topic Re: Breaking The Cycle. in Community Chat

Breaking The Cycle.

QVCkitty1 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:12:25 GMT

My sleep pattern has been upside down and I'm not sure how it started, but it stops today ( I hope.) I sleep for about 2 or 3 hours and then I'm up and nothing, but nothing will put me back to sleep, not even reading . So I get up starving, so I eat and start my day and after lunch the couch starts calling and I don't know why but those naps are so satisfying that I sleep for 3 or 4 hours and here we go again. So today I'm powering through with chores and caffeine, because this madness must end. Any one else have screwed up sleep patterns ? This is new for me.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

Another new name Sue — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:17:54 GMT

I'm sorry you are having that problem. I think you are on the right track, but I'm concerned about the caffeine. Take it easy, or later in the day caffeine could hold over into your nighttime sleep time. Good luck. Stay active, stay busy. Your naps are too long. Warm milk can help you sleep.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

On It — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:20:28 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I hope you can power through today. It happened to me a few years ago. I was going to bed too early (10:00-10:30) and woke at 3:00 AM as if I had set alarm. I started going to bed later (around midnight) and slept until 5:00 or 6:00. It seems the older I get the fewer hours of sleep I need.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

PA Mom-mom — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:27:12 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I wish you good luck. I've had crazy sleep patterns my whole life. I've tried changing what I eat and when, and also staying up and going to bed early. Can't swear by anything. One thing that does help is outdoor exercise. Just enough and not too much helps me to sleep a bit longer. I'm retired now, so I've just given up. I can't sleep during the day, but I've found I can be awake from 2 am to 6 or 7 am, and then just sleep for an hour or two and am ok until 10 or 11 pm.

ETA: I also seem to be on a sort of 6 month cycle. My sleep gets better for several months at a time, and I don't know why.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

goldensrbest — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:46:02 GMT

There was a time in my life, i had this problem there was so much troubling things going on in our family, eventually it got better,i had to go see a doctor.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

Stevie Nix — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 19:59:40 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I could have written what you just wrote. The only difference is that I have a dog who likes to get attention as soon as she sees me roll over.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

kaydee50 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:05:53 GMT

Unless you go to work or have some sort of schedule to maintain, what does it matter? Sleep when you're tired, eat when you're hungry. The joys, at least for us, of being retired. But your "naps" are too long. DH sleeps for an hour or more but I usually nap for 45 minutes or less.

If I do get up during the night which is about 75% of the time, I might have a glass of wine. That always helps me!

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

ECBG — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:15:54 GMT

@On It wrote:
@QVCkitty1 I hope you can power through today. It happened to me a few years ago. I was going to bed too early (10:00-10:30) and woke at 3:00 AM as if I had set alarm. I started going to bed later (around midnight) and slept until 5:00 or 6:00. It seems the older I get the fewer hours of sleep I need.

@On It @QVCkitty1

I have heard people say the older they got, the less they slept.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

QVCkitty1 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:18:45 GMT

@kaydee50 wrote:
Unless you go to work or have some sort of schedule to maintain, what does it matter? Sleep when you're tired, eat when you're hungry. The joys, at least for us, of being retired. But your "naps" are too long. DH sleeps for an hour or more but I usually nap for 45 minutes or less.

If I do get up during the night which is about 75% of the time, I might have a glass of wine. That always helps me!

@kaydee50 I've always had a " normal" sleep schedule and this new quirk doesn't suit me. The naps are long to make up for what .I don't get at night. In addition the screwy schedule kind of interferes with my life. I'm retired but I still like to maintain a normal regimen. Also though I enjoy wine it doesn't play well with my meds.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

Desert Lily — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:29:39 GMT

I think I could be in one those commercials about people who can't sleep.

Sometimes when I'm writing novels, I stay up writing until wee morning hours if I'm on a roll. Then I'm tired the next day and sometimes can't fight a nap.

Other times, I think of all the things that stress me out, things I have to do, etc. and end up watching TV when I can't sleep & eventually nod off for a couple hours. And if I have enough stress, I can't even nap. After a couple nights of getting little sleep, I end up getting a good 7-8 hours.

My mom, my maternal grandfather, and 2 of my siblings have/had sleep issues. We're all night owls too. Maybe part of the reason is in our dna.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

ROMARY — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:27:40 GMT

Yes! For a few years or so, I've been awakening at around 2:30 am, no matter when I fall asleep.

Very, very hungry. Nothing will put me back to sleep unless I have a sandwich with plenty of mayo.

It seems to me that if and when I sleep longer than a total of 5 hours, I'm exhausted the next day.

It doesn't make much sense to me.

Almost all of my life, I would fall asleep around 9:30 pm, and awaken at around 6:00 am. Feeling great.

