Sleep Patterns

Hundreds of years ago the normal pattern was to sleep for 4 hours, wake up and stay up for an hour and then back to sleep for another 4 hours.  The waking hour was when a lot of sex took place, among other things.

Low blood sugar can wake you up so maybe have a little complex carbohydrate late on.

bed at 3 up at mid-day for me almost 7 days a week - see about 2 hours 'daylight'

daytime permacloud  in winter is depressing ,plus i like staying up late with a bottle of wine watching catch up TV

will all change by March when the sun comes back  of course

I'm 100% serious about the blood sugar thing, I've seen it myself if I've say done exercise and not eaten enough then went to bed, could fall asleep like a log then wake up early. I noticed the pattern so did a little reading and it all made sense.
Here's just one article that might be related, not sure, the title is:
"Wake up at 3 A.M. and Can’t Fall Back Asleep? Consider Low Blood Sugar"

http://capitaldistrictvitalitycenter.com/blog/2012/10/wake-up-at-3-a-m-and-c...

Sorry that may truncate, tinyurl with preview:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/d7vtbpp

(A top tip, if you get a tinyurl and aren't sure, change the start to preview, allows you to see where it would take you).

I think the behaviour is normal in that a lot of people experience what you experience, but it isn’t normal to not sleep all night and it is probably all about cortisol.

I wouldn’t dispute what Just Checking says, apart from the ‘eat complex carbs late’ bit. In my opinion it isn’t wrong to say that, but it’s perhaps just tempting fate a little, because you will likely raise your blood sugar doing so if you are at all intolerant to carbs (be they simple or complex) and already eating a lot of them during the day. What you want to get away from is from see-sawing sugar levels during the day. The article/blog that JC posts tells it all – eat too much carb during the day and it will likely effect your sleep. As it recommends – eat more good fats, so if you must have something late try to make it something that won’t trigger the insulin response that leads to low blood sugar. So something like cheese (it’s bollox [imo and personal experience] that it stops you sleeping), some chicken, egg. Things with protein do raise blood sugar, but very little. Anyway, the nub of it is that what you are doing during the day with carbs mainly is likely to be the cause of interrupted sleep patterns.

Well the complex carbs was just a thought, I was thinking like porridge or something not a mars bar When I recognise it I've sometimes got up and had a little simple carbs, but better to avoid it all together.

Interesting stuff guys my sleep pattern is facked, I put it down to medication, but I will investigate further, to see If I can find anything to add to the debate, and break this cycle.

I'm always tired I have sleep apnoea

Sorry to hear that BB, I am always facked through lack of sleep,but so far undiagnosed, so I do know the feeling, I'm sure there are countless numbers with this problem but research and treatment are only available if paid for?.

I have never been a good sleeper.

As a kid I was up at 6-00 a.m. until I got a paper round, then I was up  at 5, did it and got home before my dad got in from night work at 6-15.

Can't recall ever being late for work by oversleeping. Two hours late on my first visit to Royal Ascot a few years ago, never seen facking traffic like it.

Did a few years of permanent nights, which is supposed to be bad for you. Can't see it myself. If you sleep when you're tired, what difference does it make what time you do it?

In 2002 when my co-supervisor fell over and broke his ankle, I covered his shift and did 16 hour days Monday to Friday, plus 6 hour Saturdays and a 4 hour Sunday for 3 months. I got so used to it that when staff left I never replaced them, and ended up going back on those hours for almost 2 years.

When I played darts I'd have a good few beers, fall into bed and still only sleep 5 hours at the most. 

Watched a late night film last night, went to bed at 3. I was up for a piss at 5-15, went back to bed, and up at 8. 

An 8 hours a night person has spent more that 25 years asleep by their 75th birthday.

I was diagnosed years ago but I've never bothered doing anything about it. It was the wife that always worried because you stop breathing so many times while asleep and she used to panic.

^^ agree with most of that

I only sleep 5-6 hours a day with the occasional long sleep when I'm knackered. Spent a few month focusing on getting 8hrs a day and felt dreadful.

If you're a builder or athlete 8hrs might be right. If you sit in an office all day then comr home and just sit of the sofa 8hrs is ridicilus

Average 3 hours for me, tried sleeping tablets, but the dose required (to work) became  so high after 7/8 hours sleep I dare not drive the next day, totally out of it.

