Sleep pattern - should I be worried?

[MRG]

I highly recommend you get this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep...=why+we+sleep&qid=1551363068&s=gateway&sr=8-3


There is so much in here about why we lose the ability to sleep as we get older, and by the way, it is very bad for us. I do not want to summarize the book because you really need to read the whole book. Having said that I will give you a few tidbits.

1) our brain gets loses the ability to make melatonin as we get older leading to poor sleep which leads to more loss of ability. A debilitating cycle.
2) Caffeine stays in the system for 24 hours and has shown to interfere with complex brain patterns in test animals more so than LSD, speed, and pot.
3) There are many parts of sleep and each has its own function in keeping the brain working properly.


I could go on but it is much better to get the book.

Thank you for the recommendation. Only got a couple chapters in before it put me to sleep.[emoji12]

The author does a great job of making his point. He had instant credibility when he described what happens when you pull all-nighters. So many times I was stuck doing them and definitely didn't help myself. I like how it's organized as well, I can jump around.

He explained my childhood insomnia to a T. Very informative and worthwhile to read.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

^ Here is a recent long format (2:37) podcast interview of Dr. Walker by Dr. Ronda Patrick on Found My Fitness. Good show notes for those who prefer to read.


https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/matthew-walker

 

[Earl E Retyre]

FWIW, I recently purchased a pillow that I saw on Shark Tank which is supposed to help you sleep by playing music and vibrations through the pillow in such a way that your partner cannot hear it. https://dreampadsleep.com/ I just received it and only used it one time. So, it is too early to tell if it works. It has a 30 day money back guarantee and I will return it if it does not work. They are not cheap but I hope it works.

According to the site, "The Dreampad was initially designed as a relaxation tool for children with high levels of anxiety, including those with trauma and autism."

 

[ontap55]

All, I retired 5 years ago and have the same problem getting up early without alarm. I thought after 5 years I would of adjusted but not so. I too nap during the late morning for about 1 hour or less which is a new habit since retirement. To complicate matters the spouse and I recently moved to be closer to the grandchildren and have gained two hours of time. Now I am waking up at 3am instead of 5 as I am still on the old timezone. I would not trade this for anything as retirement is wonderful and after 30+ years to get here I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also feel better knowing most others have the same problem.......LOL

 

[MRG]

All, I retired 5 years ago and have the same problem getting up early without alarm. I thought after 5 years I would of adjusted but not so. I too nap during the late morning for about 1 hour or less which is a new habit since retirement. To complicate matters the spouse and I recently moved to be closer to the grandchildren and have gained two hours of time. Now I am waking up at 3am instead of 5 as I am still on the old timezone. I would not trade this for anything as retirement is wonderful and after 30+ years to get here I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also feel better knowing most others have the same problem.......LOL

Check out Blueskies123 post #16. Your sleep cycle and what makes you sleep is explained in the book.

I'm only on the 4th chapter, it makes me sleepy, the author suggests napping may be a good way to sleep.

 

[sengsational]

The only way I could shorten it (nap) is to use an alarm clock. I actually think I sleep more (and better) since retiring because I'm not stressed or worried.

Back on my weekend naps when w*rking, I'd have a cup of tea right before laying down. The caffeine wouldn't kick in for a while, but between the caffeine and bladder, the naps never we're real long and I woke energized.

 

[free2020]

Try getting to bed early, like 9 PM. There is a school of thought that believes that 9-12 sleep is 2x better than 12-5. Something to do with the Sun's cycle!?

For early risers, it is likely to be easier. I've not been consistent with this but have seen this work for me; I'm looking forward to joining this community full time in 2020 and will report on progress then.

 

[marko]

Into my 2nd year of retirement. Before retiring I was in bed by 10pm and up by 5-6am before the alarm ever went off. Since retiring, I'm up between 4 and 5:30am, no alarm, regardless of when I go to sleep (10:30pm - midnight), but I routinely take a 2-4 hour nap in the afternoon.

Even when I've purposely skipped the afternoon nap, I'm still up at zero dark thirty. I can sometimes go back to sleep after about 2 hours, then sleep another 2 hours, but that is rare. I know everyone is different, but I feel I should be getting the full 8+ all at one time, instead of 5 then 3, or 6 then 2.

Is this something to worry about or just how it is?

