Sleep disorders

So, I’ve got a bit of a situation here. It doesn't matter how much sleep I get or how early I hit the hay—getting out of bed in the morning feels like an absolute uphill battle. Lately, I’ve been turning in around midnight, but I’m struggling to drag myself up by 9:30 or 10:00 AM, and even then, it usually takes my parents shouting for me to actually move. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to wake up naturally, even though I feel like I'm getting enough hours. Since I'm currently between jobs, it hasn't totally wrecked my daily routine yet, but honestly? I'm terrified of what happens when I actually land a job. Will I even be physically capable of getting up on time to get ready? On top of that, I find myself crashing in bed for naps during the day too—it’s like my body is just overriding my willpower.

To give some context, I've dealt with two psychotic episodes over the last couple of years, and I suspect there might be a link between those and this sleep issue. It feels like I burned through all my internal battery during those manic phases, and now my body is trying to aggressively compensate for it. Medication-wise, I’m currently on three different things: two antipsychotics (Prozac and Zyprexa) and an antidepressant called Effexor. My psychiatrist mentioned that the Zyprexa might be causing the drowsiness because of its sedative effects, but she already dropped me down to a minimal dose (I'm taking 5 mg total—2.5 mg in the morning and 2.5 mg at night), and it hasn't made getting up any easier at all. Before I went through the psychosis, I never had issues waking up—I could pull off 4 hours of sleep and be fine—but now, I feel completely handicapped. It takes so much mental and physical effort just to force myself upright.

Does anyone know if there are specific tests I should ask for? Where do I even start to tackle this? What could be driving this kind of hypersomnia? I’m seriously starting to lose my mind over this because it’s never been an issue before, and now I’m facing this reality where I’m scared I won't be able to function in everyday life because of how much I'm sleeping. Please help! 😢

EDIT: Also, it might be worth mentioning that I started smoking within the last two years, and I've also started snoring quite a bit while I sleep. I'm not sure if there's a connection there, but I figured it was worth bringing up.

Look, if you’re sleeping all day and still feeling completely wiped out, something isn't right. Go get a full blood panel done and check your thyroid levels. If those results come back normal, then tell your doctor to start digging deeper. It could be a side effect from your medication, or it might be something else entirely—you really need to rule things out. If the meds are the culprit, your psychiatrist can always switch you over to something else that won't leave you feeling like a zombie.

This might sound a bit naive, but whatever the cause may be, there’s always a natural component to recovery that will DEFINITELY HELP—and it certainly won't hurt (and I say this from personal experience since I used to struggle with sleep issues too):
try hitting the sack at a decent hour, maybe around 10 PM, and set your alarm for 8 AM so you actually force yourself to get up (whenever I just couldn't do it, I’d basically force myself out of bed, get dressed immediately, and head out the door—just for a walk), eat healthy with plenty of foods that boost your energy levels (think oranges, lemons, grapefruit), skip the coffee, have some green tea in the morning instead, and make sure you're getting some physical activity in (like running, walking, hitting the gym, or biking... at least 45 minutes a day). You should also check in with your doctor about taking some guarana or something similar...

Trust me, it’ll help at least a little bit—just FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH.

Susan Fisher39 said:So, I’ve got a bit of a situation here. It doesn't matter how much sleep I get or how early I hit the hay—getting out of bed in the morning feels like an absolute uphill battle. Lately, I’ve been turning in around midnight, but I’m struggling to drag myself up by 9:30 or 10:00 AM, and even then, it usually takes my parents shouting for me to actually move. No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to wake up naturally, even though I feel like I'm getting enough hours. Since I'm currently between jobs, it hasn't totally wrecked my daily routine yet, but honestly? I'm terrified of what happens when I actually land a job. Will I even be physically capable of getting up on time to get ready? On top of that, I find myself crashing in bed for naps during the day too—it’s like my body is just overriding my willpower.

To give some context, I've dealt with two psychotic episodes over the last couple of years, and I suspect there might be a link between those and this sleep issue. It feels like I burned through all my internal battery during those manic phases, and now my body is trying to aggressively compensate for it. Medication-wise, I’m currently on three different things: two antipsychotics (Prozac and Zyprexa) and an antidepressant called Effexor. My psychiatrist mentioned that the Zyprexa might be causing the drowsiness because of its sedative effects, but she already dropped me down to a minimal dose (I'm taking 5 mg total—2.5 mg in the morning and 2.5 mg at night), and it hasn't made getting up any easier at all. Before I went through the psychosis, I never had issues waking up—I could pull off 4 hours of sleep and be fine—but now, I feel completely handicapped. It takes so much mental and physical effort just to force myself upright.

Does anyone know if there are specific tests I should ask for? Where do I even start to tackle this? What could be driving this kind of hypersomnia? I’m seriously starting to lose my mind over this because it’s never been an issue before, and now I’m facing this reality where I’m scared I won't be able to function in everyday life because of how much I'm sleeping. Please help! 😢

EDIT: Also, it might be worth mentioning that I started smoking within the last two years, and I've also started snoring quite a bit while I sleep. I'm not sure if there's a connection there, but I figured it was worth bringing up.

Tell your doctor you want off those meds. Seriously, it’s like poisoning yourself without any benefit—it's all just a placebo (don't tell him that, though). Start being active. Tire yourself out during the day; go for walks 3.7 miles at least. Find a hobby and maybe turn it into a side hustle. Get to bed by 10. You'll feel like a new person. Since you're unemployed, don't sweat it too much. Just enjoy the break while it lasts. It's not all bad.

