Hi, I have schizophrenia (or else I wouldn’t been on this website). I’ve had the illness for 6 years, during these 6 years I’ve had two episodes of psychosis, one in August 2011 and another in December 2012/January 2013.
The first in 2011 I was in hospital for 2 weeks but the later I was in hospital for 5 months. My sleeping pattern only got really bad AFTER I started to recover from my POSITIVE symptoms in 2013. From February 2013 - June 2013 I was severely psychotic but my functioning during the day was perfect, although I was manic. My sleeping problems didn’t start until they changed me to AMISULPRIDE in June 2013. I noticed a slow change from my energetic and happy/manic self (though psychotic) to being non-psychotic, however changing to a more lethargic, depressed, and sleepy self due to the drug change. Instead of waking up at 8am wide awake and ready to take on the day I was sleeping until 11/12/1am and waking up tired and depressed. The only good thing to come from this was the fact my positive symptoms had disappeared, but much to the detriment of my mood and sleeping habits, I have seen these ever since as my ‘NEGATIVE’ symptoms.
Now 4 years later in 2017 I am still suffering from a really bad sleeping pattern only much worse. I am still on the same drugs although for a good 2 years my sleeping pattern had been from dawn until dusk (i.e anywhere from going to sleep between 5am-8am and not getting up until between 5pm-8pm).
The thing is that during night I feel totally alert and awake ready to do anything I want, though during the day I feel like I need to go to my bed, like my body clock has totally switched since that drug change back in 2013. Note however I’ve not had positive symptoms now since I was discharged from hospital on the 2nd July 2013.
Does anyone else have the same problem, or have any tips to help me get out of this terrible situation ? I don’t think I’m living my life to full potential and I feel that if my body clock shifted or switched I would be able to do normal things like normal people during the day rather than be awake all night.
First off, do you take that medication in the morning? If so and it’s making you tired then take it at night maybe??
Also, maybe try ur hardest to stay awake longer and keep going to bed later and later in the day so that eventually ur tired at night and wake up in the morning.
I take medication both in morning and at night, ive tried that too before but its too hard as I dont really want to be going to bed at 1pm and waking up at 1am its more or less impossible.
When I’m off meds it’s either that or no sleep mode but I feel your pain man it sucks having people judge you like your lazy at least that’s my experience, hopefully you get your sleep schedule fixed man.
Maybe you could ask for some sleeping med from your doctor that can help get your sleep regulated in the short term and there’s alot of stuff like asmr to help sleep look up asmr on YouTube and use headphones it puts me to sleep maybe it will help you
I’m on a form of melatonin that I take 2 hours before bed so that I can force myself to sleep at night… I still don’t go to bed till 1am but it helps wake me up before 12pm… without it I don’t go to sleep till about 4am and can sleep up to 7pm…
I’m the same as you mate. Without Abilify I sleep all day and I’m awake all night. Since taking Abilify I sleep at night because for some unknown reason the darkness knocks me out. Without Abilify it seems the daylight makes me sleep or it’s the darkness that stimulates me to stay awake. I don’t understand it but I’m the same as you. It’s very weird to me how I enjoy sleeping through daylight whereas when I’m taking Abilify it completely the opposite. Hmm?
Yes I had this problem. It is hard to switch back to daytime mode but it is possible over a long period. Unfortunately no magic as to how. You have to be very careful with what they call “sleep hygiene” get up even when you are tired, even if it is just moving it an hour earlier in the morning, and then sticking with that til you can move it forward again. And it helps to get out in the day, in the sun. And at night, after the sun goes down you can get these amber glasses which are important if you use a cell phone, tablet, computer, or TV. Don’t use those at all for at least an hour before bed. But use the glasses for about 3 hours before bed.
Don’t give up, it literally took me years. And I still have issues from time to time. I ended up in the ER last week after not sleeping for 4 days. Amazingly, I didn’t totally fall apart, just mostly.
A lot of times, I find myself sleepless at night. On those nights, I stay up all night and then I sleep all day. No harm in that. Then, I’m back on schedule sleeping the next night usually.