Hello there

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Hi! I'm a 16-year-old female from Jacksonville, Florida, and I just joined because I've been reading some of the discussions on here and it looks like an interesting place to chat.

I probably qualify as Asperger's but don't really see the use of the formality of the label. My mom (who knows me better than anyone else in the world) and my psychiatrist both agree that I do exhibit some symptoms of it, but it doesn't really get in the way of day-to-day life, so I don't feel the need to label myself. I do accept the label of bipolar disorder, though, as that's something that has definitely interfered with my life and has been an ongoing thing to manage since I was 14. I also have a non 24 hour sleep wake syndrome, haha, which is a sleep disorder that definitely makes life interesting, and I'm homeschooled primarily due to a little of each of the issues discussed above.

My biggest interest is music. I play piano and listen to a lot of rock, mostly '90s alternative (Hole and Nine Inch Nails are favorites).
In my spare time I also like to read, watch movies, hang out with my sister and go to church youth group.

I'm glad to be here! If you have any questions please ask.

Welcome to WP Megan.

I'm also a huge fan of NIN, shame about the end of the live band.

I'd like to hear some more details about your sleeping cycle. I have an acquaintance on a 36 hour cycle.

Thank you!

I know, right? Although I feel like after 20 years of touring, there's no way Trent can give it up cold turkey and that he'll be back in a few years, although that may just be the denial talking.

The non 24 hour sleep cycle is somewhat similar to delayed sleep phase syndrome, which is commonly exhibited in teenagers on summer break and such, where you'll stay awake later each night and sleep later each day, ending up at something like sleeping at 4 A.M. and waking at 2 P.M.- except it doesn't stop there. Last spring my sleep schedule just kept moving forward, with me going to sleep later and later, in the early morning until it was finally the late morning. Then one day I woke up at 11 P.M., and that was just scary- it's really depressing to be awake when no one else is; it's very isolating. So at that point my parents took me to a doctor who specializes in sleep medicine, and he diagnosed the non 24 hour sleep cycle- I'm a bit wary of the diagnosis, especially because it's extremely rare and usually only seen in blind people. As far as treatment, you're just supposed to be vigilant about your sleep schedule to monitor it, really, and use a light box to help set your brain's circadian rhythms. Mine can be within the ranges of normal- normal enough to carry out my life, which leaves a lot of flexibility, as I'm homeschooled- for a few months, then it goes wacky.

It sucks, but it would probably be even worse to have the 36 hour cycle; lucky I'm not your acquaintance!

To WrongPlanet!! !

Welcome!
I'm diagnosed with AS/ADD, 16 years old as well

Thank god, I've got a normal sleeping cycle
I do have some sleeping problems, though - sometimes I'm just not in a mood to sleep, so I stay up until 3. Also I have no troubles with just skipping a night now and then; I kinda lack any form of sleep cycle, so to say - probably 'cause I'm a bit chaotic

(By the way, I believe bats have a sleeping cycle of 26 hours which is, of course, totally irrelevant, but anyway...)

Hello Megan1105, welcome, enjoy your stay on the Wrong Planet!

Did you know when we are put in the dark we move to a 25-hour sleep-wake cycle?

Welcome to WrongPlanet, and welcome to my time warp.

Welcome to WP

I actually do
But normally light resets or biological clock, wasn't it? (Or at least normally spoken it would - probably it's not the case with a sleeping cycle disorder, as the light would reset your clock anyway so you would not even notice it.)

I believe I read it in a book titled "Chaos", by James Gleick. The book itself is about something completely different (chaos, indeed) but I believe one of the researchers Gleick wrote about has a sleeping cycle disorder as well, and actually researched it and... somehow... managed to link it to the chaos theory - but I'm not really sure anymore

Nice to meet you, Megan - welcome to the WP neighborhood.

And did you also know that the moon is moving further away from the Earth which will eventually yield 25-hour days as the Earth's rotation slows? I'm wondering if we'll be on a 26-hour cycle at that point... If so, will we all turn into bats? Already some people do their workouts while hanging upside down from iron bars. All these signs mean it's only a matter of time before the Chiropteric Revolution!! !!

And no, that isn't a revolution of people who fix your back... Although that might be nice. I need a good back massage. Hm.

Yeah, that's right.

I don't think we would shift to a different cycle. It doesn't seem logical. It is just the way our body / brain works, not dependent of the distance to the Moon. Or were you only joking?

But I think it is funny and interesting that we are apparently not perfectly fit for life on earth with its 24-hour day-night cycles.