Now, 'it's a different story', so to speak.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

phoenixbrd — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 20:40:30 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I have found that eating my dinner meal (lightest meal) early 5-6:00 pm. The energy required for digesting food can interfer with sleep. Also, keeping CALM (which is magnesium c.) will help with relaxation of your body. I make a warm cup after an early dinner if I feel it might be warranted. Personally I would put the coffee down if sleep is an issue...you can use a sub like Pero for taste or comfort and it does not contain caffeine.

The naps, as you suggested, might be a hindrance. If you feel they are a necessity at this point, you could try taking 15 minutes off your nap every few days until it is no longer a necessity.

Also, a warm epsom salt bath will help relax your body. Of course, getting some daily activity will also facilitate a good night's sleep. Listening to binaural beats (free on You Tube) is also helpful.

Don't be hard on yourself. This is a journey and you can implement these techniques over time. I wish you the best, good sleep is critical for good health.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

jackthebear — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:09:01 GMT

I sympathize, the days that I get out and exercise help, sometimes it's hard to get your a** out the door but it

s good for the mind and body

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

Trailrun23 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:40:00 GMT

I must get at least 8 hrs of sleep each night due to a medical condition. I did three things that have helped me get the sleep I need.

1) I learned to stop any caffeine by 5 pm...the caffeine stays in your system long after your last cup of coffee, etc.

2) I also had to turn off the tv in the bedroom. DH likes to listen to the news after we went to bed but now he stays in the den to watch it.

3) Make sure the the bedroom is dark; close the blinds, shutters, curtains, etc. sometimes (I wear a sleepmask if the room isn't dark enough.)

It's okay to take a nap. Set the alarm on your phone so you don't sleep too long. There are also some very helpful apps for sleep.

If you take any meds with a diuretic in it, try and take it as early in the day as possible so you are not having to gmake bathroom trips during the night.
Sweet dreams!

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

catter70 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:18:16 GMT

I have 3 cats so no sleeping too long here. Plus I always worked odd hours and never got out of the habit. Early to bed, early to rise. Cats wake me then there are the bathroom runs once they wake me up. I'm up anywhere between 1:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. I don't nap. I'm afraid that would make it worse.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

SilleeMee — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 21:44:34 GMT

I was recently diagnosed with an electrolyte imbalance and it was affecting my sleep terribly. If you haven't had your blood checked lately maybe it's time.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

haddon9 — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 22:05:29 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
My sleep pattern has been upside down and I'm not sure how it started, but it stops today ( I hope.) I sleep for about 2 or 3 hours and then I'm up and nothing, but nothing will put me back to sleep, not even reading . So I get up starving, so I eat and start my day and after lunch the couch starts calling and I don't know why but those naps are so satisfying that I sleep for 3 or 4 hours and here we go again. So today I'm powering through with chores and caffeine, because this madness must end. Any one else have screwed up sleep patterns ? This is new for me.

I tend to fall asleep easily at first. Usually I'm on the computer or reading and I will fall asleep for a few hours.

Then I'm awake anywhere from 2 to 4 am and I can't go back to sleep. I start thinking about things that bother me so I start reading again or I'll go on my laptop. Then I'll get drowsy and fall asleep for another hour or two after being up for 2-3 hours.

Sometimes I will take a small nap late in the afternoon. I did it more when it would get dark early but not as much now that it stays light out later.

This has been going on for a few years. I know it's a bad habit.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

ECBG — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:05:42 GMT

@haddon9

Please mention your sleep cycle to your doctor. Deep, REM sleep is when our bodies renew and repair.

I take Melatonian to make sure I fall asleep and DH and DP (Dear Pup) don't snore and awaken me. We also have a wonderful white noise machine. I also stop my liquids about 2 1/2 hrs before bed.

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

LillyandHobo — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:07:17 GMT

I have the same cycle as you! I try every night to go to bed early 10-ish BUT NO I am awake until 1 or 2 watching movies from the 30's, 40's and 50's. I have tried not watching tv but I just lay there wide awake. I even take prescription med's to sleep but uhuh...If I do go to sleep I wake up almost every night 3-4 am and have a hard time going back to sleep. Then I am dragging all day long. I try not to take a nap because I know it will be worse at night!!! Grrrrrr I envy people that can hit the pillow and go right to sleep. I am in my 60's but I still need good sleep...lol. I also am retired so I can do what I want during the day but I also don't want to sleep all the time. Good luck ...

Re: Breaking The Cycle.

LillyandHobo — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 23:10:05 GMT

We could be twins! I am the same way. If I get stressed it will keep me awake and smack me in the face when I wake up!! And if I am not stressed (very seldom) then I watch tv. No good to not watch I just lay awake for hours and get frustrated that I can't sleep. Good luck to you !!