Hey everyone, I seem to have a few problems I can't figure out. Ok, everytime I go to sleep I wake up and it's really hard to get up. Not physically but I have a hard time waking myself up. No matter how long I sleep for I'm always tired, except for a few days. I seem to have pretty low energy, I'm not much of a talker. I'm probably the mellow(st) guy you'd ever meet. I'm not depressed, angry or anything.. I seem to be fine with my emotions. I really don't think its because of what I'm eating because I've been told that could be the problem. I eat healthy most of the time with a few snacks.. If you guys have any ideas on why I'm like this I'd appreciate it. I know some of you might tell me to go to the doctors but I really don't have the time and I also do not like taking unnatural drugs. Please don't pull the drug card either, I was like this way before I started smoking cannabis.
So there could be a few things going on. The easiest way to explain was to cut and paste from this website http://www.sleepdisorderchannel.com/stages/index.shtml Below is what is said: When you sleep the brain and body go through several different stages. These are: Waking The waking stage is referred to as relaxed wakefulness, because this is the stage in which the body prepares for sleep. All people fall asleep with tense muscles, their eyes moving erratically. Then, normally, as a person becomes sleepier, the body begins to slow down. Muscles begin to relax, and eye movement slows to a roll. Stage 1 Stage 1 sleep, or drowsiness, is often described as first in the sequence, especially in models where waking is not included. Polysomnography shows a 50% reduction in activity between wakefulness and stage 1 sleep. The eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep, but if aroused from it, a person may feel as if he or she has not slept. Stage 1 may last for five to 10 minutes. Stage 2 Stage 2 is a period of light sleep during which polysomnographic readings show intermittent peaks and valleys, or positive and negative waves. These waves indicate spontaneous periods of muscle tone mixed with periods of muscle relaxation. Muscle tone of this kind can be seen in other stages of sleep as a reaction to auditory stimuli. The heart rate slows, and body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep. Stages 3 and 4 These are deep sleep stages, with Stage 4 being more intense than Stage 3. These stages are known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. During slow-wave sleep, especially during Stage 4, the electromyogram records slow waves of high amplitude, indicating a pattern of deep sleep and rhythmic continuity. Non-REM Sleep The period of non-REM sleep (NREM)is comprised of Stages 1-4 and lasts from 90 to 120 minutes, each stage lasting anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. Surprisingly, however, Stages 2 and 3 repeat backwards before REM sleep is attained. So, a normal sleep cycle has this pattern: waking, stage 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, REM. Usually, REM sleep occurs 90 minutes after sleep onset. Stage 5, REM REM sleep is distinguishable from NREM sleep by changes in physiological states, including its characteristic rapid eye movements. However, polysomnograms show wave patterns in REM to be similar to Stage 1 sleep. In normal sleep (in people without disorders of sleep-wake patterns or REM behavior disorder), heart rate and respiration speed up and become erratic, while the face, fingers, and legs may twitch. Intense dreaming occurs during REM sleep as a result of heightened cerebral activity, but paralysis occurs simultaneously in the major voluntary muscle groups, including the submental muscles (muscles of the chin and neck). Because REM is a mixture of encephalic (brain) states of excitement and muscular immobility, it is sometimes called paradoxical sleep. It is generally thought that REM-associated muscle paralysis is meant to keep the body from acting out the dreams that occur during this intensely cerebral stage. The first period of REM typically lasts 10 minutes, with each recurring REM stage lengthening, and the final one lasting an hour. Sleep Cycle The five stages of sleep, including their repetition, occur cyclically. The first cycle, which ends after the completion of the first REM stage, usually lasts for 100 minutes. Each subsequent cycle lasts longer, as its respective REM stage extends. So a person may complete five cycles in a typical night's sleep. Sleep Cycle The five stages of sleep, including their repetition, occur cyclically. The first cycle, which ends after the completion of the first REM stage, usually lasts for 100 minutes. Each subsequent cycle lasts longer, as its respective REM stage extends. So a person may complete five cycles in a typical night's sleep. Factors that Affect Sleep Stage and the Sleep Cycle The sleep cycle is variable, influenced by several agents. Sleep cycles subsequent to the first one in a night's sleep typically feature less slow-wave sleep, as Stages 3 and 4 shorten. Slow-wave, deep sleep is longest early in a night's sleep. Generally, sleep disorders affect the quality, duration, and onset of sleep. Sleep deprivation, frequently changing sleep schedule, stress, and environment all affect the progression of the sleep cycle. Rapid eye movement latency (the time it takes a person to achieve REM sleep) may be affected by a sleep disorder like narcolepsy. Psychological conditions like depression shorten the duration of rapid eye movement. Also, treatment for psychiatric conditions often affects sleep, typically inducing a change in sleep habits. For example, antidepressants like Prozac® may cause trouble sleeping and insomnia and can inhibit REM sleep stages. Age The percentage of REM sleep is highest during infancy and early childhood, drops off during adolescence and young adulthood, and decreases further in older age. Of course, infants require the greatest amount of sleep. As parents know, total sleep time typically becomes shorter during childhood and may become longer again in adolescence. The stage-respective dimensions of sleep change relative to age. Stages 3 and 4 in the first sleep cycle shorten even more dramatically in older people than they do during a typical night for everyone else, so older people get less total deep sleep than younger people do. Also with age comes the lengthening of the first REM stage. Older people commonly enter REM sleep quicker and stay there longer. Good Luck
how much physical activity are you getting? as odd as is sounds being underactive can cause a person to be tired. kind of like never really waking up.
I'd like to sound off on this as sleeplessness has long been one of my demons, but I'd like to do so in a "previous post friendly" manner as the two responders before me have made some good points. I'd like to acknowledge the wealth of information provided in perkyperks response and depending on the prevalence of sleep issues here, might consider having it stickied. Lots of information there for reference if a simpler solution does not produce satisfactory results. The sleeplessness could be a by-product of another imbalance in your daily routine and to acknowledge BeOna's excellent point, part of that is activity... physical activity. Another part is diet. Disregard for a moment the fact that we rely on an infrastructure and food supply industry for survival and consider that the human creature is designed to flourish as part of a habitat that provides the wherewithal for us to survive and we in turn are supposed to contribute to its balance. What are you putting in your body? You say you are eating healthy but without details of what you're eating and when it's tough to eliminate that entirely as a cause of your problems. Also you didn't give much details of your sleep patterns... how many hours do you typically get? Do you have a tough time getting to sleep and do you awaken frequently during the night? Do you go to be around the same time each night... this could be redundant to some of perkyperk's post... I suggest you spend a couple weeks journaling your diet, activities, and sleep times and perhaps you will notice a pattern that will point you in a helpful direction. Good luck..
Increase your intake of foods rich in B vitamins. Take a warm bath (not a shower) with a soothing oil (such as lavender) added to the water. Consider taking up yoga. Try drinking a cup of hot herbal tea with honey or lemon before bed or in the middle of the night. California poppy, hops, kava kava, lemon balm, passionflower, skullcap, and valerian root, are all good. California poopy,passionflower, and valerian promote sound sleep and beneficial REM sleep. www.sleepfoundation.org www.nccaom.org
