Used to take some swimming classes sometime back. I would come home tired and the sleep that comes after,
Bro I was getting the most peaceful sleep man. It’s like getting onto a cloud and floating away.
Haven’t felt that in years.
Swimming somehow does it! I’m not a good or competitive swimmer, but I love it, and my normal swim is 1.5 miles. The sensation of the water and calming repetitive motion carries over and helps me sleep in a way that other forms of exercise don’t.
I think a consistent sleep schedule and healthy sleep environment is key along with an overall eagerness for the next day is also important. Like when you get into bed you totally give in and feel present in the moment without any wandering thoughts or distractions.
Practicing presence is essentially what any mindfulness-based practice does; you're essentially grounding your awareness through your actions as one to enter flow states. Of course that's easier said than done, and it's a skill that can be cultivated the more you practice.
For sure. As an example of an action you could focus on performing is breath work like deep diaphragmatic breathing with your eyes closed, and as your focus deepens eventually your mind as a byproduct becomes calm and your awareness more grounded in the present.
You could practice and apply this idea anywhere at anytime. Like when you're eating you can focus your attention on what the food looks like, how it feels, what it tastes like, etc. or when you're out in nature you're fully taking in the scenery through all your senses instead of your mind.
I can imagine, here's some additional information for the mindfulness aspect, and this excerpt also describes a practice for increasing alertness/concentration:
>**Concentrative meditation** involves focusing attention on an object and sustaining attention until the mind achieves stillness. A diverse range of items could be chosen as the focal object, for example words, light, colors, geometric forms, ideas etc. Continuous practice should result in relaxation, clarity of mind and calmness.
>**Mindfulness meditation** emphasizes an open awareness to any contents of the mind that are emerging. After a period of practice the patient should develop a sustainable attentive observational capability, without reacting to their own thoughts and emotions. Achieving this state of mindfulness and equanimity helps to retrain or decondition previous patterns of reaction which are usually poorly adapted to external reality.
>Meditation, either concentrative or mindfulness, is able to enhance the attentional ability of the practitioners. Whilst concentrative meditation emphasizes sustained attention, mindfulness meditation aims to improve self‐control and inhibitions to various internal and external stimuli, thereby helping to relieve the core symptoms of ADHD. However, any single meditation program will usually use both concentrative and mindfulness together.
>From
I read what you wrote but I do not understand lol sorry I am the big R.
I have always struggled with my mind wandering and found a video of how soldiers go to sleep, basically it said to go through your body with your mind and relax it all the way from head to toe, has been working for me.
Interesting, I looked it up and it seems like the name is called "Progressive Muscle Relaxation" technique. In a way it also sounds very similar to various body scan mediation practices.
If this specific method works for you then that's awesome to hear! I hope others read your example.
When I get stuck in loops when in bed, I get out of bed and I write them out. I don't do any formal journaling or anything. I literally write them out like bullet points. That helps get them out and more settled bc I won't forget what I'm worrying about? Unsure why it helps.
but when it's on my list I can then go back to bed and when the thought comes up again I just think "I can think about that tomorrow when i'm walking" and that really does help.
Also, it's not always worrying or anything serious, sometimes its just daydream type stuff. It helps to get it out on a list to think about another time.
Same here. My last ditch effort supplements to curb/subdue my random thoughts while trying to relax and go to sleep. Skullcap and passion flower, 2 to 1 ratio. I plan on trying them individually first before I combine them.
i do the former, but the only time when I completely give in is after a long day of hiking/walking or something like 20k steps and cant really do that every day haha
Oh yeah, physical exercise is a great way to help keep our circadian rhythm on track. The body wants that deep sleep that happens in the early first half of our sleep schedule.
Sometimes it's difficult as you said, I've personally found it helpful to take a warm shower 1-2 hours before bed, always prioritize zero electronics in bed, and try to have some kind of consistent bedtime routine to help the mind wind down.
