Since I read a couple of articles in the past month about broken sleep, I finally, after months of suffering through a weird waking/sleeping cycle decided that I would just... go with it
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There was a really interesting article on the BBC website, and various features with feedback on the radio, about segmented sleep and how it can be a much healthier approach. At various points of my life I have fallen into these cycles a little and been a lot more productive because of it but work lifestyle has always made it impossible to continue. This was the BBC article: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
Yes, that BBC article was one of many I read on broken/segmented sleep after exhaustive/ing insomnia propelled googling a few nights in a row.
This first week has gone really well, I think. Especially since many of my sleep problems are a symptom of Parliament (not Funkadelic); the fibroids, they drain me and I am often falling asleep over my dinner at 8pm... then fully awake at 2am for an hour or so. It's really freeing to be able to say, "Okay, this is broken sleep, just read a long article at the New Yorker website or get another few pages in on our book." until drowsy again. Instead of stressing about "omg, can't get back to sleep immediately!" I am all right, just cruising through this hour or two, and Delia likes it quite a bit. In fact, last night, went to bed at a little after 1am (went to a movie at 9.15 on real grown up date didn't get home till 12.30ish). Delia hasn't been sleeping in the bed with me lately, but on a cushion in the small windowsill. Woke at 5.30am, and called her name, she chirped and meowed from her perch
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It sounds like a good pattern and you'll hopefully wake up better rested for it. I think it's interesting that the majority of people who do well on this sleep pattern class themselves as insomniacs. I know I do. Maybe we're not insomniacs after all, maybe we just need to sleep in a different pattern instead of lying in the dark being driven crazy by our bodies not conforming. Another thing, even when I do follow the "normal" sleep pattern rather than the segmented one, I never need 8 hours. If I get a consistent 6, absolute maximum 7, hours of sleep a night I wake up without an alarm and will not need to sleep again. Every now and then there's another report that comes out that says very firmly if you're not getting 8 hours you're endangering your health and I just can't believe that's true.
I used to do quite a bit of that back when I lived alone. Doesn't work so well now, although the waking up at 2 am for sex works better :)
I also heard something the other day -- NPR, BBC? Can't recall -- that the REM cycle takes about 90 mins, so don't go back to bed if you only have 45, because then you wake up all sluggish. Don't know if it's true, but it sounded mildly plausible.
Bless you -- I had insomnia for a good 12 years, so I do feel for you.
Yeah, aside from Delia and not wanting to disturb La Cyn's own broken sleep cycles, I do find it easier when I don't have someone sharing my bed.
My sleep patterns have always been weird. I am not a morning person, I can't really get to good hard sleep before 11pm, but my brain wakes me at 6.30am at the latest, unless I've been up til 5ish or 6ish and drinking, then I get to sleep in til 7 or 7.30. The past month, I have either woken myself, or Delia has woken me at 5.30am on the damned dot.
One of the main things I dislike about being coupled is that I cannot just get up and go to bed whenever I like -- I mean, I can, but it's a thing, you know. And no listening to the BBC all night :)
I like to listen to Mike Malloy (he's on my local progressive station until 11pm) or Randi or BBC 4/BBC live streaming--I just like the murmur of talking as white noise whilst I go to sleep. Unfortunately, my paramours are not as inured to political talk as to be able to fall asleep to it, which is how I found out that I have over 14 hours of Joe Jackson with which to fall asleep/distract tired mens.
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This was the BBC article: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783
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This first week has gone really well, I think. Especially since many of my sleep problems are a symptom of Parliament (not Funkadelic); the fibroids, they drain me and I am often falling asleep over my dinner at 8pm... then fully awake at 2am for an hour or so. It's really freeing to be able to say, "Okay, this is broken sleep, just read a long article at the New Yorker website or get another few pages in on our book." until drowsy again. Instead of stressing about "omg, can't get back to sleep immediately!" I am all right, just cruising through this hour or two, and Delia likes it quite a bit. In fact, last night, went to bed at a little after 1am (went to a movie at 9.15 on real grown up date didn't get home till 12.30ish). Delia hasn't been sleeping in the bed with me lately, but on a cushion in the small windowsill. Woke at 5.30am, and called her name, she chirped and meowed from her perch ( ... )
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Another thing, even when I do follow the "normal" sleep pattern rather than the segmented one, I never need 8 hours. If I get a consistent 6, absolute maximum 7, hours of sleep a night I wake up without an alarm and will not need to sleep again. Every now and then there's another report that comes out that says very firmly if you're not getting 8 hours you're endangering your health and I just can't believe that's true.
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I also heard something the other day -- NPR, BBC? Can't recall -- that the REM cycle takes about 90 mins, so don't go back to bed if you only have 45, because then you wake up all sluggish. Don't know if it's true, but it sounded mildly plausible.
Bless you -- I had insomnia for a good 12 years, so I do feel for you.
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My sleep patterns have always been weird. I am not a morning person, I can't really get to good hard sleep before 11pm, but my brain wakes me at 6.30am at the latest, unless I've been up til 5ish or 6ish and drinking, then I get to sleep in til 7 or 7.30. The past month, I have either woken myself, or Delia has woken me at 5.30am on the damned dot.
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I like to listen to Mike Malloy (he's on my local progressive station until 11pm) or Randi or BBC 4/BBC live streaming--I just like the murmur of talking as white noise whilst I go to sleep. Unfortunately, my paramours are not as inured to political talk as to be able to fall asleep to it, which is how I found out that I have over 14 hours of Joe Jackson with which to fall asleep/distract tired mens.
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