Routine Can Be a Good Thing When It Comes to Sleep and Meals

Dear Papa,
It's me again...I know by now you're probably wondering if I'll ever let you get any sleep.

Sadly, I haven't been sleeping right either last few nights. It doesn't sound like a furry issue, but since I'm a furry, it counts. Right? haha Anyway, I have had problems lately with very basic functions, eating, sleeping, drinking water. By problems, I mean I have been simply forgetting to do them. I can literally go a day, maybe more, without much filling up my time, and not eat anything at all. I don't get hungry or thirsty, at least not until I remind myself to eat or drink something, and this leads me to my second problem.

I gorge myself...

During a typical week, I will not eat much more than very light snacks every now and again during the day, and I'm satisfied, or at least sated for a good while. Every few days though, I will go to eat something just for the sake of not starving myself, and I find that I can't stop eating. I eat what's easy to get to first, then I get creative and cook (small) meals for myself. I eat until I'm not just full, but slightly sick and rather...discontentedly distended.

I never gain or lose weight, and my job keeps me regularly active all week, and in fact I haven't gained any weight in the last few years. Exactly 131 lbs. Same problem with the water too, nearly starve myself, then gorge myself.

As for sleep, I have no schedule what-so-ever. I can sleep during the day, or at night. My favorite time though is between 1 a.m. and 9 a.m. (probably an age thing). Now, I can go a long day at work, come home tired, and not sleep all night. I can go to bed at 10 p.m. feeling good, tired, and ready for bed, and wake up 11 hours later wondering if I'm dead or not because I over slept and woke up "sleep drugged" as they say. On my days off, I spend most of my time, rather inactive, at home, and all my entertainment comes from my PC. On those nights, I'll go to bed roughly 12:30 a.m. and wake up at a more decent time, but still feeling sleep drugged.

My theory is, it's a problem with my discipline level. That being said though, I don't know how to fix that. It is also starting to leak into my hygiene upkeep...

Details: (for convenience)
-Water problem roughly 3 months now
-Food problem roughly 4 months now
-Sleep problem roughly 6 months now
-Weight 131 lbs last 5+ years
-Height 5ft 6.5in
-Schedule fluctuates between busy week to dead week at the turn of a dime

As always, hope to hear your good advice, and I wish more people were able to help like you can.

*hugs from a distance due to slight personal BO*

Soren

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Hi, Soren,

As you know, I'm not a doctor, but what you've written to me here sounds as if you might have a disorder of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus regulates many things in the body, including sleep and appetite. I don't think you have an eating disorder such as anorexia, given what you wrote, so I'm concerned about this other issue. I would recommend--just to be safe--that you see a doctor and tell him about your eating and sleeping issues and see what he says. He (or she) might run some tests first and check things like hormone levels. There are also chemicals generated in your intestines and stomach that help regulate appetite, so he might check those levels as well. This isn't something immediately life threatening, but it is worth checking out.

Try that and then get back to me.

Hugs,

Papabear

* * *

I think that could be a big part of it, my brain clock being off, but the cause of that is most definitely my job. I work anywhere from 4-8 hours a day, at any time between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. Along with no lunch break, all I get is one half hour break thrown randomly into my shift. There is no order. Other than that, I don't think anything would be causing my hypothalamus to act up.

Soren

* * *

Hi, Soren,

The reason I first thought of the hypothalamus (and many different things can cause issues there), is the combined food and sleep problems. Of course, it could be two different things you’re dealing with, not just one. 

Circadian rhythm disorder is another possibility about sleep, which just means you could feel overly tired or have insomnia or even narcolepsy because your sleep patterns have been disrupted.

Although you say you work irregularly—sometimes 4 hours a day, sometimes 8—the more important point is whether those 4 to 8 hours occur within the same time period (say, between 9 am and 5pm, or pretty close to that). Because what you need to do is set up a regular sleep schedule. If you sometimes work a day shift and sometimes a night shift, that would be very difficult, but it sounds to me as if you are always working during the day. Therefore, you should be able to set up a sleep routine. Let’s say that routine is to sleep between Midnight and 8 am. That’s fine because you are getting a full 8 hours of sleep. What you need to do is make a concerted effort to always be in bed at least 10-15 minutes before midnight. To help you sleep, you need to do the following:

1. The bed, of course, should be comfortable 
2. Lights out! All lights! 
3. Don’t leave the TV on.
4. Don’t leave loud music on (although soft music or things like tapes of ocean waves have been shown to help).
5. Stop all videogame playing at least an hour before going to bed (such games can really raise blood pressure and make you too hyper to fall asleep; you should really turn the computer off completely, too).
6. No caffeine at least 4 hours before bed.
7. No alcohol. Yes, alcohol can knock you out, but it isn’t the kind of restful sleep you need.
8. Temperature of the room should be comfortable.
9. You might employ a little meditation before bed, or prayer (Papabear always says a prayer before going to sleep).
10. Once in bed and comfortable, take a moment to notice your body. You might be surprised to notice that some of your muscles are tense. Focus on those muscles and consciously relax them. I often do this, starting with my toes and working my way up (I’m pretty much always a tense bear). When I accomplish this (and have been good about caffeine), I almost immediately fall asleep.

Studies have shown that getting good, restful sleep at least 7-8 hours a day will also help you keep your weight under control. Right now, this isn’t an issue for you, but you’re 18. When I was your age, I ate anything I wanted and remained 135 pounds—now I’m 220 *chuckles*.

Routine can also help with your meals. Take the time to have a good breakfast that includes proteins (eggs), whole grains, raw fresh fruit (i.e., not canned), yogurt, etc. It’s better to eat several smaller meals than 2-3 large meals. Always end the day with a lighter meal (don’t go to bed overly stuffed). I won’t lecture you on how to eat healthily; you probably already know that.

Eating well and sleeping at routine times are what will get you back to feeling like yourself again. You already know that, but perhaps some of my tips will help you.

Hugs,

Papabear

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In regards to my last letter, I didn't have an appointment with any professional family doctor, because I couldn't afford the visit or the time away from work. But I did ask my mom who works for Parkland Hospital, so it's kinda the same, since she has good medical advice. [main reason I went to you first is cause I'm biased against mundanes] she said I need to fix my diet and eat more veggies and less sugar because I'm starving different glands in my body while making others dependent on my caffeine intake.

* * *

Hi,

I agree with your mom that reducing your sugar intake is a good idea, also caffeine (although this bear cannot survive without a cuppa joe in the morning). Also, avoid artificial sweeteners. Aspartame is poison, and the other artificial sweeteners are not much better. I often use stevia, when I need something sweet, or honey. Also, of course, raw fruits and veggies, whole grain breads, and nuts. As I said earlier, good diet and good sleep do wonders.

Hugs,
Papabear