Sleep Question

[Blueliner]

Sounds like plain old insomnia. There are multiple possible reasons. Google will give you plenty of info.

If this just came on suddenly, most likely culprit is stress. If this is the case, then it should diminish as whatever stress you have subsides. It can also be caused by other things, including sleep apnea. Hopefully, the issue will pass. If it persists for an extended period, it would probably be beneficial to talk to a sleep doc. They can help diagnose the cause and find treatments to help resolve it.

It sometimes almost seems as I have become more active with sports/fitness in the last 7-8 years...I have developed this problem. Funny thing is I do not feel tired during the day except early in the afternoon an hour or so after lunch I feel a bit groggy for a period of time, so I try to get away from desk during that time. But if I was at home and sat down for 15 minutes I could nod off no problem for 20-30 minutes.

[MattBraunstein]

It sometimes almost seems as I have become more active with sports/fitness in the last 7-8 years...I have developed this problem. Funny thing is I do not feel tired during the day except early in the afternoon an hour or so after lunch I feel a bit groggy for a period of time, so I try to get away from desk during that time. But if I was at home and sat down for 15 minutes I could nod off no problem for 20-30 minutes.

Funny you mention this. This sounds exactly like the problem I have. My issue has mainly been early morning awakening vs the broken sleep issue. I don't feel refreshed, but I don't feel tired either. Then again, I feel somewhat fatigued, meaning my muscles just seem weaker/more tired than they should be. I have found myself dozing off in front of the TV at times. Even in the middle of the day. I'm still trying to track down the root of the problem. My two primary culprits at the moment are thyroid issue or sleep apnea. Although, it could just be insomnia. Unfortunately, my issues don't fit neatly into either one.

It's also damn near impossible to get an appointment with a specialist. I'm still waiting for my first appointment with an endo. I will have waited about 6 weeks by the time I finally see him. It's a similar deal for sleep specialists.

[gomorefast]

Sounds like biphasic sleep pattern to me which many think is completely natural. Read about it here. Maybe go to bed earlier and make use of that time when you wake up in the middle of the night by reading? If it is your natural circadian rhythm it might be better not fighting it.

[MattBraunstein]

Sounds like biphasic sleep pattern to me which many think is completely natural. Read about it here. Maybe go to bed earlier and make use of that time when you wake up in the middle of the night by reading? If it is your natural circadian rhythm it might be better not fighting it.

If this is the case, why would you be sleeping normally, then all of the sudden change? This doesn't make sense. If there was some extenuating circumstance, such as stress, that would make sense. The article you forwarded almost sounds like they are making an excuse for having insomnia so that you have a reason not to take medicine. I didn't see any links to actual evidence in there. Even the mainstream sleep docs agree that medicine typically has a poor success rate.

Btw, you're circadian rhythm is based on one day, not less than a day. What you are suggesting with that comment is that you have a circadian rhythm that is based on less than a day. Not something that seems possible unless there is something physiologically wrong.

Trust me, if I felt fine sleeping like this, I probably wouldn't fight it. But the problem is you feel wiped when you sleep like this. You have low energy and fatigue easily. Also, the fact that you are falling asleep on the couch watching TV suggests that you are not getting enough sleep. This is not exactly something I want to just go along with.

[Blueliner]

Sounds like biphasic sleep pattern to me which many think is completely natural. Read about it here. Maybe go to bed earlier and make use of that time when you wake up in the middle of the night by reading? If it is your natural circadian rhythm it might be better not fighting it.

I found this intriguing:

"Waking up directly after dreaming afforded people a pathway to their subconscious,"

Wouldn't that be something to head out to the garage at 2 am throw down a PR or two then go back in and knock a piece of the wife, have another 2-3 hours of sleep..then get up. That would be revolutionary like time travel.

[Kitsuma]

My challenges on this front are/were:
- sleep apnea - i bought a non-customized mouthpiece that works well for me.
- hungry - hypoglycemia? - I stay away from "sugar", and try to never go to sleep at all hungry.
- alcohol - do you drink? This absolutely disrupts my sleep, even just a beer or two....so no, not if I'm chasing gains.

These days, hunger wakes me up the most; I'm frequently up at 4am cooking eggs. Then back to sleep.

You aren't doing low-carb or low-fat or vegan or anything like that, are you?

[Blueliner]

My challenges on this front are/were:
- sleep apnea - i bought a non-customized mouthpiece that works well for me.
- hungry - hypoglycemia? - I stay away from "sugar", and try to never go to sleep at all hungry.
- alcohol - do you drink? This absolutely disrupts my sleep, even just a beer or two....so no, not if I'm chasing gains.

These days, hunger wakes me up the most; I'm frequently up at 4am cooking eggs. Then back to sleep.

You aren't doing low-carb or low-fat or vegan or anything like that, are you?

Sleep apnea, I am not sure what the symptoms are but in the past I have woken as though I was choking or gasping for air, but not for quite some time though.

I usually eat a small snack an hour or so before bedtime, usually dry cereal..no milk, like shreddies, rice crispies or cheerios, maybe a cup or so. WIth some OJ. I take my Ramipril 10mg Hypertension pill then...this way for 10 years or so.

Sometimes I wake up hungry but not often. If I do I snack, I have mixed feelings about this.

Alcohol, I drink rarely now, usually only during social occasions.

Stress is a strong possibility, although what and why I am not sure.

As I think through this Another possibility comes to mind....is that old saying "all work and no play makes jack a boring boy" I am turning into Jack...I cant remember the last time I have gone out with friends and had a good time for an evening or a weekend, you know blow off some steam.

[Blueliner]

My challenges on this front are/were:
- sleep apnea - i bought a non-customized mouthpiece that works well for me.
- hungry - hypoglycemia? - I stay away from "sugar", and try to never go to sleep at all hungry.
- alcohol - do you drink? This absolutely disrupts my sleep, even just a beer or two....so no, not if I'm chasing gains.

These days, hunger wakes me up the most; I'm frequently up at 4am cooking eggs. Then back to sleep.

You aren't doing low-carb or low-fat or vegan or anything like that, are you?

I forgot to say I am not on a low carb diet, but just recently I have cut out bread to one serving a day during the week, and we are eating less red meat, maybe one or two servings a week, we are eating more chicken off the bone, turkey, and fish. We try to eat one or two meatless meals a week. I know YNDTP, but i am not expecting those results either.

[neilc1]

Another possibility comes to mind....is that old saying "all work and no play makes jack a boring boy" I am turning into Jack...I cant remember the last time I have gone out with friends and had a good time for an evening or a weekend, you know blow off some steam.

sounds stressing to me

[Kitsuma]

Sleep apnea, I am not sure what the symptoms are but in the past I have woken as though I was choking or gasping for air

yea...that's it. it can also be happening to a lesser degree that you don't notice. You can get a sleep study, or you can just wear a $30 oximeter from Amazon overnight to make sure you oxygen levels aren't dropping.

As I think through this Another possibility comes to mind....is that old saying "all work and no play makes jack a boring boy" I am turning into Jack...I cant remember the last time I have gone out with friends and had a good time for an evening or a weekend, you know blow off some steam.

Yea, I know Jack well; I hate him but he does get stuff done. A good concert of your fav band from your youth might snap you out of it. That and lots of sun with your shirt off (vitamin D).