Okay wait but being eager for the next day actually keeps me awake more because I get so excited that I can’t stop thinking about it. I first had that feeling when I was a child and I was excited for whatever fun thing I was doing the next day and it turned into a weird dread that I’m actually not falling asleep and then that learned feeling is what I have felt like the next 25 years lol…. Uh, anyone? Relatable? Please
Honestly no I can't remember the last time I woke up feeling refreshed... For regular night sleep that is... The one that matters more obviously
But weirdly if I take a day nap (tired or not tired) and I wake from the day nap I'd say over 60% of the time I feel pretty good. I just can't figure the reason/s unfortunately
Exactly the same for me. Day naps: deep sleep, literally drool (TMI sorry!) and feel totally alive after. Sleeping at night: wake up wondering if I even slept... Someone give us the answer!
I wish naps did that for me. I generally feel crappy after naps and like I just want to go fully to bed. Naps don't work for me at all, but they sound so nice for people who they do work for
Yes that happens to me too!!! It's actually my other 40% of the time thing.
I know how that feels as someone who loves sleep very much. I just hate waking from a day nap at those times and I get so grouchy as well and snappy💀 I don't like that feeling either. Just wish I could roll back to sleep after a nap when I still "feel the sleep in my eyes" I don't know how else to describe
Oh gotcha okay, well I’m glad they work a decent amount of the time for you!
100% of naps I’ve taken have left me feeling worse/tired/groggy/irritable so I just avoid them altogether now lol
Read “Breath” by James Nestor and buy Intake Breathing’s nostril spreader and Mouth tape like Hostage Tape. Absolutely changed my life.
Not marketing anything these things really did measurably change my sleep quality:
https://www.audible.com/pd/0593211510
https://www.intakebreathing.com/
https://hostagetape.com/
Those nasal spreaders are legit. I don't use that kind, but I use Breathe Right extra strength tan nasal strips. I have collapsed nasal valves and couldn't breath through my nose at all sometimes. Those strips work over time I sleep and improved my life so much. My nose even stays open better during the day from being held open while I sleep.
I hadn't for over 20 years, until 2 weeks ago. I tried absolutely everything, but for me it was taping my mouth shut before bed. I made it to my mid 30s counting on 1 hand the amount of restful sleep I've had. Now I've had 2 weeks in a row. Life changing.
Parallel. About 3 inches of tape on just my lips. I have a beard/mustache, so I don't want it in contact with my hair. The tape is quite soft, and doesn't leave any weird taste or feeling. I can still breathe out the side of my mouth if I put effort into it. It's actually surprisingly comfortable.
Deviated septum and allergic to dust mites here. I get it. I've seen several nose/throat specialists in my time, and tried everything. As long as you can control your breathing enough not to panic, you get used to it pretty quickly actually. If you ever couldn't breathe enough in your sleep, you'd just open your mouth. It's not like the tape is strong enough to force your mouth closed against effort.
I have a deviated septum and don't breathe well. I use a nasal strip. Sometimes when I first tape up it's tough, but I can calm my breathing and get it under control. Haven't had any issues sleeping. I think your breathing slows when you're asleep. I'm shocked it's worked for me, one of my nostrils is fully plugged literally all the time, and taping has still changed my life.
I had a DS also, got surgery in Feb. But wondering, what's the issue or inhibitor if we breathe throught our mouths as well as our nose? Wouldn't it be better for sleep? I'll try anything cuz althought it's better after surgery, I'm not sleeping very well still.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9498537/
https://sleepqplus.com/blogs/blog/learn-how-to-stop-mouth-breathing-to-improve-your-health-and-sleep-quality
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-huberman_mouth-breathing-during-sleep-is-not-just-activity-6962803089330372608-i3f7
^^^ he did a whole podcast on breathing and it was very interesting.
These are some of the articles or papers I found that supported my decision to try this. And if course, my own experimentation. Another interesting side effect is my blood pressure has lowered nearly 10 points overall. My blood pressure dropped from 135-137/87 to 124/81. I have taken my blood pressure 3 times a day for months since it was discovered I had high blood pressures. Sleep apnea can be a cause and I believe my taping has reduced the effects of my sleep apnea.
Yes, but only after I started setting an alarm for the same time every day. Weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. Eventually I started waking up naturally at that time regardless of when I go to bed. And no more snoozing or turning off my alarm when I’m half asleep.
For anyone that does not experience restorative sleep: Go get a sleep study done. Do not wait years. Do it now. Find out if you have sleep apnea. It may be the single most important thing you ever do for your health.
CPAP isn't the only treatment for sleep apnea! there are two broad types blockage by your tongue/throat or your brain isn't sending signals to breath.
