prodigal

I used to stay up til 3 am when living with AH. Then I'd sleep solid until noon. One day I really freaked out when I woke up at 2:30 in the afternoon! Now I'm going to bed no later than 11, but I still sleep almost 12 hours. This is starting to really worry me. When I had a job, I was in bed at 10, read the paper, and fell asleep by 10:30. Then I'd get up at 7:15 to get ready for work. I was STILL half dead until about 11:30 a.m.

I've tried getting up early lately and found I feel like I'm about to die throughout the day. I can't think clearly, I'm dead tired ... often I have to lay down and take a nap. I sleep 10 hours at a stretch and sometimes more.

Hey, I know living with an A all this time is zapping my energy, but c'mon. I'm starting to panic. I have to get a job and I have to be AWAKE in the a.m. in order to do that!!!

Pick-a-name

OMG..you have described me,too! Some say it's depression (although my doctor and I belive I am doing better even since I cut out the medication...that was making me sleep even MORE!). I know I have been totally exhausted for years and am just now starting to "catch up" ..... and I'm almost 53y but don't think that is really a reason to wilt.

Glad to hear I am in good company.

I'm working out a few times a week (forcing myself!) and hoping spring will help some,too!

denny57

Hi prodigal - my doctor gave me some great advice at the beginning (a little over a year ago) - listen to my body. If it wanted to sleep, sleep. He told me to pay close attention to whether sleep was becoming an escape from reality for me. But if it was my body naturally getting what it needed, then let it be. I'm fortunate that I work from home. On the days I do not have a morning call or meeting, I do not set an alarm. I find that recently I am getting up my old "normal" time - 6am. Except today when I got up at 11!!!! I threw a big party yesterday and I guess it took more out of me than I knew LOL.

Try not to let it stress you out - you already have enough of that!

((()))

StandingStrong

I'm not sure what's going on with you prodigal. I know that for me, I've gone through phases. Sometimes sleeping very little and feeling better - to needing more sleep and feeling okay then too. I just thought it was me getting older that I needed more sleep! LOL
I've also come to notice that when I'm emotionally exhausted or quite stressed, my body craves sleep! I can hang up the phone from a very exhausting phone call and be asleep within sheer minutes.
It is true that depression can make you sleep more, but also can lack of excercise. Excersize is actually supposed to energize you.

If you really are concerned, I hope you'll see a doctor.

Tally

Aye, me too...at least 10 hours I need to feel halfway normal...I have slept 14hours striaght, albeit only once. If I have 8 or less I feel awful ALL day and am half dead by tea time. I never really thought about it before as being a symptom of anything, I guess I just enjoy the serenity of being asleep :p

Over_It

Also, try taking a multi-vitamin and/or b-complex. When I was iron deficient I was tired all the time too. Another thing to try would be to make sure you're incorporating enough protein in your diet. For about 6 months I was really good about the 40-30-30 diet (40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein) with very little sugar and I can tell you that never in my life have I experienced so much energy and felt so good... and that was *during* the time I was nursing my son, an infant at the time, waking up 2 - 4 times a night between 10 and 5:30am. An easy way to do the 40-30-30 is to make sure each time you eat just include a portion of protein-oriented food about the size of your fist and stay away from sugar.

My neighbor would bring up checking thyroid levels too.
Just some thoughts...

embraced2000

i did/do that, too, prodigal. there are days that i could sleep the clock around. i found out i was diabetic, and once i got that under control, the sleeping problem eased somewhat....had more energy.

also, i was diagnosed with lyme disease and fibromyalgia and i have flare ups from them that makes me extremely fatigued. i can be asleep in 10 seconds flat.....take a power nap for 15 minutes, and i'm good to go for a couple hours.

living with the alcoholic just magnified all of this and made me want to sleep all the time.

let yourself catch up on your rest and don't feel guilty. just enjoy it. maybe it's time for a check up, too.

cmc

Me too... in fact the past few days I've been sleeping way more than usual. In my case it's from some recent stress - but I've been fighting fatigue off and on for a few years.
Rest, diet, exercise and dealing better with stress helps me alot.
I hope you feel better soon, prodigal...maybe a dr visit is due just to be safe.

ICU

When I was still with my ex I was totally EXHAUSTED 24/7. I felt like I had mono. Of course towards the end of our relationship, my ex disturbed my sleep nightly by blaring the tv or waking me up at 3:00 in the am just to tell me what a piece of poop I was!

After he left, I slept, and slept, and slept. Part of it was because that's what my body needed. But it was also because I was depressed. I sought counseling because of my ex, but also was treated for depression and anxiety! No meds were prescribed as my counselor thought this was just a temporary reaction to everything I had been through. She was right.

I found that as I worked through things my sleeping patterns changed. Now I would kill to sleep for 7 or 8 hours straight . But, I do nap during the day!

Listen to your body...it's smarter than our minds are at times LOL! Also, I found that when I stayed away from sugar (including limiting bread, pasta and potato intake), I didn't have the highs and lows physically! That helped.

Another thing I found was I had to cut back on my calcium intake. Although calcium is critical, especially for women, when taken in high doses it does promote sleep. I still take calcium, but no more than 200 - 300 mgs. at a time. Anything more than that and I'm Zzzzzzzzzzzzz, but only for an hour or 2.

fluffyflea

Don't worry, it's normal Prodigal.. Your body is catching up from not being under all that stress.

Bye

Earthworm

minuet

as someone whose studied psychology these could be signs of depression.

you have been through a lot only a licensed mental health professional or a doctor can diagnose that.

Zoey

I was born fighting sleep, then my best sleep and rest has been from 3AM to 11AM? Crossed my mind I was born at 11:30 AM, anyone think that has anything to do with it?? I have never heard anyone ever mention that?

Now, for 3 months I have been almost sleeping around the clock. UP an hour, back to bed, sleep 3 hrs, eat lunch, up less than 2 hrs and back to bed, my body does not feel tired, my eyes feel strained and want to fall shut.

The Dr. wanted me on "Restasis" for 2 months befor he checks my eyes for new glasses, I have never heard that dry eyes or eye strain would cause one to sleep all the time?? No headaches?
Medical Dr. had no answers.

I am wondering if Rx's can build up in the system and cause side effects later like a year later? I stated and am taking an anti-depresant for chronic pain.
Went to medline the other day to check and see that it mentions drowsiness several times? Didn't have side effects in the beginning?

I stopped my walking due to back pain, and I do know that activity generates energy.

Mess arn't I? Going to beg Dr. to let me taper off that Rx and then see.
Get eyes tested the 15th finally.

prodigal how are you doing? Maybe just too quiet and relaxing without your AH??

I still grieve for my hubby who died. He never admitted to being an alcoholic, and not my place to say. He was my happiness. Didnt sleep then tho.