Me too. Everything you just said. Except I now wake at 3AM lately.

 

[Cobra9777]

You may be a person who does better with a two-phase sleep pattern. Apparently this was the norm for most of human history, and increasing urbanization and industrialization are what led us to prefer the idea of getting a full-night's sleep in one go.

This is an interesting article about a study of historical sleeping habits that was in the news last year: https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-used-to-sleep-in-two-shifts-maybe-we-should-again

+1 And thanks for the link. It's a good read.

I typically go to sleep around 9-10pm. Wake up first around 2-3am. Spend a few hours reading, listening to music, or watching YouTube videos. Then asleep again until about 6-7am. Fitbit says I average 7.25 hours. I never nap. And I rarely sleep 7 or 8 hours at one time. I used to worry about this until I started reading about segmented or bimodal sleep patterns. It seems to have been the more common practice until recent times and may be a more natural rhythm for some. Certainly is for me. I cherish my quiet hours in the middle of the night.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Cancel post. No time to complete the thought.

 

[Rianne]

I think about newscasters, Joe and Mikka, CNN early morning or whoever starts broadcasting at 5 am EST. They have to be picked up in their limo, taken to station, make up, go over topics...so they must get up at 2-3 am? Do they go to sleep at 6 or 7 pm? And they always look good and can talk normally. I'd be a basket case.

 

[foxfirev5]

Up between 4 and 5. By noon everything that has to be done is accomplished. It's the same as when I was w**king. The only difference is that fishing plays a larger role.

 

[MRG]

I think about newscasters, Joe and Mikka, CNN early morning or whoever starts broadcasting at 5 am EST. They have to be picked up in their limo, taken to station, make up, go over topics...so they must get up at 2-3 am? Do they go to sleep at 6 or 7 pm? And they always look good and can talk normally. I'd be a basket case.

Lot of people w*rk odd shifts in our modern world. News casters tend to get crazy hours.

One of the strangest realities was the folks who get off at 7:00 AM and go have a beer or three. I used to walk by a bar that opened at 6:00 AM to accommodate them. It was packed in the morning as not too many bars are open.

 

[IMATERP]

Earlier today I visited my internist regarding insomnia problems. Usually I go to be around 10:00 p.m. and wake up at 3:00a.m. About half the time I fall back to sleep and sleep maybe another hour or so.

Anyway, I seem to do well with the RX called Ambien. My internet’s prescribed the medication for me due to the fact that she feels that one feels better with a good night sleep.

My intention is only to use it if I go through two or three partial nights of sleep. My sleep patterns have always been problematic and I am glad that there are alternatives to obtain a better night of sleep.

I

 

[Sconie]

There is considerable evidence that the typical 8 hour sleep pattern, from a historical perspective, is neither all that common, nor, natural. Rather, for thousands of years humanity followed what may be called a bimodal sleep pattern.

The following may be of interest:

https://www.sciencealert.com/humans-used-to-sleep-in-two-shifts-maybe-we-should-again

https://bigthink.com/robby-berman/for-1000s-of-years-we-went-to-bed-twice-a-night-2

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783

 

[MRG]

I highly recommend you get this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep...=why+we+sleep&qid=1551363068&s=gateway&sr=8-3


There is so much in here about why we lose the ability to sleep as we get older, and by the way, it is very bad for us. I do not want to summarize the book because you really need to read the whole book. Having said that I will give you a few tidbits.

1) our brain gets loses the ability to make melatonin as we get older leading to poor sleep which leads to more loss of ability. A debilitating cycle.
2) Caffeine stays in the system for 24 hours and has shown to interfere with complex brain patterns in test animals more so than LSD, speed, and pot.
3) There are many parts of sleep and each has its own function in keeping the brain working properly.


I could go on but it is much better to get the book.

Thank you for the recommendation. The book is helping me understand sleep much better. I refuse to take pills(ambien) like in my past. It works until it doesn't. I spent weeks not sleeping coming off that garbage. Life gets interesting when you sleep poorly for 2 hours nightly.

Instead we've been using guided imagery, meditation, and suggestions from the book. A little melatonin helps along with some very simple techniques. I'm a lifelong insomniac and wish I'd known this years ago.

I've gone from 4-5 hours of restless sleep to 6-7 hours of delightful slumber. One of the things I love is nature calls at 3:00 AM and I'll be back in deep sleep shortly. My eyes barely open.

