Aphantasia 💭

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Aphantasia is the inability to create mental imagery.

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Aphantasia and sleep (self.aphantasia)

submitted 1 year ago by Transcendant to c/aphantasia

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Hi all. I'm interested to know how many of us have a serious sleep issue. So far I haven't found much of a unifying thread between aphantasics, other than that we're very familiar with what the back of our eyelids look like! But one common thing I have heard over the years is a sleep issue.

I have chronic insomnia. Interested to hear back from others.

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[–] monkeytennis 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have to be exhausted to sleep, which is why I stay up past 1am most nights. I also like things that burn my brain out in the evening.

I guess it's not unusual for my best nights' sleep to be after an unusually busy day, or a lot of exercise / labour (pretty rare..)

When I shut my eyes it's like a curtain coming down, but I have an active imagination and my brain will churn over things. No idea how much of that correlates with aphantasia.

[–] Transcendant 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I guess it’s not unusual for my best nights’ sleep to be after an unusually busy day, or a lot of exercise / labour

Honestly I've tried everything you can think of, along with things you've prob never heard of... can do everything right (exercise, fresh air, sunlight, healthy diet, sleep hygeine, only red light before bed) and still find myself unable to sleep. Melatonin is very helpful but the NHS makes it all but impossible to get on prescription, it's insanely-expensive to buy online. Sometimes I travel to Finland where I can buy it at the supermarket and smuggle some back. Technically it's a controlled medicine but I've never had it taken or even looked at.

I have to be exhausted to sleep, which is why I stay up past 1am most nights.

Exactly the same. Haven't got as many responses as hoped but I'm making a note and so far seems to be a common factor.

[–] monkeytennis 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That sounds very tough. I don't have that level of insomnia, though I try to read or play a board game after about 10pm, avoid the news, etc. That's usually enough.

The main thing for me is anxiety, which kills any chance of sleep - including anxiety about not being able to sleep. I was on Mirtazapine during a bad period and while it did knock me out, I felt real drowsiness in the morning so it didn't feel worth it. I've heard melatonin is much better.

[–] Transcendant 2 points 1 year ago

Melatonin definitely does have a bit of a 'drag' in the mornings (at least, does for me), but you're right it's nowhere near the level of "urrrggghhhh" I felt after sleep tablets. Also don't seem to wake up with ye olde 'Ghandi's flip-flops taste' mouth with melatonin.

And yeah anxiety about falling asleep preventing falling asleep is horribly ironic isn't it!