Sleep disorder

Up until a few years ago my bedtime routine was probably neurotic, but amazingly consistent. I’d read or watch TV until I was feeling slightly sleepy. I could always sense when I was about a half hour away from dozing off. When my internal clock alerted me, I would start my pre-bedtime routine. First came hygiene, I’ll skip the details but among other things I couldn’t sleep unless every tooth was thoroughly scrubbed flossed and rinsed. When the weather was above freezing, I would always step outside to check the neighborhood. Not sure why exactly, but I liked knowing that everything was OK. After that I moved to making sure every window and door was locked. Not out of fear, but out of habit. Then came any remaining dishes or food that needed to be thrown out or put away. Finally, there was making sure every light or other appliance that needed to be turned off was off and the ones that needed to be one were on. I always checked on the boys and would even make sure my wife hadn’t left her reading glasses on or her book on the bed. The whole thing took about 30 minutes. Then I hit the bed, falling asleep within five minutes.

The first time I fell asleep sitting in my recliner watching TV I was amazed. It was probably the first time in my life I had fallen asleep sitting up. I thought it was just a fluke and didn’t worry. The night before that night was probably the last night that I didn’t fall asleep in my recliner. I doze off around 1 a.m. and usually wake between 2 and 4 a.m. Sometimes I’m wide awake and continue watching TV or reading and then usually fall asleep again in the recliner. Between the recliner and the bedroom I try to do old my pre-bed routine but many nights it is all I can do to get myself up two flights of stairs to the bedroom. I usually do the important stuff but groggy it is no fun. Sometimes I wake up hungry and snack.

I’ve tried a lot of things without much success. If I go to bed too early I lay there for hours and end up getting up and then have trouble falling asleep altogether. My wife gets up a lot earlier and therefore goes to bed earlier. I don’t want to read or watch TV in the bedroom because I’ll disturb her, although she says it won’t. I tried caffeine, late-night showers, no food, more food, exercise, walks, talk radio, iPod, etc. Nothing seems to restore my ability to know when I’m going to nod off.

I used to worry that my old routine was obsessive compulsive. Now I long for it. Any suggestions?