Wide Awake

Sleep regulation issues and sleep deprivation were accountable and caused by many of my mental health issues. It's hard to pinpoint which started first, the cyclothymia, or the problems with sleep. They both started around the same time.

Not having a regular sleep pattern for 16 years was something I never got used to. It was frustrating, it was stressful and it contributed a great deal to depressive stages of my life.



Most nights I wouldn't sleep, couldn't sleep. Sleep would only come once my body could take no more. I'd quite often go days without sleep and when sleep did come, it would only last a few hours, before the cycle started again.

Caffeine was used to perk myself up during the periods I was tired, but couldn't sleep. I gave myself a caffeine overdose on more than one occasion in fact. I actually nearly gave myself a heart attack one evening.

I had been up all night, working on a project and drinking mug after mug of tea or coffee. It was a Friday match day, which meant sleep would never come and I consumed more tea and coffee to keep me going. I had been awake for 24 hours by time I left the house for the game. Warrington were away at Saints, so it was only a short trip up the road for a pre-match in the Black Bull, next to Knowsley Road stadium. On the way, I purchased 2 cans of Red Bull and polished them both off quickly. Two more followed in the pub, before setting off for the stadium with a flask of hot tea to keep me warm.

I started to feel unwell about 10 minutes into the second half of the game. I was dizzy and felt faint. The action on the pitch meant my adrenaline was pumping round my body at a million miles an hour. Two minutes of singing and bouncing was followed by 5 minutes of trying to stay upright, then it was repeated. The hooter went and once again, we had lost at Saints by a narrow margin.

The drama on the field had ended, but mine was far from over. My heart was racing, my head was spinning and when the thousands of Warrington fans had left the exit gates behind them, I was sat at the back of the terracing, unable to move, fearing I'd hurtle down the steep steps. I called over to a steward and told him I was in trouble. He called for the St John Ambulance medics and they rushed up to my side.

After explaining my symptoms, they checked my heart rate. It was at 232 beats per minute. Normally, an adult heart beats at around 100 beats per minute. I was on the verge of a heart attack.

I was carried down to the medical room of the stadium and told to calm myself. So I closed my eyes and listened to nothing but the fast beating of my heart. A second test had the rate down to around 190bpm and it started to drop. Apparently, had it not shown signs of dropping, I would have been whisked off to Whiston A&E. luckily, it didn't get to that extreme.

Eventually it dropped to a level that was considered safe and I was helped to a waiting car, where I slumped into the passenger seat and relaxed every muscle in my body. I was dropped off at home, entirely spent. I was soon in bed and soon fast asleep. I was awake by 7 the following morning though.

I'd learned my lesson though and I started to drastically reduce my caffeine intake, to the low levels that  I enjoy today. I don't drink caffeine after 6pm. Instead I drink decaf tea and coffee past that point. This, coupled with my medication, means I don't suffer sleep deprivation issues anymore.

I'd like to now list some hints and tips, based on my own experience, of how to avoid sleep issues:

• Don't drink any products that contain caffeine or high energy after 6pm (based on an 11pm bedtime)
• Do drink decaf tea and coffee, aswell as water and 7Up/Sprite after these times
• Don't deprive yourself of sleep to get a job done. Instead, do the job when you're normally sitting around doing nothing.
• Don't do anything stressful in the hours leading up to your normal bedtime. Turn off your drama (internet, phone, etc) and do something relaxing.
• Do take note of the sleeping position that you find you're falling asleep in, then head into that position as soon as you get into bed.
• Don't think about future or past problems, just try to clear your mind of all thought.
• Do try to get as comfortable as possible in bed. Use an extra pillow. Use just a sheet in the summer and a quilt and blanket in the winter. Make sure your mattress is comfortable for you too.
• Don't eat a heavy meal less than 2 hours before your bedtime.
• Do set yourself a regular sleeping pattern. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Try not to deviate from this pattern.
• Don't sleep for too long, this will mess up your sleep regulation. Don't touch the snooze button, just get up, splash some cold water on your face, then drink a cold drink, quickly. This will wake you up and will have you feeling much better than that extra 20 minutes in bed did.
• Do take notes on your sleep patterns and what helps or hinders you when trying to sleep. use these noted to find a good sleeping pattern.
• Don't use energy drinks or coffee to get you through the day. Release a quick burst of energy by doing some short exercises.

It's most important to be relaxed at the time when you're due to go to bed. You'll find having around 7 hours of sleep per night, every night, at the same time will leave you feeling much fresher each morning when it's time to get out of bed.

One last tip for students. Don't do all of your college work overnight. Do it during the day when you have spare time. Don't go out on the lash every weekend, then have to use nights during the week to catch up on your work. You're there to study, not to party. You can party when you're earning your own money (and not spending the taxpayers money).

If anybody has any other useful sleeping tips, feel free to leave them in the comments section below