Wellness

[Imadickens]

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@Ditzydori wrote:
I was just having this conversation with my husband and he thinks my sleep cycle is very unhealthy. I go to bed late and get up late. He, on the other hand, is an early to bed, early to rise person.
This got me thinking. Any info or opinions on this? We are both retired. Thanks.

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I have really bad sleep apnea. One time I was chatting with my sleep doc. I, like you, was always a sleep in late person! I would watch the 11:00 news then go to sleep. If no one bothered me, I could sleep until 2:00 pm! I went to work teaching autistic kids and found that even when I went to bed early so I could still get my 12 hours in I would be asleep on my feet! I once told my doc that and she explained about circadian rhythm . It seems your body has its own set sleep and wake times! Retirement sure helped me that way! Now I am back to what feels good and don't worry about it!😊 I say sleep as you like! You earned it!😘

[BalletBabe]

I have noticed more men are early birds.  I am a night person and always have been.  I tried being a morning person and it just don't work for me. 

[Ditzydori]

Thanks for the insight!!

[MomCat]

I tried to be a night owl, but it doesn't seem to fit in with the others in my world.  Something always happened to wake me up.  I switched back to getting up early and I like it better.  I also like getting out the door early to garden or run errands.  I also notice I'm more able to stick with a healthier eating pattern on this schedule as well. 

[TX-starlight]

Interesting thread!! I have always been a night person. I like to stay up late & sleep late. I can sleep a whole day if no 1 bothers me. My mom just passed away in January, I was caring for her, so now I can get back to MY sleeping habits. Having just gone thru stress of her death, I feel I should sleep/rest when I want. I have friend who thinks it's terrible that I sleep s late. I say, it's my business how i want to spend my time,lol... (It does aggravate me when I waste a nice day, by sleeping. I say do what feels good-especially if you're retired & I am!!

[hckynut]

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@Ditzydori wrote:
I was just having this conversation with my husband and he thinks my sleep cycle is very unhealthy. I go to bed late and get up late. He, on the other hand, is an early to bed, early to rise person.
This got me thinking. Any info or opinions on this? We are both retired. Thanks.

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@Ditzydori,

Yes, I have an opinion. Some people may be able, or want, to have the same sleep cycle all there lives, others like me? Not so much.

Partly because I spent many of my young years(12-16) working only night shifts. When getting home at 1:00am at 12 years old, and going to school the next morning, is not what most figure is a good sleep cycle.

It was what it was and it was necessary for me to not only be able to pay for all my own necessities, but also able to help my mother raise us 4 kids by herself. Did I like being sleepy most of the time in school? Of course not, but again, it was what it was at that time.

After being discharged from the US Army, I went to work for Western Electric. The next 13+ years found me working both 24 hour night shifts, 4pm to Midnight or Midnight to 8:00am.

Did I like working either night shift while most all my guy and girl friends were working day hours? What young single man would like working 4pm to Midnight, which pretty much eliminated their social life?

Finally got a day shift job, but do you thing I ever, or will ever have "a normal to some, sleep cycle"? Of course not, and I have had 6 Sleep Studies done that pretty much bear that out. 

So to me there is no "normal sleep cycle" for those that are really retired, nor those that are no longer on a mandatory "fixed cycle". You can tell your husband for me that his sleep cycle, when it concerns health, is no better or worse than yours.

hckynut(john)

[qualitygal]

You and your husband, are just the opposites of my husband and myself. Sometimes, midway through my night, I can wake up for 2-3 hours and then go back to sleep.

[qualitygal]

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@Ditzydori wrote:

Thanks for your replies, ladies. A very interesting article.  I feel better when I follow my sleep rhythm for when to go to bed. When I have to go to bed early and get up early, it is a conscious effort, but I don't like it one bit.

I know I will probably never be a morning person. 

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."  I guess I'll be sick, poor, and dumb. 😩😩

 bolded and underlined by me.........HUH, not healthy, wealthy or wise. LOL. You're safe!!!!

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