It’s been rough with depression and loneliness lately, especially up to now. Been going to bed really late (5 - 7 AM) in recent weeks. Woke up around 2-3 PM yesterday with a neck / headache caused by sleeping in an awkward position and just didnt feel like getting out of bed, so I fell back to sleep until 6 PM. I’ve had many days like this in the past where my sleep schedule was so out of wack that I’d start my day at night and sleep during the daytime. I’ve been trying to ‘fix’ my sleep schedule for a long time now with my family trying to push / force me to get to bed earlier, but that’ll only work for a short time and I end up slipping up again. Currently, Im home alone while my mom is seeing family overseas while my brother lives in Chicago. He comes home every few weeks just to make sure im OK, but when I’m by myself, the depression and loneliness gets really bad. Especially now when it’s winter and as a disabled person, I cant go outside solo (for safety reasons). The only time I can travel is when it’s not snowing. I like to travel when I can because it takes my mind off of the depression and helps with the loneliness. That’s hard to do during the wintery season though. (End)
Hey Friend,
I call this kind of sleep schedule “depression naps.” when I was going through my own things I would shut out the world and just take a nap at random times of the day with the hope of it blocking out the agony of loneliness and depression… only to wake up not feeling any better and often beating myself up over sleeping the day off… which made me more depressed and added to the negative feedback loop.
Over the last ~7 months I’ve been forced to be on a regular sleep cycle and it’s changed my life.
a regular sleep cycle is absolutely critical to a person’s mental health, not just physical. There’s a ton of research that backs this up.
I highly suggest working in some strategies to get you back on a normal cycle. For me, I had to be at work at 7, which meant I needed to be asleep by 9 or 10. I didn’t like it because I was used to sleeping when ever I wanted, so it was really uncomfortable at first, but just like training in anything, after a few days I get used to it and after a couple weeks I started feeling really good. I even started having a lot more energy and motivation to get things done. This in turn developed a positive feedback loop to where my body got used to the new sleep schedule and I’ve been maintaining it ever since.
The loneliness may still be present, but if you can prop yourself up with a solid sleep schedule to start doing things to help with that, too… like joining in on any of the chats or a SWAT team on HeartSupport’s discord! (HeartSupport - Discord Servers)
I otherwise want to share some info with you to look into that may help you move forward with working your way to a better sleep schedule… and thus a higher quality life.
I hope all this helps! Good luck and stay strong, friend!
https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/what-can-you-do/good-sleep-habits
From: MaryamAlharbi
Hello friend! So, first let me say that I feel for you. I have struggled for many years with irregular sleep patterns caused by depression that lead me to feel even more depressed! So I get it! What helped me personally and what I would recommend you trying is to do is to establish a new night time routine by making some small adjustments! Let’s start with the sleeping area, make sure you have a comfortable space with the right bedding needs for your maximum comfort. For examples, find the best pillows and most comfortable sheets for your concerns. I have hyper mobility in my joints and realized that for so long I was using the wrong mattress type and that was a big reason for my lack of rest at night! Once I changed my mattress I started to sleep better. Also, maybe try limiting your screen time at least an hour before your scheduled bed time (we are trying to build a routine). That helps me every time I try to fix my sleep. Take a warm shower before bed time, have a warm cup of your favorite calming tea…etc. There are many other small things you can implement in your new night time routine like white/brown noise and a lot more that I’d be more than happy to share with you, but the goal is to find the best adjustments in order to improve your quality of sleep. Now I know where the struggle is in this case… I could do all that and still struggle to shut my mind and sleep. This is where I think meditation might come in handy. A lot of my issues come from the inability to control my own self rather than my environment, and meditation has definitely helped with that.
Hey @TomsStillHere
I am just checking in to see how you are doing since you posted? I hope some of the information that @I-Am-Reclaimer offered was of some use to you and that you are feeling a bit better. If you need any other support or you just want to take some time to have a rant because you are not feeling good we are always here to listen.
Much Love Lisa x