayed sleep-phase type (DSPT), is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder affecting the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, the core body temperature rhythm, hormonal and other daily rhythms, compared to the general population and relative to societal requirements. People with DSPD generally fall asleep some hours after midnight and have difficulty waking up in the morning.[1]

Often affected people report that while they do not get to sleep until the early morning they do fall asleep around the same time every day. Unless they have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea in addition to DSPD, patients can sleep well and have a normal need for sleep. However, they find it very difficult to wake up in time for a typical school or work day. If, however, they are allowed to follow their own schedules, e.g. sleeping from 4 a.m. to noon (04:00 to 12:00), they sleep soundly, awaken spontaneously, and do not experience excessive daytime sleepiness.

My sleeping schedule when I don't have to wake up is usually 5am to 1pm

Some features of DSPD which distinguish it from other sleep disorders are:

  • People with DSPD have at least a normal—and often much greater than normal—ability to sleep during the morning, and sometimes in the afternoon as well. In contrast, those with chronic insomnia do not find it much easier to sleep during the morning than at night.
  • People with DSPD fall asleep at more or less the same time every night, and sleep comes quite rapidly if the person goes to bed near the time he or she usually falls asleep. Young children with DSPD resist going to bed before they are sleepy, but the bedtime struggles disappear if they are allowed to stay up until the time they usually fall asleep.
  • DSPD patients can sleep well and regularly when they can follow their own sleep schedule, e.g. on weekends and during vacations.
  • DSPD is a chronic condition. Symptoms must have been present for at least one month before a diagnosis of DSPD can be made.

Attempting to force oneself onto daytime society's schedule with DSPD has been compared to constantly living with 6 hours of jet lag; DSPD has, in fact, been referred to as "social jet lag".[12] Often people with DSPD manage only a few hours sleep a night during the working week, then compensate by sleeping until the afternoon on weekends. Sleeping in on weekends, and/or taking long naps during the day, may give people with DSPD relief from daytime sleepiness but may also perpetuate the late sleep phase.

People with DSPD can be called night owls. They feel most alert and say they function best and are most creative in the evening and at night. People with DSPD cannot simply force themselves to sleep early. They may toss and turn for hours in bed, and sometimes not sleep at all, before reporting to work or school. Less extreme and more flexible night owls, and indeed morning larks, are within the normal chronotype spectrum.

I've always felt more creative at night. Especially years ago when I used to do coursework or write bars and make beats.

They often have asked family members to help wake them in the morning, or they have used several alarm clocks.

Did this a lot back in the day. I'd tell my mum to wake me up and set the alarms on both my phones

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