Snoozing vs. getting up early: different effects?

[mrstevegross]

Hi folks. The CPAP is working out decently, and I'm trying out sleep restriction therapy for the next few weeks. I have discovered an interesting effect of making-myself-get-up-at-6:30. Here's the deal:

Old routine: Sleep from 12:00-6:30 (using CPAP), awaken for maybe 15 mins, return to bed and doze/snooze till 8:30. Effect: Moderately functional during the day, but with plenty of sleep deprivation symptoms. Get home, nap, feel normal.

New routine: Sleep from 1:30-6:30 (using CPAP), then get up. Effect: moderately functional during the day, with the only symptom being general tiredness (but NOT all the other sleep deprivation symptoms). No napping allowed. Rinse and repeat.

So it's been rather interesting. Why is it that if I add the return-to-bed-and-doze-for-2-hours to my routine, I actually *increase* the sleep deprivation symptoms? What's going on in the 7-9am sleep range that could actually make sleep deprivation worse? It seems illogical: more sleep time should equal more rested, right?

Thanks for your thoughts,
--Steve

[Gia]

Same here - in fact I specifically put my alarm clock across the room so I cannot hit the snooze - my problem is compounded with the fact that once I wake up - I cannot get back to sleep if I've add 3 or 4 hours. I use generic ambien to actually get to sleep - but if I wake up for some reason with at least 3 or 4 hours of sleep I'm in trouble . I cannot take any extended or time release medications, so the CR version is out (if it would even help with my issue).

Only downside is my stats on the CPAP look like I'm ripping the mask off in the middle of the night with only 87% of the days >=4 hours. But fortunately I followed this pattern on my first sleep study so the doctor is aware that I'm weird. You know it is bad when they let you sleep in even though the policy is to wake everyone up at 6AM to get them out the door by 7AM. The tech finally woke me up at 8.15 - I had woken up after only 1.5 hours of sleep, then I was up for about 4 hours. I finally fell back to sleep at 5.30

Even before this problem - I always felt *worse* if I stayed in bed and snoozed, or worse, actually slept for more than 9 hours.

[JayC]

If that extra "sleep time" is not at a restorative level, or not at that level long enough, or somehow fractured/disturbed, it makes sense that we could feel worse after the extra "sleep".

I have experienced this phenom much throughout my life. Not sure of the answer; I am working on various insomnia and sleep phase issues at the moment.

I am not a napper at this point....if I have a string of really short sleep nights, I end up going to bed "early" when I just cant function for anything......and that is bedding down for usually 6 or 8 hours, even if it is counter to the patten of day and night.

I had period of "over-sleeping" and waking as though I had not slept at all.....so I hear you.

I had a (thankfully short) bout with Epstein Barr virus (fatigue, although not a chronic case although it did affect me for awhile even after the acute period). I definitely know the difference between my sleeping pattern then, periods of oversleeping associated with depression, and my sleep patterns now. Really, I hear you!

My "fatigue" these days is more cognitive than physical. And some of it is being emotionally worn down by the length and depth of dysfunction......and when I have some alertness, I don't trust it will last, I don't know how best to "spend" it, and I don't know how to make it happen again on demand. So the fatigue is also about the pattern......and the sense of uncontrol of it all....

The sleep habits need to be addressed, as well as the feeling of uncontrol and endless suffering....I don't think we feel will feel optimal if we expect the machine to just fix and undo the years we have suffered subpar.

J