Sleep!

[B_S_A]

I've been doing a lot lately, which is great, but now I'm pretty shattered.

My question to you is; how much sleep do you get? How much sleep do you need to function well the next day?

[RogerCMerriman]

To function correctly 7-8hrs much below that I start to suffer, and need to catch up, when even now I sleep for 12hrs at times.

[B_S_A in reply to RogerCMerriman]

I think I could probably use a good 24 hour sleep at the moment, but my body just won't let me.

[cat3]

Since I decided to stop forcing myself into a respectable, 'normal' routine a year ago and give in to what is most comfortable for my well-being I've started to feel much less at odds with the world.

I'm not ready for sleep 'til 1.30 - 2 am so that's the time the light goes out. And I sleep much better now for 9 hours until 11am which allows me to feel much more human than when I first came out of hospital & felt there was something to prove.

But it's worth noting that people's requirements vary. You probably won't remember that Maggie Thatcher claimed to only ever need 3hrs per night................course she wasn't properly human.

[B_S_A in reply to cat3]

Oh really? I didn't know you were such a night owl!

I'm trying to get out of the habit of going to sleep then, it gives me a much fuller day the day after.

Maggie was a machine. youtube.com/watch?v=isaIhX7...(Not working as expected?)

[cat3 in reply to B_S_A]

Yes but trying to sleep earlier always ends up with me tossing & turning and actually getting less sleep, then I'm just useless the following day. This way, once I'm up I have a productive day & never think of napping so I actually get a longer day than most people !

Thanks for link; I'm curious but will look later as have to get ready to go out now.

[iforget in reply to cat3]

I am so glad I am not alone in this. I find I can't sleep until past 2 and as long as I can sleep late I do okay...every so often if I get overtired ( something keeps me awake or something/someone wakes me too soon) my body rebels, does an auto shut down and then reboots when its recharged itself...it works for me.

[Hidden in reply to cat3]

I been trying to haul back my sleeping hours a bit, don't seem to be able to manage to get to bed before 1am. I'd happily go with the flow like you Cat, but unfortunately OH gets up around 8am and needs supervising using the bath etc.

It's strange though, morning me says "you need to get to bed early tonight" but night time me says "later...."

Dev (the night Dev)

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Up at 1:30 am painting the stair bannister... daft beggar!

Dev (the morning Dev)

[cat3 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, you see it's ok for me to just follow my instincts Dev as I don't have any particular obligations & can sleep into the morning (11am today). But I realise it must be hard for you (and other carers)) who need to be up and about very early each day. I've nothing but admiration for you.

[Kirk5w7]

I need at least 8 hours but 10 is good too. I come up to bed at around 10.30 pm but then I read and do puzzles and can still be awake 3 hours later. Most days I get up around 9.30 but I've generally been awake since 8am, don't get up til after 10 at weekend, I try not to sleep during the day but will have a half hour lie down and close my eyes to recharge the batteries about, 2-3pm

[dora21]

Sleep is a real problem for me at the moment and cannot function at all... I had at least 4 weeks without being able to get any and was hitting the red bull to try and manage.

Then I hit rock bottom and had to be admitted to a psychiatric unit, which I can honestly say I never in my life want to repeat...

The only good thing about the place was I could lock my door and be alone. I then slept a whole week, all day and all night the whole time I was there, I only got up to wash and eat. I left all my troubles outside which helped.

But unfortunately now I'm home I'm now not sleeping at night again and then sleeping all day which is only depressing me more! The doctors say take my sleeping tablets but then they knocked me out all night and all day so I can't bloody win. I feel like I have absolutely no life at all now and a few weeks ago I'm ashamed to say I took too many pills to just sleep forever, which is why I ended up where I did. my daughter has moved back in with me to help as my partner left a while ago because he couldn't handle everything. Oh how I love my new life living with TBI.

Valerie

[sospan]

I too forced myself into a routine of going to bed at midnight and getting up at 8. Now that's all gone out the window

Last night I went to bed at 1:30 am. I am writing this at 7:00 am and been awake since 6. I am neither tired nor refreshed, some in between state.

[Danslatete]

I'm usually in bed around 9.30 - 10. I'm up at 7.

I sleep later at weekends getting up around Half 7

I have to be quite strict because I can't concentrate on no sleep.

[Zoe2345]

I get about 3 to 4 hours worth a night, I'm okay te next morning and can function well but it's been like that since I had my accident and a bleed in the brain. Best of luck, hope you manage to get better

[Hidden]

Hi Ben, I get between 4 and 6 hours a night max depending on what I have been doing.

Before B.I. I never needed much sleep and functioned well without much. Since my B.I. I need more to function better, due to severe fatigue, so I am trying ways of switching my mind off to get more sleep.

I am a night owl and my iPad is my saviour. I'm either playing scrabble, doing word search or reading. I'm currently reading the Chimp Paradox by Dr Steve Peters it's really helping. Although I've only read chapter one (twice) chimpparadox.co.uk/ Take care Ben

[BaronC]

To be perfectly honest, any sleep 'routine' fluttered out of the window the day I gave my bonce a good battering.

I'm tired virtually permanently and sleep whenever my brain allows it. Fortunately that is usually of a night time. However, many's the night when I sleep fitfully at best. An hour here, an hour there. I'm sitting here now typing this, 13.26 and I could quite easily nod off now, but I have things to do, a life to lead, thus, I can't kip this afternoon. But I could, oh hell, I could.

