Since the end of high school triggered by a family job loss, I had relentlessly sleep maintenance issues on and off. I read youre like 2 times likely to develop dementia if you sleep around 5hrs.
Now as an adult who works full time, whenever I know I have get up for work at 5:45am, I wake up prematurely like 4.5-5.5 hrs and can't go back to sleep cause I'm an idiot. Ive been on a cocktail of doxepin 50mg, seroquel 75mg, zolipedem 6.5, and a nutritional supplement (Mag/Cal/Zinc) to supply sleep quality. I also take 15mg of valium no more than 2x per week to prevent tolerance and even THAT has stopped working since a week ago. I'm sooo scared that I'm going to get Alzheimer's now and age faster, which are my two top fears! What's worse is I now feel powerless about it and if I get Alzheimer's I'll seriously kill myself cause I'm a nurse and my productivity is my life. I literally can't get any dumber.
Ive tried melatonin on and off years ago, never time release, and I found it makes my sleep worse. Am I missing something ? I also tried lexapro and it made me sleep worse, LoL. So SSRIs don't like me I guess .
Please guide me on what to do I'm so scared these 2 weeks will age me. Three days every week I sleep 8hrs or more with ONLY seroquel cause I don't have to wake up for work and it's no problem at all staying asleep.
I don't know what to do and im not sure if my doc will give me stronger meds cause she's dumb. I don't drink coffee or alcohol. Im sure it's not hormones like perimenopause cause I'm not an older girl. I wear eye protectors and ear noise blockers. Of course I can't stop working because I love to work and I also need to work to survive, lmao.
Help me please my body is trying to kill me and im literally on the verge of tears.
Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
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Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Hi Jammer190Jammar190 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 6:33 am Since the end of high school triggered by a family job loss, I had relentlessly sleep maintenance issues on and off. I read youre like 2 times likely to develop dementia if you sleep around 5hrs.
Now as an adult who works full time, whenever I know I have get up for work at 5:45am, I wake up prematurely like 4.5-5.5 hrs and can't go back to sleep cause I'm an idiot. Ive been on a cocktail of doxepin 50mg, seroquel 75mg, zolipedem 6.5, and a nutritional supplement (Mag/Cal/Zinc) to supply sleep quality. I also take 15mg of valium no more than 2x per week to prevent tolerance and even THAT has stopped working since a week ago. I'm sooo scared that I'm going to get Alzheimer's now and age faster, which are my two top fears! What's worse is I now feel powerless about it and if I get Alzheimer's I'll seriously kill myself cause I'm a nurse and my productivity is my life. I literally can't get any dumber.
Ive tried melatonin on and off years ago, never time release, and I found it makes my sleep worse. Am I missing something ? I also tried lexapro and it made me sleep worse, LoL. So SSRIs don't like me I guess .
Please guide me on what to do I'm so scared these 2 weeks will age me. Three days every week I sleep 8hrs or more with ONLY seroquel cause I don't have to wake up for work and it's no problem at all staying asleep.
I don't know what to do and im not sure if my doc will give me stronger meds cause she's dumb. I don't drink coffee or alcohol. Im sure it's not hormones like perimenopause cause I'm not an older girl. I wear eye protectors and ear noise blockers. Of course I can't stop working because I love to work and I also need to work to survive, lmao.
Help me please my body is trying to kill me and im literally on the verge of tears.
I'm one of the support interns on this site. I'm really sorry you're feeling so anxious about your lack of sleep and its impact on your brain health. I feel your pain as I know I struggle so much more to get through the day if I've slept badly. The good news though is that you've joined a very welcoming and knowledgeable group of people on here and I'm sure you will get some great practical advice as well as emotional support.
I'm actually based in the UK so am not so familiar with some of the medications you mention. However, as someone who has also struggled with stress, I wonder if that is something you could focus on first because it has such a big impact on how we sleep and our brain health. It sounds like you are super busy and I get that taking time for ourselves can be hard but maybe you could look into HeartMath or some gentle breathing exercises that can get you into a more relaxed state that is conducive to better sleep. I am a breathwork coach for OxygenAdvantage and one of the takeaways from my training was that it will be hard to sleep if you are anxious and your breathing is dysregulated. They have a free app with lots of exercises to help with anxiety and better sleep.
One of my colleagues in the US has also suggested you might want to work with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) mental health professional to look at options for improving your schedule. For example working in clinical trial centers, medical offices, or school nursing as opposed to shift work. That sounds like a positive suggestion that could help you continue the work you love whilst supporting a better work-life balance.
Otherwise, there is a wealth of information on this site to help you support your brain. If you haven't had a chance to explore it yet, then I have listed some links below:
Primer. Written by a practicing MD this includes a lot of information on brain health, including Section 3 on Sleep and Section 4 on Stress Management, Take it slowly and remember that small changes can make a huge difference.
How-To Guide This will help you to navigate the site.
One quick tip, if you are responding to someone, it is helpful to use the quote button in the upper right corner by your username. This will also trigger an email that a response to the post has been submitted.
Lastly, please try not to worry about getting Alzheimer's. You are young and have time on your side to make lots of healthy decisions to support your brain. This site is full of vibrant, healthy people in their seventies and eighties who are doing well cognitively. Hopefully some will share their stories and advice on achieving work-life balance as well as sleep tips.
I'm so glad you have joined us. Please feel free to reach out anytime if you need support or have any questions.
Kind regards
Sarah
ApoE3/4
Functional Medicine Health Coach
ReCode 2.0 coach
Functional Breathwork Instructor
Grateful to be learning
Functional Medicine Health Coach
ReCode 2.0 coach
Functional Breathwork Instructor
Grateful to be learning
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Sleep IS important. One thing our welcome intern didn't point out is that our organization, ApoE4.info has a wealth of information in our wiki. Including a write-up on sleep. In the sleep wiki there's a subheading Sleep hygiene practices for better sleep that may have some ideas that you maybe haven't thought of.
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-Theresa
ApoE 4/4
ApoE 4/4
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Hi Sarah - nice to meet you and thanks so much for your in depth reply! I'm from the USA 
Omg, please dont say it's stress that'll freak me out even more because I want to stay looking in my early 20s and I heard stress ages you. Like I don't get palpations or anxious stomach or anything. It's just knowing that I have to wake up at 5 45am for my employment so it's like a knowing/alert thing if that makes sense. Like itll be the same if I had a flight in the morning or something. It's like brain wakes up too alert too soon. It's scary that even 15mg of diazapam didn't work because I only used it 2x a week to prevent tolerance. Doesn't make sense to me
I hate breathing and slow paced stuff, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I mean I have nothing to lose, haha.
Regarding my busy-ness , I swear I'm not even busy and I'll sound super lazy if I called myself that. I only work 40-45hrs as an OR nurse and it's my dream job actually
my mind just gets hyperaroused when I know I need to wake up for any job/appointment. It's seriously like so stupid i don't feel normal. I wish there was a pill I can take to fix it with no tolerance 
That's really encouraging to hear regarding all the healthy older people. God I hope my sleep maintenance issues don't ruin that for me
I want to look super young and feel young as long as possible and it's literally my only problem like I don't even touch alcohol lol
I hope, for the sake of all of us, there is a cure for this scary disease. I swear I feel it's worse than cancer. Absolutely terrifying. Best of luck to you - you sound very healthy:)

