Thank you for replying, DD!
My current caffeine use is actually in response to this problem, which dates back at least to elementary school. I tried not to use caffeine for a long time, but since I hit the work force, I haven't had much choice. I'm certain it exacerbates the problem, but there doesn't seem to be much choice if I want to hold down a job.
I tried google searching a while ago, but I'm notoriously rotten at it. Everything I was able to find was for people complaining that they couldn't get to sleep before 11 or midnight. As mentioned, 2 am is my earliest real sleep time (not counting sleepiness when exposed to sunlight). I was only able to find one page dealing with a schedule pushed as far as mine and it was unhelpful and of questionable sourcing. Their only suggestion was for a lifetime of rigid sleep hygiene and inflexible schedules, or working third shift. Not realistic if one wants to maintain friends outside of work, which I do.
I gather that you do mental health evaluations. What sorts of things do you think an evaluation might reveal or have to offer as regards sleep disturbance of this type?
I've thought about visits to sleep labs, but it seems the lab in my area doesn't really cover a problem like mine. At least, their brochure doesn't advertise it.
First off, I need to explain my credentials or lack thereof, I was a mental health worker with a bachelor's degree who worked under the supervision of a master's credentialed social worker. I have a degree in psychology, which is almost irrelevant. I did case management for 10 years, psychosocial rehab for a year, domestic violence for three years and crisis intervention for a year and one half. I just started a job working with emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children in a middle school.
As part of my former work I did assessments, which are structured interview that the state requires people have in service settings. I have done a lot of them, but I am not an MD so I can not make diagnosis, I also am no longer supervised by an MSW, so my thoughts and a dollar fifty will buy you coffee.
It would be very hard to even get an idea of what could cause your sleep pattern without a lot of research and study and lots of interviews with various specialists. A lot of what I think comes from my own personal experience and 15 years of social service work.
The caffeine thing is very important but as someone who has severe sleep apnea I am very familiar with its use as functional survival strategy, there have been times where I have consumed huge amounts of caffeine to stay awake.
But as someone with depression it also totally whacks out my sleep cycle, prior to treating my depression I would rouse every forty five minutes, frequently had early waking around three am, or insomnia of the variety where I couldn't fall asleep. These were all made worse by my sleep apnea and caffeine. Currently is I consume caffeine after about twelve noon, I will have early waking where I rouse for about an hour around three am.
Many people are lethargic and have caffeine headaches in the morning, and feel crappy upon waking, because of caffeine addiction, people have to wean themselves off of caffeine because of this, and it takes about six months. But only if caffeine creates a problem.
So in your case the issue is what caused the fatigue in the first place, and the culprits are manifold, from my personal experience I can identify three likely culprits, sleep apnea, allergies and infection followed by hypoglycemia, diabetes and depression. All of these can cause fatigue. Also running in the pack are anxiety, stress and life style influences.
So maybe the first step is a life inventory, and contacting your library, do a google search on, sleep hygiene, sleep disturbance and better sleep.
Things that can wreck your sleep are so plentiful that it would be a laundry list, alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana and stimulants, exercise, lack of exercise, light cycles, sleep patterns, multiple medical conditions, thyroid, diabetes, hypoglycemia, pulmonary , high blood pressure, stressful work, stressful life, relationships, lack of relationships on and on.
As a former mental health worker the key questions abound and would be difficult to asses, what time do you go to sleep, what time do you wake, how often do you rouse, are you rested when you wake, do you ever have early waking, how quiet is your sleep environment, how much light, what is your general array of moods, are you irritable, are you angry , are you sad, are you euphoric, do you think the world is a good place: do good things happen to people, how do you feel when you think about the future, do you get along with yourself, do you feel restless or lack a sense of ease, do you feel anxious or nervous, have you ever had a panic attack, do you smoke cigarettes, do you drink alcohol, do you use other substance and on and on and on.
So I am sorry no clear answers to the question.
