New here, need help

[Raj786]

I went through an heroin addiction some 5 years back and since when I quit it cold turkey, I have had sleep issues constantly, only recently did I find an article on Wikipedia which pointed out my symptoms, the disorder is called   "Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS)", it's here if you want to read it :- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_sleep_phase_syndrome     and I have been an extreme case could sleep only after the sun came up and woke up at noon, needless to say this has ****** me in several dept's of life including my college education, then recently, I had to work in shifts in a BPO and I then developed the even more hazardous "Non-24-hour sleep-wake syndrome" in which your sleep time gets delayed everyday and  this ****** me very very bad! all this regularly caused emotional frustration and after years of it, I started taking drugs again (Codeine which is an opiate sold in cough syrups and pain killing pills) to relax and doze off when I really needed. Then I got addicted to this *****. So, the sleep issues have caused me a  lot of probs!!!

Now, I have tried at least 4 Psychiatrists and other doctors and told them that I can sleep only when sun comes out in the morning and wake up in noon and none of the Mother-Fuckers diagnosed the Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) and only after I found the article on Wikipedia, was I relieved to know that it's a known condition affecting others as well. So, right now, I needed help from anyone here who has experience or information on this, what can I do to help myself. Most doctors are Bastards I have seen and they will shrug away from treating sleep issues and prescribing anything that helps me, what do I do to help myself?

[PettyOfficer]

I'm in a similar boat. The melatonin actually didn't help me at all. My neurologist prescribed me chronotherapy, which is a shift 3 hrs a day to work your body's clock back to "normal" time. I was unable to follow through with it after the third day because no matter how long I had been in the bed during the day following the orders, around 2-3am I became tired, same as any regular night. I tried fighting those sleep urges with cold showers, caffeine, cigarettes, sweets, etc but to no avail. So by the time my week was over, I had ended up spending the last 2-3 days in bed for about 18-20hrs. I would recommend bringing up the chronotherapy and doing some research on it. As far as the bright light therapy, there is an actual candella requirement for it. I cannot remember it at the time, but if you do a search for "bright light therapy supplies" you will find many vendors giving you examples of the right kinds of light. I do my bright light therapy for 20-30 minutes every day about 20 minutes after I awaken, which is suppose to be 6am. I've been doing this for 7-8mths but to no avail for me but I hope it works for you. These are everything my neurologists have done for me and all the treatment options available for DSPS sufferers I have been able to find.

[Raj786]

Clicked the post button early by accident there :)
now, if it's UV light, where can I fund such a bulb/lamp and is it safe for me to attempt this on my own? Also, I found out what Narcolepsy is and I don't have those symptoms, once I have slept for just maybe 6 or 7 hours from every very late in the night or almost early morning till early noon, I am fine, active and energetic. It's actually become worse recently and that is what is frustrating me, I am sorry for swearing in excess here. The thing is since recently even if I sleep early in the night and wake up at normal times in the morning having slept 12-13 hrs, the sleep is disturbed and I still feel tired, it's only when I get to sleep from early morning till noon even if for 6-7 hours, I feel refreshed, any insights on this ?

[Raj786]

The thing is that I have already tried Melatonin a lot, in the begining it used to help me fall asleep at the right time in the night, but I got used to it and no matter how much I take it, it doesn't make me fall asleep now. Of course I must admit that I have to take some of the blame for my carcadian sleep issues, quite a few times I got my self in to the correct routine but I messed it up by staying out late drinking with friends, surfing the net till late at night, playing games, watching a great movie even if it came on late at night, but what I feel so bitter about is that everyone I know does these things once in a while and they aren't as badly ****** as I am, they still have normal sleep routines, but for me it's like one mistake and everything good I may have done is undone.

Anyway, by bright light do you mean any kind of light from a normal bulb or is it UV light or something?

[PettyOfficer]

I have been disganosed with DSPS and it was only diagnosed due to my patient history, 2 polysomnograms and a multiple sleep latency test. There are several methods that you can naturally try if you feel you have this disorder. The first is bright light therapy, which simply means making yourself wake up at a "normal" time and exposing yourself to bright light for a 20-30 minute duration. The other is taking melatonin which you can find at GNC about 30 minutes before you wish to go to sleep. Depending on how severe your case is, you may end up being unresponsive. This could also indicate that you do not have DSPS but maybe a form of insomnia or even, as funny as it sounds, narcolepsy. I would highly suggest talking to your primary care physician about getting a referral to either a sleep disoders clinic or a neurologist without trying to persuade a psychiatrist or a general practicing doctor to understand where you are coming from.