Posted on 07/20/2007 2:09:28 PM PDT by tlj18
I have a question for you all. I'm kind of curious. I have a tendancy to sleep for very long periods of time when I don't set my alarm or sleep through my alarm. I will almost always sleep for around 12 hours without an alarm. I can get up no problem without the alarm. Normal people might sleep for 8 hours. Two nights ago I slept for about 15 hours, although I was up for 34 hours before that (that has made this whole week hard to keep track of what happened in what day :-) ). Yesterday I was up for 15 hours, then slept for 11 hours. Yeah, 34 hours is a lot, but still that amount of sleep is typical, unfortunately. I have enormous resistance to seek medical help, considering my occupation (Soldier) and my aspirations (U.S. Army Special Forces). I suppose it could be stress-related. I'm somewhat vulnerable to stress, but I will get the mission accomplished, no matter the stress level or other intervening stuff.
Any ideas?
Sleep apnea?
On second thought, I can remember having oversleeping problems before joining the military, too. And before my six years of going to college and working in the civilian world. And in high school, too. And I distinctly remember how depressed I felt after oversleeping.
Is this a new phenomenon? If not, it may just be normal and healthy for you. Most people need somewhere in the negihborhood of 8 hours sleep a night to be at peak mental and physical health. But a small percentage do fine on half that, and a small percentage need much more. One of the super-successful Silicon Valley tech company founders (can’t recall now the name of the guy or the company) was profiled in a business magazine back in the dot.com era, and said he’d always needed 11 hours of sleep a night. It certainly didn’t get in the way of his success, but is obviously not terribly compatible with a career like military special forces.
Sometimes, when I spend too much time on the computer, I get really sleepy and fall asleep right in the middle of my sentennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Talk with your doc. You might need to go to a sleep clinic to ensure you don’t have something going on like sleep apnea. If this isn’t something you’ve always tended to do, then it is likely something is up. But if you’ve always tended toward sleeping this long, then maybe it’s just how your body is ‘wired’.
Do you feel sleepy during the day and fall asleep very quickly?
I made a few changes and it has made a big difference. I started working out in the morning. I also stopped eating late at night. I try not to eat anything at least three hours before I go to bed. I also moved my bed so the morning sun shines through the window on me. Finally, drink a very large glass of water right before you go to bed. The last one will really wake you up.
It normal.
I am up working 27 hrs at a time and I sleep the next day or or the 2nd one after for 12-15hrs.
I am use to sleeping in the A.M. 9 to Noon as my work time is evenings. (28 yrs)
So I don’t make any appts. in the morning (other reasons too) because I get narcoleptic.
Go with the flow of your bodies clock. Dump the alarm on the days you don’t need to be somewhere.
Sleep is a good thing.
Recharges the brain.
Esp as you age and keep the long hours awake, like you posted.
Seriously though, try to get on a good sleep cycle and go to bed at an earlier hour if you stay up late. Do some research on the subject. I can sleep for very long periods of time, too. I doubt that you have a problem. Good luck with your Army career.
Sleep apnea, sleep apnoea or sleep apnœa is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.
Further reading discovered no discussion regarding sleep apnea as a cause for over-sleeping. The article does suggest that persons with sleep apnea can fall asleep while sitting and resting or having a conversation with others. More information is available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea
Do you snore?
I have the same problem. Tired all the time. Fall right to sleep after reading three paragraphs from a book in bed.
I had a sleep study last night at the hospital. They hooked all kind of wires and belts to me. I slept for a few hours and then they put me on a breathing machine. The machine was weird and you have to wear this mask. I don’t know if I’d like sleeping with a machine.
You should get it looked at. I’ve talked to people who had the surgery to remove their tonsils, adenoids and uvula. They all said it changed their lives.
Good advice. Late workouts and meals really mess up my sleep patterns, too.
Are you logged in?
He’s asleep. lol
Note, the effects of rotating shifts (depending on your military job) can cause this exact problem, as can excessive physical stress, or, of course, psych stress.
Try getting at least 20 minutes of bright light first thing in AM, every single AM if you aren’t now (On field exercises or camping trips, do things improve?) Also, I suggest a dose of Niacin (with plenty of food and juice in advance) and 20 minutes of exercise first thing after you set your regular wake up time. This MUST be consistent for it to improve things. Also, look to stimulants such as caffeine and other dietary causes.
Medical reasons run the gamut, but a couple of common ones could be infection, such as Epstein Barr, or Sleep Apnea (characterized by heavy snoring).
Drink heavily...
I’ve had two sleep studies.
How did your’s turn out?
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