I spoke to my doctor regarding sleep and lack of it about three hundred years ago and had the same answer I get for pretty much any ailment that strikes me down. 'Side effect of your medication'

I can't sleep - 'Side effect of your medication'

I have I.B.S. - 'Side effect of your medication'

I have laryngitis - 'Side effect of your medication'

My headaches are worsening - 'Side effect of your medication'

I have flu-like symptoms - 'Side effect of your medication'

My washing machine is leaking - 'Side effect of your medication'

Sorry, wrong specialist

[spartan300]

I give up on getting the right amount of sleep, I am just glad I wake up, think about it folks?

[Hidden]

I HAVE TO HAVE A NAP IN THE AFTERNOON WHICH CAN LAST ANYTHING UP TO 2 1/2 HOURS. I WAKE UP FEELING HORRIBLE. I HAVE FINALLY MANAGED TO START SLEEPING IN BED AFTER MONTHS OF SLEEPING ON THE SOFA (DON'T KNOW WH) . I'M HAVING ABOUT 9 HOURS . ADDED TO THE NAP I HAVE ABOUT 11-111/2 HOURS A DAY. SLEEPING ON THE SOFA I WAS GETTING 5 - 6 HOURS AT NIGHT + NAP.

I ALWAYS FEEL AWFUL WHEN I WAKE UP BUT I DON'T SEEM TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE WITH LESS. I SAY TO MYSELF IF I NEED IT I NEED IT.

[barny1]

Its without doubt the most impairing features of living with a BI, the very thing that can help you to cope is harder to do. Lack of sleep can leave me incapable of living normally and renders me a hermit. Looking back, I've had sleep problems ever since my BI, I had a couple of episodes of insomnia during exams where I wouldn't sleep for days, but unless I've physically or psychologically exhausted myself, its difficult to get a decent night of refreshing sleep. I've tended to have most difficulty falling asleep and I have in the past routinely retired at 1am, sometimes not getting to sleep until 2am, only to naturally wake up at 10 or sometimes 11am. most recently I've been waking up after 4 hours sleep feeling wide awake though it still being dark outside. I was diagnosed with major depression years after my BI and the nti depressants have greatly improved my sleep quality. Sometimes I wonder whethter what I really have is a sleep disorder and that's what's making me depressed or its the alternative, either way it doesn't matter, so long as I sleep well I can at least cope.

I'm now getting serious about this sleep issue as I believe its impeding whatever recovery is still possible, following that I'm now sleeping with tith the blinds slightly open to help me to wake up early and I'm now (although its really tough these days) trying to not use phones, tablets or listen to music past 8pm.

[Danslatete]

Whenever I do something new like more work or a new activity it knocks me for six and I have to sleep till my body says otherwise. Kind of used to it now.

[Flumptious]

I don't sleep enough! Most of the time, I yawn all the time.

On work day, I get up at 6:45, as I need to get the girls up, dressed, breakfasted, and out-the-door at about 7:50. We walk to school, which lets them in at 8, then i rush to the station, to get a train at 8:15.

I aim to go to bed at 11, but it's often quite a bit later, and I often read for a bit, anyway. plus, I then lie there in the dark, feeling tired, bored, but unable to go to sleep. I don't think I had the yawning and yet being unable to sleep problem, before my TBI (although, admittedly, I can't remember!).

[Tortie14]

Always needed lots of sleep (my Mother remembered finding me still sleeping at nursery school when all the others were playing around me!). When I did night duty I mucked up my system and when I got ME my sleep was very bad. I read a lot and developed good sleep hygiene (regular pattern, no oversleeping, no electronics before sleep and no light). I also got an alarm with a light that mimics a sunrise which helps to stimulate melatonin - brilliant. I also used Phenergan to break non-sleeping pattern. After my accident sleep was very disrupted again so back on the Phenergan (down side is feeling a bit foggy first thing). I also take melatonin tablets. I need 8 or more hours and when I don't get it makes everything harder.

[gr33nmind]

I can 'function' on less then 8, if I have to, but I really don't feel well wt less sleep sleep since my injury. In college pre injury, I used to get by fine wt 5 and 6 hours of sleep easily, but those days are long gone. Actually the first year post injury, I used to sleep 9 + hours, so I know I have improved.

[Phat01]

I'm running on about 4 hours a night, occasionally I get about 5 and it makes a big difference so who knows what I'd be like on 7 I really hope things get better soon, it's so frustrating when I'm generally feeling better, I guess this is one of the lingering symptoms of PCS I read about. What makes it worse is my other lingering symptom tinnitus which gets to me at night if I'm feeling down.

[inney]

i miss the days right after the BI when i could sleep for over 12 hours a day. i miss the days when an afternoon nap was all I needed for an energy burst. my sleep has been bad all of this year. especially sleeping in a bed with another person. the past few months my dreams have been so very detailed and i wake up exhausted. today at 4.30. always before 7am.

i vaguely remember warm milk and honey being a helper but these days there's heavy depression and very bad memory. yawn.

[Danslatete]

Had about 2 hrs sleep last night not the greatest start to the day. Not had such rubbish sleep for ages.

[hayabusa in reply to Danslatete]

That's not good.

Good morning to you!!!!

[hayabusa]

At best 6 hours sleep a night due to chronic pain. The spinal, pelvic and shoulder pain ramps up until I have to get out of bed. No chance of a lie in for 13 years. But 5 or 6 am is the best part of the day with a mug of tea sat in the garden.

Sleep depravation is a problem.