 

[Jkstrudwick]

Watch your alcohol consumption

Not to be judgemental but I have found that alcohol consumption, has an adverse impact on the quality of my sleep. While the quantity of alcohol does certainly correlate to a lack of sleep and rest, it really doesn’t taken more that two cocktails to trigger it.

Your experience may be similar.

 

[MRG]

Not to be judgemental but I have found that alcohol consumption, has an adverse impact on the quality of my sleep. While the quantity of alcohol does certainly correlate to a lack of sleep and rest, it really doesn’t taken more that two cocktails to trigger it.

Your experience may be similar.

+1000

 

[Canoeboy]

I highly recommend you get this book.
https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep...=why+we+sleep&qid=1551363068&s=gateway&sr=8-3
.

Agree this is a great book, written by a neuroscientist that has spent their career on the subject. I’m 2/3rds through it now. Have picked up multiple pointers that have helped already. Bottom line, everyone needs at least 7-8 hours of sleep for health, longevity, etc.

 

[sengsational]

There's a 3 part interview with Matthew Walker starting here.

 

[WestUniversity]

I retired in 2015 after 30 years of setting an alarm and getting up at 0430. I threw the clock away and still wake up at 0430, sometimes 0330! I occasionally see midnight but still up at 0430 mostly. my goal is 0600. I've learned to embrace it! I love getting up early.

Ditto. My alarm was set at 4:50 for ages, even though in the later years I was usually awake before the alarm.

I have my days even still. Some mornings I’m awake at 4:30 AM, others I wake up at 6:00 AM. I figure at some point my sleep will become more regular? Whatever that is...

 

[Out of Steam]

Not to be judgemental but I have found that alcohol consumption, has an adverse impact on the quality of my sleep. While the quantity of alcohol does certainly correlate to a lack of sleep and rest, it really doesn’t taken more that two cocktails to trigger it.

My wife rarely drinks anything at all for this reason. She says a single drink in the evening is sufficient to spoil her sleep, though she can get away with 2-3 in the daytime.

 

[CaptTom]

There's a lot of information out there about sleep, of varying quality.

My understanding is that the normal time to "cycle" through all the necessary stages of sleep is about 90 minutes. Simply put, if you're not getting through a whole cycle (e.g.; 30 minute naps) then you're not getting the real restorative benefits of sleep.

On the other hand, if you're getting 5 or 6 of these cycles per night (and/or day) then you should be fine. Doesn't matter if you wake up in between or not.

Probably the worst thing you can do is interrupt a cycle (like, with an alarm clock ). Likewise, hitting the "snooze" button doesn't really give you any meaningful extra sleep.

The early-rise habit of a lifetime has been hard for me to break, even after three years. But then again, why bother? I like getting up early.

My sleep has definitely improved since retirement, even if I keep roughly the same hours. Now I don't stress out about not getting back to sleep right away, knowing I'm not going to have to get up. Maybe I will get up, but I don't have to.

And that makes all the difference!

 

[Mulligan]

My wife rarely drinks anything at all for this reason. She says a single drink in the evening is sufficient to spoil her sleep, though she can get away with 2-3 in the daytime.

Our golfing group has a 92 year old who occasionally still plays. Last year when we shared a cart he told me he had a sleeping problem in his 40s and went to the doctor. He said Doc told him to drink a shot of Bourbon Whiskey on the rocks before bedtime.
He kind of left it at that, so I asked if it worked. He said he hadnt missed a night of the whiskey shot before bedtime in 50 years and he sleeps great. I then asked if that was the only alcohol he drinks.
He said, Yes (with a pause) well not counting the beer I drink everyday.

 

[aja8888]

Our golfing group has a 92 year old who occasionally still plays. Last year when we shared a cart he told me he had a sleeping problem in his 40s and went to the doctor. He said Doc told him to drink a shot of Bourbon Whiskey on the rocks before bedtime.
He kind of left it at that, so I asked if it worked. He said he hadnt missed a night of the whiskey shot before bedtime in 50 years and he sleeps great. I then asked if that was the only alcohol he drinks.
He said, Yes (with a pause) well not counting the beer I drink everyday.

I imagine the beer is just to keep him properly hydrated during the day.