Topic: Is sleeping 13 hours straight every night okay?
Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Lately this is what I've been doing.
I have a messed up "bio clock" too, so I am in the process, of bumping my bedtime FORWARD 3 hours per day, until I eventually get to the point that I'm going to bed at 9:30 PM and that would leave me getting up at 10:30 AM.
My question is...once I finally land my bedtime at 9:30 (aka, a "healthy bedtime"), should I allow myself to continue to sleep 13 hours a night if that is what my body likes?
13 hours is what I sleep without an alarm clock.
Or, should I force myself to get up at like 8:30 (via alarm clock or husband) which would be 11 hours and drink a cup of coffee or take Provigil?
I guess I'm just wondering if sleeping so much more than normal people is harmful? Should I try to force myself to be normal if I can, even if it means when I'm up, I'm more tired?
Because when I sleep a solid 13 hours, I feel better when I am up.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
I'm thinking maybe if I get my sleep schedule to where I go to bed at a normal time, perhaps my sleep will be deeper and I won't need so much of it?
I won't find that out until I get there though.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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posted
I've found that getting the amount of sleep my body needs (without an alarm) is one of the most important self-care things I can do.
Sometimes this means I'm sleeping 13 hours a day. Other times I'm back at my pre-Lyme 9 - 10 hours a day.
I'm a firm believer in doing what your body is telling you to do.
Getting your sleep schedule on track might result in you needing less sleep, but until then, do what your health requires.
P.S. I am aware of the irony of me posting this at 3:00 AM. Joint and bone pain is keeping me up. Despite my new pain meds. Argh!
Posts: 398 | From By the Salish Sea | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
I have been sleeping a lot more than I usually do, and taking a lot of naps. My sleep schedule is off kilter--if I take a nap after work, then I stay up too late, but I still have to get up at 6am for work, and on the weekends I still have to get up then to eat and take pills on time. Then if it's my day off, I sleep midmorning to midafternoon, and sometimes another nap in the late afternoon. I would like to try to start going to bed at 9pm and stop taking naps after work, but it's difficult on days when I come home with fatigue or pain.
The thing is, every time I sleep a long time or take an extra nap, all my symptoms feel better when I wake up (physical and mental). That seems like a pretty clear signal that it's a good thing. I would love to be able to sleep 13 hrs. at one go instead of 4 here and 5 there and 2 another time.
I am getting terribly frustrated at how many of my free hours I spend sleeping, since it leaves me little time to do anything else. But I think we can trust our bodies in that regard, to tell us how much sleep we need.
I have no idea if there's any medical argument for getting less sleep than your body wants, particularly when Lyme or any illness is involved. I know it is worse for you if your sleep is frequently interrupted than if you get it straight through, and better to sleep at night than during the day, at least according to something I read sometime. (That authoritative source, LOL...)
-------------------- Don't forget to laugh! And when you're going through hell, keep going!
Bitten 5/25/2009 in Perry County, Indiana. Diagnosed by LLMD 12/2/2009. Posts: 756 | From Inside the tunnel | Registered: Jan 2010
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
I'll trade you.
I sleep maybe 6.5 hours a night.
I never did get more than 8 hours a night during treatment.
Everybody is different.
However, both my LLMD and I feel that for me,
Pushing through the fatigue has helped me.
I work full time now. No luxury of sleeping in here.
However, it is Sunday morning and I woke up at 4:00am
After falling asleep at 10:30.
How do you feel when you wake up?
If I sleep over 8 hours, my brain is mush.
(Like I ever do that )
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
I never feel good when I wake up, but if I sleep longer, I normally feel much better than if I got "less" sleep. So 8 hours for me is not very much, so I would feel terrible upon waking, but if I get like 12 hours, I feel less bad, but still not great.
To me this is screaming adrenal problems...it's something I'm looking into. Some of the cow adrenal supplements weren't helping much, so I'm looking into DHEA now.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
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