Rest of the Sleep Disorders Forum Posting

Posted by LadyNightOwl on October 01, 2002 at 10:28:55:

In Reply to: Can't get enough sleep! posted by CutiePie on September 30, 2002 at 11:02:55:

As a late-sleeper myself, I can entirely sympathize with what you're talking about. While it's possible that there's an underlying medical problem, I wouldn't go jumping to conclusions. It's more likely that you're just a normal, healthy, typical 21-year-old, and you, like all the lucky people of the world, appreciate simple pleasures like sleeping in. When it gets to the point where you feel like you don't have a choice, however, and your sleeping habits start interfering with your life, making relatively small changes to your lifestyle can help put you back in control.

There are two reasons you don't feel refreshed upon waking: first, oversleeping can leave you feeling just as tired, achy, and irratable as undersleeping can. Second, there's an emotional component to the problem; it's hard to feel refreshed when you're disappointed about having slept your day away.

It is true that some people require more sleep than others, and that the standard 8-hour figure is only an average; the amount of sleep people need varies from individual to individual. It is also the case that adolescents--which includes people in their early twenties--require even more sleep than adults (who need an average of 6-8 hours of sleep per night) and children (who need an average of 8-10 hours per night). Regardless of how much sleep you need, however, I'd say it's a safe bet that you DON'T need sixteen hours, which is what you're getting if you go to bed at seven and wake at 11. So...why are you sleeping that long?

It's probably a combination of motivation and habit. Think about it: what do you have to look forward to when you get out of bed? School? Work? Chores? Or, perhaps there are no stressors in your life right now (you fortunate soul), in which case, what will getting up accomplish for you that's more fun than sleeping? What are you likely to do when you first get out of bed? Watch TV? Surf the 'net? I don't know about you, but if I'm cuddled up under warm blankets in a cold room and I know I don't have to get up, dragging myself all the way to the couch or the computer seems an awful lot of trouble to go to--why bother, when I'm having a perfectly good time right where I am? Sure, when I finally get bored of sleeping at noon or later I'll regret having wasted my day, but for some reason we never think of that when it counts.

So how do you get around the problem of motivation? Well, think about it...have you ever managed it before? Ever wake up at four o'clock on Christmas morning, just because you couldn't wait any longer? Ever spring out of bed before your alarm clock rings on the day you're supposed to leave for vacation? While it's hard to find things in our day-to-day lives that inspire that kind of anticipation, if you look forward to SOMETHING--even something as simple as watching your favorite TV show, having breakfast with a friend, or grabbing a cup of coffee at the local deli--you'll find that you're less inclined oversleep because you don't want to miss out on it. Never plan to do homework, balance your checkbook, or do a load of laundry as soon as you wake up; that will make you all the more reluctant to get out of bed. If you can solve your oversleeping problem, you'll have plenty of time to do those things later in the day. Make your morning YOU time--if you have a morning routine that you like, you'll be less keen on missing it for the sake of a few extra z's.

Please realize that this is NOT easy, and it won't work overnight. You're not going to wake up tomorrow and spring out of bed simply because you've decided to make a morning routine. You're still going to feel warm and cozy and lazy in the morning, and you're still not going to want to get up--it's what you've trained yourself to do. Now you have to train yourself to get up earlier, and that takes time. If you start forcing yourself to get out of bed at a reasonable hour, eventually your internal clock will adjust and you'll start doing it naturally--and if you have a morning routine to look forward to, it will serve to reinforce the new behavior, so you don't "fall off the wagon" and go back to sleeping in. The first few weeks are the hardest, and you probably won't feel particularly refreshed upon waking--but if that feeling goes away after you've been awake for a while, it's a safe bet that you've gotten enough sleep. You're just not a morning person--and, believe it or not, you CAN teach yourself to become one.

How you feel is the best indicator of how much sleep you need. If you find that the sleepy, irratable feeling you get when you first wake up lasts all day, consider going to bed earlier, waking up a little later, or--if you've tried all of this and you're still suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness--seeing a sleep specialist. If, on the other hand, you're alert, comfortable, and functioning well without relying on naps or caffiene during the day, don't sweat it if you're a little groggy first thing in the morning. You're only human. The more you get into a motivating and energizing morning routine, the faster you'll become alert and the sooner that groggy feeling will go away.

Wow, this is a long post...I hope at least it's helpful!
-LadyEvensong

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