Omg, please dont say it's stress that'll freak me out even more because I want to stay looking in my early 20s and I heard stress ages you. Like I don't get palpations or anxious stomach or anything. It's just knowing that I have to wake up at 5 45am for my employment so it's like a knowing/alert thing if that makes sense. Like itll be the same if I had a flight in the morning or something. It's like brain wakes up too alert too soon. It's scary that even 15mg of diazapam didn't work because I only used it 2x a week to prevent tolerance. Doesn't make sense to me
I hate breathing and slow paced stuff, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I mean I have nothing to lose, haha.
Regarding my busy-ness , I swear I'm not even busy and I'll sound super lazy if I called myself that. I only work 40-45hrs as an OR nurse and it's my dream job actually


That's really encouraging to hear regarding all the healthy older people. God I hope my sleep maintenance issues don't ruin that for me

I hope, for the sake of all of us, there is a cure for this scary disease. I swear I feel it's worse than cancer. Absolutely terrifying. Best of luck to you - you sound very healthy:)
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Hi Theresa thanks for replying to me !
I'm leaving work, so I quickly skimmed it and will read.more in depth later. I feel like im doing most of those things
like my schedule is perfect for human circadian rhythms. On the weekdays I go to bed at 10pm and wake at 5 45. When I worked nights, it took me awhile to fall asleep and i wasn't tired at bedtime. Now i go to sleep very easily 
I always keep the room dark and use noise blockers. My caffeine is only at like 6am lol and I dont do anything crazy before bed like I just scroll on my phone.
I need.to have a closer look and see if I missed anything that you shared with me. I just wish there was a pill/pills.to keep me.asleep cause that's easier lol and when I don't have work the next day, my body stays asleep for 8-11 hours it's like magic I don't get it and that's with almost NO meds. I like to think 3 or 4 days of that much sleep is balancing things out for me but idk lol
I'm leaving work, so I quickly skimmed it and will read.more in depth later. I feel like im doing most of those things


