I have been taking a Sonata each night and most nights I am sleeping well. If I stay up past 10 or 11pm though, it's like I am immune to the Sonata and I'm up until 1 or 2am, then grumpy the next day. Once I catch that second wind it's hard for me to wind down. I had been having vivid nightmares but it thankfully has stopped now. I don't know what causes that but I'll have them several nights in a row, then they stop.

they say we should try to go to bed at the same time each night.
sorry you are having nightmares.....not good.
(((((HUGS)))))
bizi

Butterfly,

Maybe try working on listening to your body's signals.
Instead of pushing past the first and second wind, go to bed when you get sleepy.
You might find that you can leave your work for the night and let the work wait for you until the morning.
Or start getting ready for the night much earlier in the day.
(I know that all this is easier said than done -- just pointing out a way you could try to approach this.)

M

I know Mari, I don't know why I fight it some nights I was up at 4am this morning wanting to get up and shave my legs. I meant to do it yesterday but didn't. And for some reason I woke up at 4am with this feeling like it HAD to be done right them. I fought it until after 5am rationalizing that I don't want to wake my husband up. I was eventually able to fall back asleep until 7am. See that's what I mean. I can go all day or several days with something on a to do list and it doesn't bother me at all, and then all of a sudden it really bothers me and I HAVE to get it done like now. I've been this way for years now. Some times I am better at controlling it than others.

Watch your sleep. It is really important for you(as you know), helps keep us sane. Sometimes I wonder which comes first the not sleeping or the hypomania?????
bizi

Butterfly,

I ignore my body and brain and stay up past my second / third / fourth winds . . . so I understand.
Periodically I try to change my habits and my way of looking at the world.

M

I am one that seems to function on less sleep most of the time.

I usually try to go to sleep either at 12 or 1am.

Then I am up at 6am with Derrick. Some mornings I'm able to
lay back down from 7am till about 9am or 10am.

I almost always am up again by then.

But that seems to be my way, ugh.

Just life I guess.

Hope all get more sleep as they need it.

Donna

I never had any trouble falling sleep before my car accident. After I sustained a concussion, I was only able to sleep for a couple of hours each night. I tried various supplements, Melatonin, Valerian Root, 5 HTP, L-Theanine, to no avail. My G.P. gave me a prescription for Zopiclone 5 mg hs. This worked for me, but I gained weight while taking it. After 3 years, my sleep patterns have started to normalize, and I have been able to stop taking the sleeping pills. Lack of sleep can be very delibilitating, and does affect one's quality of life. I once read that every hour of sleep lost is akin to drinking two beers, and can impair one's level of performance in a similar manner to alcohol.

HI dare2bdifferent.
glad that you have your sleeping issues resolved.
bizi