Madalot wrote:
And because *I* can't argue with logic and reason, I accepted that I *thought* I was awake, but had dozed off and didn't remember being asleep.
I sleep with the tv on. The past few nights, I have been tossing and turning, awake a lot, due to a horrible cough and sore throat. I felt like I was awake for two nights, but I know I missed huge gaps in tv programs, some completely. So, there is proof that I slept, even if it wasn't well.
I have also woken myself up with snoring on many occasions when I was sitting in a recliner watching tv. I felt like I was awake, but I know I don't snore when I am awake, and I heard the snoring (that's what woke me), so again, proof that I did fall asleep.
I also had one bad scare when driving. It was a really long day, and a 3 hour drive home in the dark. I was about half an hour from home, and I was tired. I took an exit, and I was looking for a parking lot to pull into. I rubbed a tire on the curb, startling myself. I had not realized I was drifting into the curb. I found a parking lot, took a nap, and finished the drive more awake. But it scared me. I knew I was tired and needed a nap (was looking for a safe place to park), but even then, I didn't realize just how tired I was.
I have a friend who totalled her vehicle about 10 years ago by falling asleep while driving. She woke up a ditch. She told me me later that she didn't even feel tired. Our perceptions are not completely accurate. Sometimes we have to go by the evidence, not our perception. For example, she didn't feel tired, but she woke up in a ditch. Clearly, she fell asleep.
Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?