I always keep the room dark and use noise blockers. My caffeine is only at like 6am lol and I dont do anything crazy before bed like I just scroll on my phone.
I need.to have a closer look and see if I missed anything that you shared with me. I just wish there was a pill/pills.to keep me.asleep cause that's easier lol and when I don't have work the next day, my body stays asleep for 8-11 hours it's like magic I don't get it and that's with almost NO meds. I like to think 3 or 4 days of that much sleep is balancing things out for me but idk lol
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
It sounds like you are making up for lost sleep on your days off, although if you're sleeping 8-11 hours those nights, then that is probably making it more likely you will wake up early on the other nights. I know if I sleep really long one night, the next night I won't need as much sleep.
Is there any way for you to work a later shift?
Is there any way for you to work a later shift?
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- Support Team Intern
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- Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2023 12:25 pm
- Location: Teddington, UK
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Hey JammerJammar190 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:01 pm Hi Sarah - nice to meet you and thanks so much for your in depth reply! I'm from the USA
Omg, please dont say it's stress that'll freak me out even more because I want to stay looking in my early 20s and I heard stress ages you. Like I don't get palpations or anxious stomach or anything. It's just knowing that I have to wake up at 5 45am for my employment so it's like a knowing/alert thing if that makes sense. Like itll be the same if I had a flight in the morning or something. It's like brain wakes up too alert too soon. It's scary that even 15mg of diazapam didn't work because I only used it 2x a week to prevent tolerance. Doesn't make sense to me
I hate breathing and slow paced stuff, but I suppose it couldn't hurt to give it a try. I mean I have nothing to lose, haha.
Regarding my busy-ness , I swear I'm not even busy and I'll sound super lazy if I called myself that. I only work 40-45hrs as an OR nurse and it's my dream job actuallymy mind just gets hyperaroused when I know I need to wake up for any job/appointment. It's seriously like so stupid i don't feel normal. I wish there was a pill I can take to fix it with no tolerance
That's really encouraging to hear regarding all the healthy older people. God I hope my sleep maintenance issues don't ruin that for meI want to look super young and feel young as long as possible and it's literally my only problem like I don't even touch alcohol lol
I hope, for the sake of all of us, there is a cure for this scary disease. I swear I feel it's worse than cancer. Absolutely terrifying. Best of luck to you - you sound very healthy:)
Thanks for your reply - you made me smile. You've got a great sense of humour.
I think you sound very normal. Most of us experience a degree of 'worry' if we have to wake up for an appointment or flight. I certainly double check I've set the alarm a few times and then wake up before it goes off!
I totally get that breathing and slow stuff like meditation is tough. I used to sit there and think of all the stuff I should be doing ....and I still do sometimes. However, there is a load of science behind it and stress absolutely does age you (sorry!) so maybe that's your incentive to give it a go

Take care
Sarah
ApoE3/4
Functional Medicine Health Coach
ReCode 2.0 coach
Functional Breathwork Instructor
Grateful to be learning
Functional Medicine Health Coach
ReCode 2.0 coach
Functional Breathwork Instructor
Grateful to be learning
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
Hey again!
Is that considered a normal amount of "stress" (ew I hate the word) though ? Like am I allowed to just know I have work the next day and hope for at least 6.5hrs of uninterrupted sleep?
I'm so scared because I don't want to age but from what it seems it's like you're saying even feel basic emotions will age me like worrying, or fear that I'm going to look older ? Like I said it's not an adrenaline feeling or anything like that , it's more like a melancholy dread and also hatred for myself. Now I'm also scared I'll start to look older if I get angry like sometimes I can't help it I get angry and I yell at my family if I think im suffering but it lasts for like 10 min maybe or 20.
Are these normal emotions really going to hurt me ? I do laugh a lot for a lot of the days and I look at things that make me happy like silly videos or pics of my loved ones. Im also happy and bubbly at my job when I converse with my coworkers. Will that balance things out you think ? Seriously now im getting scared of being an emotional human being at all lol idk why we're given "life" if feeling negative about anything is gonna hurt us even more (make us older and uglier )
Is that considered a normal amount of "stress" (ew I hate the word) though ? Like am I allowed to just know I have work the next day and hope for at least 6.5hrs of uninterrupted sleep?
I'm so scared because I don't want to age but from what it seems it's like you're saying even feel basic emotions will age me like worrying, or fear that I'm going to look older ? Like I said it's not an adrenaline feeling or anything like that , it's more like a melancholy dread and also hatred for myself. Now I'm also scared I'll start to look older if I get angry like sometimes I can't help it I get angry and I yell at my family if I think im suffering but it lasts for like 10 min maybe or 20.
Are these normal emotions really going to hurt me ? I do laugh a lot for a lot of the days and I look at things that make me happy like silly videos or pics of my loved ones. Im also happy and bubbly at my job when I converse with my coworkers. Will that balance things out you think ? Seriously now im getting scared of being an emotional human being at all lol idk why we're given "life" if feeling negative about anything is gonna hurt us even more (make us older and uglier )
Re: Sleep maintenance issues. Am I doomed?
I wear the Oura ring and was really irritated to see that I always have "wake" time of at least 1 hour. My ReCode doc said that that is normal. I don't think the idea that you are going to lay down with 6.5 hours of time in bed, and that you are going to get 6.5 of sleep, is realistic.
The rest of it sounds like emotional dysregulation. Meditation is hard when your default is that state. I have spent a lot of time on Insight Timer, doing the guided meditations. Now I can do regular sitting meditation, and I am doing better with emotional regulation. I am not quite as reactive as I used to be.