Unless there is something good on I fall asleep watching the tv after 9pm.  If I went to bed early I'd be awake by 4am, not so bad on a nice summers morning but not so good in the middle of winter.

So relieved to read I'm not on my own.Never get more than 5 hours and the normal for me is between 3 or 4 hours.Have gone back to part time night work and the result is my sleeping has got even worse because of it.

ditto, never get more than 5 hours, most nights 3 to 4.

I wouldn't have carbs before you go to bed, tho. Unless you want to stay overweight.

"If you're a builder or athlete 8hrs might be right. If you sit in an office all day then comr home and just sit of the sofa 8hrs is ridicilus"

No, this sentence is ridiculous. Saying "I'm like this so everyone else must be like this" is ridiculous.
If I had 5-6 hours every night I'd be shattered after a few days. If I don't set my alarm I sleep about 8, that's my natural pattern.

Re: "Did a few years of permanent nights, which is supposed to be bad for you. Can't see it myself. If you sleep when you're tired, what difference does it make what time you do it?"
Nobody has said that that I know of, what they have said is chopping back and forth is bad.

So someone doing nights and living a nocturnal lifestyle is likely ok, the problem is 2 nights on 2 days on type shift patterns which are constantly kicking your body lock hard in its testes, it's like you're in constant jet lag.

*body KLOK.

Never had jet lag.
My mrs has.

Normally sleep 1030pm till 5am solid.  5 days in 7 I have a 45 minute nap about 5pm, mainly to avoid watching the cooking shows the wife records

higher risk of heart attack if you keep chopping and changing - stick to one pattern at a time

I love sleep, not out of lazyness but because I have wacky dreams, it's free entertainment :)

Bed at 3am and up at noon for me. 

I hate rising early.  A few weeks ago a noise woke me at about 7am, it sounded like somebody was creeping around downstairs.  As I live alone the prudent action would have been to get up to investigate but, being so lazy, the soft tapping eventually made me nod off again.

Hi guys, just confirmation (should it be needed) that I can't facken sleep.

Woke up about 5am, which is annoying as it is not a work day.  On the drink last night which always makes me get up early, (4 hours sleep) if i am on the wagon i have a real good solid six hours minimum, particularly if i have done some solid exercise which is common when i am on the wagon.

I love an afternoon nap, if i have deserved it, as much as anyone but it means i cant get to sleep  easily at night.

rob i started a bottle of famous grouse at 11 hoping it would see me off, now I have finished it I'm back to square facken 1. Feeling pretty facked , pissed off, really don't know where to go. Tried the medical route. just can't sleep

Alcohol never sees me off.   Makes me get up earlier.  Love it when i am on the wagon and i get a good sleep.

Tried that rob nil effec

effect

You tried being on the wagon and nil effect? I do wake up, regardless, tbf, but i can easily go back to sleep if i havent drunk.

rob I know I won,t find the answer here but what else is available at this time of the morning going to have a go (again)at sleeping. Good luck

Thanks for your thoughts. appreciated.

Good night. 

I have to get up for work at 4-30am 5 days a week,but no matter what I try my body clock still has me waking up at that time even at weekends no matter what.
Even if I go to bed at 3am on a Sunday morning I still wake up at 4-30am

I think that is a nice feeling though.  Waking up early when and then realising you can just lie in with no consequences.

Unfortunately I'm one of those people who once I'm awake I'm not rolling over and going back to sleep,so I just get bored and end up getting up at Silly O Clock for no reason.

Sleep like a baby, that comes with having a clean conscious

A clean conscious suggests you're an empty head. No wonder you sleep well.

I believe in karma and have adapted accordingly, whereas the rest of you, are going straight to hell

We should have a good time then seeing as we will be amongst our friends.

agree with just checking - the dreams are brilliant - plus i feel drugged up 2 hours before i fully wake - quite nice tbf ,and free 

" the rest of you, are going straight to hell"  are we there yet

SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME ON BETFAIR! HALLELUAH! ;)

When I've been stressed and forced myself to have no caffeine after 6 and had chamomile tea instead, that does seem to help.