Anything to ask a psychiatrist about not being able to sleep?

[brxndxn]

I have a meeting with a psychiatrist today (2nd meeting) where he is going to do some more extensive evaluation on whether or not I have ADD. I'm 20 and it is somewhat odd for it not to be acknowledged this late but my parents and I totally ignored the diagnoses starting as early as when I was in 3rd grade. I am in college now and having trouble concentrating is really killing me - especially in the mornings where I am totally scatterbrained and can barely take coherent notes. Some mornings I'm so scatterbrained that I don't associate the alarm clock sound with the necessity of waking up and I end up sleeping through it even though I can hear it and I just spend the time wondering what it is.

Another problem I have is that I cannot seem to make myself go to sleep and some nights I feel physically tired but my mind will be racing. I just spent the past 5 hours trying to fall asleep and I've just decided to give up and take a stab at some homework. I get all sorts of energy right around 10pm and I don't get tired until at least 2am. My classes all start at 8am so I have to be up by 6:30am. That leaves a measly 4 1/2 hours of sleep per night - and that's only the nights I can get to sleep. Once or twice a week, I go the entire night without being able to sleep at all (or maybe falling asleep and waking up a 1/2 hour later). It is extremely frustrating - especially when I have a test or something the next day. I end up making up for missed sleep during the day sometimes.

Is there something specific that I can ask the psychiatrist about sleepwise?

Also, I tried Unisom (over-the-counter sleeping pills) and they don't work at all for me (even when I take 2). Are there any others that I should try?

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
I have a meeting with a psychiatrist today (2nd meeting) where he is going to do some more extensive evaluation on whether or not I have ADD. I'm 20 and it is somewhat odd for it not to be acknowledged this late but my parents and I totally ignored the diagnoses starting as early as when I was in 3rd grade. I am in college now and having trouble concentrating is really killing me - especially in the mornings where I am totally scatterbrained and can barely take coherent notes. Some mornings I'm so scatterbrained that I don't associate the alarm clock sound with the necessity of waking up and I end up sleeping through it even though I can hear it and I just spend the time wondering what it is.

Another problem I have is that I cannot seem to make myself go to sleep and some nights I feel physically tired but my mind will be racing. I just spent the past 5 hours trying to fall asleep and I've just decided to give up and take a stab at some homework. I get all sorts of energy right around 10pm and I don't get tired until at least 2am. My classes all start at 8am so I have to be up by 6:30am. That leaves a measly 4 1/2 hours of sleep per night - and that's only the nights I can get to sleep. Once or twice a week, I go the entire night without being able to sleep at all (or maybe falling asleep and waking up a 1/2 hour later). It is extremely frustrating - especially when I have a test or something the next day. I end up making up for missed sleep during the day sometimes.

Is there something specific that I can ask the psychiatrist about sleepwise?

Also, I tried Unisom (over-the-counter sleeping pills) and they don't work at all for me (even when I take 2). Are there any others that I should try?

Welcome to my world. When I wake up, I feel like I just got done swimming 50 laps. I'm too tired to do anything and when I try to sleep, I can't.

Well, anyway, let us know what the doc says.

Edit: I should add that I do manage to sleep about 14 hours every few days. You could have fibromialgia (sp?). My friend has that, and had a lot of those symptoms. Not trying to worry you, just something to ask about.

 

[Chilled&Refined]

unisom with beer

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
I have a meeting with a psychiatrist today (2nd meeting) where he is going to do some more extensive evaluation on whether or not I have ADD. I'm 20 and it is somewhat odd for it not to be acknowledged this late but my parents and I totally ignored the diagnoses starting as early as when I was in 3rd grade. I am in college now and having trouble concentrating is really killing me - especially in the mornings where I am totally scatterbrained and can barely take coherent notes. Some mornings I'm so scatterbrained that I don't associate the alarm clock sound with the necessity of waking up and I end up sleeping through it even though I can hear it and I just spend the time wondering what it is.

Another problem I have is that I cannot seem to make myself go to sleep and some nights I feel physically tired but my mind will be racing. I just spent the past 5 hours trying to fall asleep and I've just decided to give up and take a stab at some homework. I get all sorts of energy right around 10pm and I don't get tired until at least 2am. My classes all start at 8am so I have to be up by 6:30am. That leaves a measly 4 1/2 hours of sleep per night - and that's only the nights I can get to sleep. Once or twice a week, I go the entire night without being able to sleep at all (or maybe falling asleep and waking up a 1/2 hour later). It is extremely frustrating - especially when I have a test or something the next day. I end up making up for missed sleep during the day sometimes.

Is there something specific that I can ask the psychiatrist about sleepwise?

Also, I tried Unisom (over-the-counter sleeping pills) and they don't work at all for me (even when I take 2). Are there any others that I should try?

OTC sleeping pills aren't going to give you restoring sleep. Talk to your doctor about Zolpidem tartrate(Ambien).