SLEEP DEPRIVATION – LIVING IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE

ANDREW SMITH

At one time or another many of us have experienced a bad nights sleep and maybe for a couple of days after it affects us until we get back to our normal sleeping pattern. However for some people myself included having a bad nights sleep, night after night after night is just part of life and something I have learned to come to terms with and accept that this is a part of my life and something that I cannot change whatever I try.

One of the first questions I try and answer is when did this sleeping pattern start? For me it is when I was in my early twenties. Late nights, alcohol and who knows what else has contributed to my current sleeping patterns. I do remember times when I would go to sleep as soon as I went to bed and woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. I look back on these days with immense fondness the same as someone would look back with fondness on a holiday.

Now I have to sleep whenever I can. It is most difficult during the night. My mind is alive although my body is tired and thoughts are running through my mind at a million miles per hour but the body has no energy and it is this that I call the twilight zone. Just laid there staring at the ceiling or listening to classical music. I may read a book and the tiredness begins to set in the light goes off and it is a return to the twilight zone once again.

Normally I get to sleep between 4.00am and 6.00am. At this present time in my life it is not usually a problem for me because I am at university and right now I am on my summer break. If I was working it would be a very different matter as it has proved in the past. Going to bed early and not being able to sleep then lying awake worrying that you will not be awake in time for work is a recipe for disaster. In the past I have managed an hours sleep a night at times but no one can carry on living like that for ever.

So at the moment my sleep patterns have a minimal impact on my life. But they still have an impact on my life. If I get up reasonably early say around 10.00am I may have had six hours sleep maximum and I then find it difficult to fully function properly throughout the day. If I get up later I may well feel better but I am disappointed because I have missed half the day. It is a vicious circle that plays on my mind 24/7 never knowing what to do for the best.

In the end I end up going through the day half asleep and grabbing a couple of hours whenever I can. I fit in what I can such as going to the gym, shopping, study and other activities when I can and not when society expects me too. It can and does make life difficult at times but in the end what can I do?