Q Even when I try to go to bed early at night I can't fall asleep, and during the day I'm overwhelmed by sleepiness. How should I set my sleep rhythm?
A Fragmented nighttime sleep is common in narcolepsy. Fix your bedtime and wake time, and create a routine of turning off screens and relaxing two hours before bed. Limiting naps to before 3 p.m. and under 20 minutes can reduce disruption to nighttime sleep.
Detailed Answer
People with narcolepsy can show a reversed pattern of being sleepy during the day yet unable to fall asleep at night. Keeping a sleep diary to understand your actual sleep pattern, and maintaining the same bedtime and wake time even on weekends, is central to restoring your sleep rhythm. Sending your body sleep signals with a pre-bed routine (a warm shower, dimming the lights, stretching) makes falling asleep easier.
Oriental Medicine Clinic Perspective
Being unable to sleep at night is a state in which heart qi insufficiency prevents the mind and body from relaxing. By stabilizing heart qi with a Chongmyeong-tang formula to improve the quality of nighttime sleep, you can create a virtuous cycle in which daytime alertness also improves naturally.
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