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Causes of oversleeping?
Self | 20 July 2007 | tlj18

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?


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: oversleeping
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To: tlj18

Two nights ago I slept for about 15 hours, although I was up for 34 hours before

Yesterday I was up for 15 hours, then slept for 11 hours

Those are normal stats to me


61 posted on 07/20/2007 4:29:50 PM PDT by Chickensoup (If it is not permitted, it is prohibited. Only the government can permit....)
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To: ahayes
Do you feel sleepy during the day and fall asleep very quickly?

Not really. I have to be quite tired to fall asleep quickly. But in Basic Training, I always fell asleep VERY quickly. As in a matter of seconds :-) But let's just say that my MOS is more intellectual than physically oriented, which certainly has its downsides.

62 posted on 07/20/2007 4:32:10 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: Global2010

Yeah, that’s what I do. I don’t set the alarm on Friday nights (my time to sleep). And I usually wake up around noon or later. During the week I would usually sleep around 5-6 hours. Maybe my body is just trying to get more sleep, to get rested. Sleep deprivation does build up. But it is an amazing experience.


63 posted on 07/20/2007 4:36:54 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: boomop1
Are you logged in?

?

64 posted on 07/20/2007 4:39:58 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: Bruinator
He’s asleep. lol

Actually, I just woke up :-)

65 posted on 07/20/2007 4:40:28 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: tlj18

I would suggest that you are missing out on *quality* sleep, which your body tries to make up for with quantity.

Here are some ideas that might help:

1) Try sleeping with Breathe Right nasal strips on your nose for a week. You might need more oxygen while sleeping to get to a deeper level of sleep. They may also reduce snoring.

2) Get some “32” or better rated foam earplugs. Extraneous noises might be interfering with your rest.

3) Have a glass of warm milk before bed. Warmed milk has chemicals in it that promote restful sleep.

4) If you regularly snore, you may have sleep Apnea. This can be a dangerous condition and should be treated.

5) Body position while sleeping may matter to you. Become aware of how you sleep, and how restless you are when you sleep.

6) Try varying the temperature of the room you are sleeping in. Warmer or colder may give you better rest.

7) There is an over-the-counter sleep aid called Doxylamine Succinate (25mg) which is the same pill in brand name and generic. It is just the part of antihistamine that makes you drowsy. For some people it can give them a very deep sleep, and they wake up much more rested. Though for the first few uses, you may remain drowsy when you wake up in the morning. It is available in drug and grocery stores.


66 posted on 07/20/2007 4:40:29 PM PDT by Popocatapetl
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To: tlj18

depression.


67 posted on 07/20/2007 4:43:00 PM PDT by ken21 ( b 4 fred.)
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To: agrace

No, I have healthy blood pressure.


68 posted on 07/20/2007 4:43:29 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: tlj18

I naturally sleep 12 hours a night if not awakened by an alarm.


69 posted on 07/20/2007 4:45:25 PM PDT by mysterio
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To: tlj18

Talk to your GP about getting a sleep study done. The symptoms you describe could be cause by a variety of things. In my case it was a form of parasomnia. As I’d start to drift off, my foot would begin to shake, waking me up. But I wouldn’t feel (/remember) the movement or even that I had fallen asleep. Instead, it felt like I’d just been lying there, waiting (which is why my GP originally diagnosed it simply as insomnia). Periodically throughout the night I’d wake myself up like this. But I wouldn’t remember it. All the interruptions were keeping me from getting rested, which is why I was sleeping so long (10 or 12 hours, easy). Anyway, none of this was evident until I had the study done.


70 posted on 07/20/2007 4:47:42 PM PDT by monkfan
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To: LouAvul
Yeah. I don't think the Special Forces are going to let you sleep 15 hours a day.

Somehow I think you are quite correct... :-)

I can just see it now... doing the land navigation course in SF training... take a nap but wake up 15 hours later...

You are a NO-GO, Soldier!

71 posted on 07/20/2007 4:52:53 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: tlj18

Your REM pattern is messed up. Think back to the last time you had a real dream. There is something that is keeping you “en guard”. I still go through this most nights, but it is getting better. Good Luck!


72 posted on 07/20/2007 4:55:22 PM PDT by gaemes
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To: tlj18
Two nights ago I slept for about 15 hours, although I was up for 34 hours before that..

That's 7.5 hours per night. Not a problem.

73 posted on 07/20/2007 4:56:21 PM PDT by Doe Eyes
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To: pacelvi

Amazingly, I didn’t really feel tired for most of my 34 hours of being awake. However, after about 32 hours, it started to get hard to function. It was a really great experience. But it’s normal for me to sleep than long without an alarm, even if I was only awake for 18 or 19 hours that day. Sleep isn’t bad for you, but it kind of hurts your waking world life.


74 posted on 07/20/2007 5:03:34 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: janereinheimer
That is extremely interesting. Apparently, our modern electrified age has reduced the amount of sleep that is considered normal and acceptable. Some people might say that sleeping 12 hours a day is laziness, but once you are asleep, aside from alarms, there isn't much you can do about it. I can sleep through a lot. Well, a good Soldier is said to be able to sleep whenever he can....

Just not for half the day, though.

75 posted on 07/20/2007 5:21:18 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: gaemes

I had real dreams the last two nights. I even dream in color, which is apparently unusual. It was kind of a bad dream, which my Navy instructor during this past winter in Pensacola telling me how embarrassed she was of me. She was my instructor for four months (October 2006 to February 2007), and it took me several hours to recall her name!


76 posted on 07/20/2007 5:31:58 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: mysterio

I was doing some research, and I read that the body produces melatonin (the chemical that induces sleep) for about 12 hours after you fall asleep. So, based on that fact, sleeping for 12 hours appears like it is quite natural!


77 posted on 07/20/2007 5:59:24 PM PDT by tlj18 (There's soldiers - and then there are soldiers. Many may be the former - but don't let it be you!!!)
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To: tlj18
That may be normal for you. My daughter needs a lot of sleep. She sleeps hard and doesn’t hear her alarm sometimes. She is the only kid I know who came home from high school and took a nap. I would be interested to know what you learn about this.
78 posted on 07/20/2007 6:06:05 PM PDT by Ditter
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To: tlj18

Ah...the reason I asked is because I had low BP when I was younger (it’s still lower than average but more healthy/normal as I get older), couldn’t give blood during blood drives, and was always sluggish waking up in the AM.


79 posted on 07/20/2007 7:04:25 PM PDT by agrace
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To: tlj18

Your reply is interesting. I remember my son and brothers and cousins and uncles saying the same thing about good soldiers being able to sleep anywhere. But they never said anything about “long sleepers” in the military. Unless on furlough, of course. Otherwise, that bugler crows pretty early.

Sometimes I think we don’t give ourselves “permission” to sleep until we’re ready to get up. Except maybe when we’re on vacation.

I think we all ought to pamper ourselves a bit more. It’s good for the soul.


80 posted on 07/20/2007 7:59:54 PM PDT by janereinheimer ((I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.))
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