Giving someone experiencing psychosis advice to just quit their medication because it isn't working—well, that’s just plain reckless, irresponsible, and frankly dangerous.
Getting some blood work done and checking thyroid levels is a solid move, though.
The real question is whether there was a specific trigger for the psychosis, or if it was just two isolated psychotic episodes.
Do you know, Susan Fisher39, what might have set off those two episodes in the first place?

wearydriver41 said:This might sound a bit naive, but whatever the cause may be, there’s always a natural component to recovery that will DEFINITELY HELP—and it certainly won't hurt (and I say this from personal experience since I used to struggle with sleep issues too):
try hitting the sack at a decent hour, maybe around 10 PM, and set your alarm for 8 AM so you actually force yourself to get up (whenever I just couldn't do it, I’d basically force myself out of bed, get dressed immediately, and head out the door—just for a walk), eat healthy with plenty of foods that boost your energy levels (think oranges, lemons, grapefruit), skip the coffee, have some green tea in the morning instead, and make sure you're getting some physical activity in (like running, walking, hitting the gym, or biking... at least 45 minutes a day). You should also check in with your doctor about taking some guarana or something similar...

Trust me, it’ll help at least a little bit—just FORCE YOURSELF TO DO IT FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH.

Nah. Grapefruit isn't a good idea with most meds, especially when you're dealing with psychotropic stuff.

Off-topic.
Is it actually possible to be this wiped out from the meds? I was taking Zyprexa along with another antipsychotic once, and man, it was brutal. I’d sleep for like 14 or 15 hours straight without even stirring, stay awake for maybe two or three hours, and then I was right back in bed. Just totally out of it.
My mood was just... off. In general. Even though I was on an antidepressant that was supposed to be leveling things out and lifting me up, nothing seemed to touch it. I just couldn't bring myself to care about anything—even the stuff I used to be obsessed with. It was like all my interests just evaporated.

So, I finally got off the meds, but honestly? My sleep situation is still a total mess. It hasn't really stabilized at all. For a while there, I was pulling like 10 to 12 hours of sleep every single day. Back then, I was out of work and dealing with the exact same headspace and anxieties you're going through right now. I'm working again now—not doing long shifts, just getting back into things—but I’ve actually managed to settle into a decent routine, hitting the sack around 10:30 PM and waking up by 7:00 AM.
Waking up isn't exactly a smooth process for me every single morning. It’s kind of hit or miss—like, if the sun is actually out, I can usually pull myself out of bed without much drama. But when it's gray and raining? Forget about it. Getting to sleep at a decent hour is pretty inconsistent too. Sometimes I catch a quick nap in the afternoon, but honestly, it doesn't really mess with my workflow. I still get my stuff done at the office just fine.

I wanted to tell you that things will settle down once you actually start working. In my experience, sleep just becomes an afterthought anyway. You drag yourself out of bed because you have to, then you get hit with so many tasks and responsibilities at the office that you don't even have time to process how exhausted you feel—you're too busy wondering when you can finally grab a sandwich or take a coffee break. 😬And honestly, once you finally get back home, it's easy enough to crash for an hour or two if you really need to. Most days, though, I don't even bother with a nap. That afternoon window is pretty much my only chance to actually catch up on the news, surf the web, or just veg out in front of the TV.
The first week or two is probably gonna feel pretty weird and rough, but honestly, once you get past that, you’ll just fall right into a routine. 🙂.

Yeah, honestly, when the weekend hits, I usually just crash for like 12 hours straight. It’s like I’m trying to "make up" for the entire week, you know? But by Sunday, I'm usually back to my normal routine. 🙂.

Carl Bishop2 said:Giving someone experiencing psychosis advice to just quit their medication because it isn't working—well, that’s just plain reckless, irresponsible, and frankly dangerous.
Getting some blood work done and checking thyroid levels is a solid move, though.
The real question is whether there was a specific trigger for the psychosis, or if it was just two isolated psychotic episodes.
Do you know, Susan Fisher39, what might have set off those two episodes in the first place?

I'm with you there—I don't think quitting medication is ever the answer. I actually had a psychiatrist I saw for psychotherapy once who decided to taper me off my antipsychotic (I was on Risperdal at the time), but not long after—and I mean less than a month and a half later—I slipped right back into psychosis. I was taking a mood stabilizer at the time, but clearly, that wasn't enough on its own. I truly don't believe I can function normally without an antipsychotic in my system.

Carl Bishop2, before my first psychotic episode, I was working this incredibly high-stress job, and I started getting paranoid at work—thinking the whole company was somehow conspiring against me, like they were testing how I'd react under pressure. It all came to a head one day when I just snapped; I ended up breaking down and having a complete meltdown right in front of my bosses. Needless to say, they didn't exactly renew my contract when the time came. The second episode... honestly, I'm not even sure what triggered it. I had stopped taking my antipsychotic based on my doctor's instructions, and even though life was pretty low-stress at the time, I still found myself in a psychotic state a few weeks later. I've finally come to terms with the fact that I'll probably need to be on a maintenance dose for the rest of my life.

I'm going to try to get on a more regular sleep schedule and see if that makes any difference. I'll also get some bloodwork done just to be safe—maybe it isn't entirely down to the medication.

@Brandon Lopez6: How did you end up stopping your antipsychotics? My doctor—and most doctors I know treating patients with similar issues—insists that these meds have to be taken for years, and quite often, it means taking them for life.

I finally quit because the reason I was even on them disappeared. It wasn't like I had some full-blown psychotic break or anything, just a really heavy bout of recurrent depression with some psychotic symptoms mixed in 🙂.