Sleep

[kombatmaster777]

First off, I think I'm not getting enough sleep.

I sleep at around 10 PM sometimes 9PM and wake up at 5 or 6AM depending on how late I slept.

I believe that my body only allows 7 or 8 hours of sleep at most and I would like it to get more.

I know you guys might not be experts with sleep so I won't give you all the details, but a trusted website reccomendation or some tips would be much appreciated.

[David]

You're getting between 7 and 9 hours sleep. This is normal.

Recent research shows that complaining of lack of sleep is nothing new and that people having 7+ hours sleep have complained about it for hundreds of years without any evidence to say it impairs anything. Folks just don't like being woken up.

If you're young, you are forgiven for sleeping longer: growing is exhausting!

In related news, if you stay up all night, you don't need 2 x normal sleep to catch up - there's no need to catch-up, just sleep like normal (maybe deeper) and you're back to reality.

Exercise (which I assume you're getting seeing as you're here) is tiring, but that' s just a feeling, and feelings are for wusses.

Muscles need more care and attention than your sleep-pattern!

[kombatmaster777]

Thx for the input David.

My problem is that I feel like my reaction time when talking to people and when in class is slower than usual and I don't feel alert as I use to.
This has come to a point where I feel that it is affecting my social life as well as my education.

I also tend to fall asleep in the back seat of my car at around 2 45PM.

I think that the need to nap can be blamed on the frequency and volume of my meals. Although I always feel the need to nap (changing my eating patterns or not) when I get home from school.

My diet is pretty decent and I work out a lot.

I wake up in the mornings feeling energized, but not well rested and wanting to go back to sleep. It's almost like a pseudo wake up phase when I'm kinda awake, half aware that I'm awake, then I fall asleep again for 10 minutes or so and wake up feeling kinda the same.

Sometimes I feel so energized or wake up so early that I go to my park and run a mile or so at 5 or 6AM.

To be frank, I'm looking for the feeling that I had a great nights sleep when I wake up, I'm energized, and I don't even feel like I want to go back to bed.
I also want to feel alert and awake as I go through my day.

[David]

Last time i had the tiredness thing like you have was when I was 15 and it went for 6 months and ended when I suprised everyonr by coming out with chicken-pox!

Growing ain't easy, nor is it something that you can look at your peers' experience for guidance for! I don't know how old you are, how much proper sleep you ge or how much energy you eat and expend. Be aware that 15% of a couch potato's calories can be accounted for by vigourous mental activity like chess matches.

When you eat, what you eat can have a big effect on you - and the effects are unique to the individual (within limits). Biggest thing is to not make excuses for yourself: you don't want to end up as the guy who can't do x because he's still recovering from y, when y is something everyone else takes in their stride.

Don't over do it.
Don't do caffeine in the afternoon.
<some other rule> :)

[newy085]

You will always get an afternoon lull. I think it is timed about 12 hours after you reach the zenith of your sleep. I am lucky and I am in a job where I can just go and close my eyes for 15 minutes, and after I feel like a million bucks. It's not really sleep, more meditation, but is serves a similar purpose.

I think you are right in feeling that your awareness problems are diet related. What is your diet like, are you vegitarian, do you get enough good foods. If you load up on crap food and sugars you will get hit really hard when your insulin levels drop. Better to have good carbs like wholemeal bread, cereal, muesli and pasta. They'll help you maintain a steady energy level.

[kombatmaster777]

I always eat breakfast around 7 mostly an apple and 2 pieces of bread w/ peanut butter,

eat something at 10:15 (usually a cookie, I save the banana for l8ter)

at 11:25 I might eat a banana or part of a sandwich, if not I eat at 12.

I eat something at 1:45 or at 2:45 then I start to feel really sleepy in my car.
Rarely do I feel good after a nap, most of the time I just feel dazed and confused.

at 5 I eat a small meal (but I also eat more if its good)

Usually around 6 or 7 I eat my smallest meal.

I usually sleep at 9 30 or 10 (maybe 10 30 or 11 sometimes)

Lately I've been waking up suprisingly early because I kept on mentally nagging myself to sleep earlier to get more sleep (due to partyin), but when I changed my internal clock I found out that I slept earlier and rose WAY too early sometimes 4, mostly 5 30 occasionally 6.

I try to eat fruit as much as I can, but bananas, apples, and sometimes grapes (in excess when they are arond) are my main source of fruit.

I drink hot tea in the mornings and after 3 with my meals because my father says that if you eat fat and drink cold water the fat will harden in your stomach like old play doh. Also, that cold water takes more energy to metabolize and it doesn't naturally match your body's temperature.


I'm 16, btw. Haven't consumed soda in 3 years and do not drink or do drugs if that helps.

Work out 3x a week.

[David]

Sometimes I get sleepy/tired merely because I sink into a thing where my breathing becomes really shallow light, just like in sleep. If I notice it, I aerate myself again and shake it out. Cars and meetings are prime causes.

Don't know where you are but in the afternoon, your car will be warmed up maybe and this promotes drowsiness after food.

Never heard that thing about cold and fat... Gross hehe. I drink my water at room temperature.

[kombatmaster777]

That does make sense.

If you tend to breath shallower your carbon dioxide levels rise and
you get tired (not 100% sure).

I guess breathing comes second after the food you eat (the volume and frequency of meals).

I recall my biology teacher telling us about how it is common to feel sleepy in a closed room with a bunch of students due to the rise in
carbon dioxide levels.

I always wanted that perfect night's sleep tho.
Usually get it if I travel and change time zones during the first day in that new country.


Anyways, thx for the input.

-kombat

[iron will]

try taking a nap when you get home from school, even if you cant fall asleep, just lie down and close your eyes, try not to think of anything- you will still rest your body this way- anyway just try to relax, do this for 20 mins, half an hour- as long as you feel comfortable with.

[kombatmaster777]

The nap sounds reat but now I am happy to announce that I am part of the swim club everyday. We swim right after school for an hour and a half.
Takes care of the need for a nap because I'm stimulated in the
time I would be taking a nap.

Thanks for the help yall,

-Kombat