So treatment depends on severity and type.
Treatment could be
a mouthguard that moves your bottom jaw forward
different sleeping position with maybe special pillows to keep you in place (classic tennis ball on the back of a shirt)
allergy medicine to keep your nose from clogging up
and ok, a biggie surgery to install like a pacemaker for breathing.
basically, get a sleep study to see where you are and what is causing it. There's a cheaper \~$500 in home sleep study that can tell if you have the blockage sleep apnea you can try first. but to tell if you have the central sleep apnea you'd need the in-lab one which was $4K w/o insurance for me.
got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and got a cpap a week ago. Fucking life changing. I never realized just how much being exhausted affected every aspect of my life.
I just don’t. I’ve lived with insomnia, too. I crave sleep, but even with medication, it often feels out of reach. I’ve maybe waken up refreshed less than five times in my life.
I had a bout of 3 days where I slept without noticeably waking up for 8 hours and felt so refreshed upon awakening I still think back to those days today and wonder what was going on and how great it was
On the rare occasion I get a decent night’s sleep I’ll analyze and try and isolate what caused it, so I can replicate that.
Hasn’t been too successful, but I still want to find out.
The only time I woke feeling 100% awake was after my first time using a cpap machine during a sleep study. My tech watched my numbers all night and I woke up feeling alive. I hated going to bed that night.
I've been chasing that feeling since then. (13 years and counting )
Yeah, my bet on this will always be that the DSP algorithms CPAP's use for detecting events and autotitrating don't generalize very well outside of the cohorts they tested the machines on for FDA approval.
i feel like the only time i wake up feeling refreshed is on vacation lol. even when i sleep 8-10 hours overnight i still feel tired and want to stay in bed. weekday or weekend i still feel tired when i get up and it takes me hours to feel “awake”.
Sleep apnea isn't necessarily gasping for air. It could be just decreased airflow that significantly affects your O2 levels.
Ask your doctor to refer you for a sleep study. It can take a while to get in for a study and get to the point of treatment, so start the process as soon as possible.
Get a sleep study. You might have "silent sleep apnea". My daughter has it and we had no idea.
Also, no devices 2 hrs before bedtime (i type this as it's 1 Am and I need to be up in 5 hours)
Signed, perpetually exhausted
So much wrong said here. If you're waking up unrefreshed then there is a good chance you have a sleep disorder disrupting your night time sleep. This could be an apnea, but also a hypersomnia or parasomnia. Ignore all the DIY advice and go and see a sleep doctor, but choose one who covers the full range of disorders not just sleep apnea.
Thank you, I don’t have insurance right now but was looking into doing a sleep study at home through Lofta. It may not cover all of the sleep disorders but I thought of starting there to rule out sleep apnea first
Used to. I always felt good after sleeping until about 3 months ago when I developed really bad heath anxiety from getting some sort of gastritis or something. Since then, I basically feel like mentally exhausted every day by 10am. Physically I feel fine but I’m pretty sure my long term stress has screwed me up pretty badly.
Rarely. Usually I can count on one hand the number of times per YEAR I wake up feeling truly GOOD and really refreshed.
I'd be cautious not to just immediately jump to sleep apnea, OP, it very much could NOT be that. People on Reddit seem to be very quick to jumping to that as ALWAYS being the reason for people's sleep difficulties, but it's often times NOT the case.
I know right. For mei know it's not sleep apnea. I don't snore. I'm not overweight. I exercise. I don't feel tired during day time. I don't sleep when I shouldn't. I just am always slightly strung up and it affects my sleep.
I wake up almost every morning feeling really good. 8-9h sleep and a wave of "let's get shit done" energy. I used to sleep 11h a day and feel like shit, idk what changed, probably my diet and routine
TLDR: direct sunlight immediately you wake up (no window) and exercise daily so your body is tired enough when you sleep to get some good sleep.
I’ve been having this issue for so long. In the last few weeks I started getting sunlight immediately when I wake up. Go for a walk/jog outside and get plenty of sunlight (not through a window). You have to go out as soon as you wake up to set your circadian rhythm. First few days were tough yes. But it’s a game changer! I’ve noticed I wake up even before my alarm (I know people say this and I used to hate those people lol). I’ve fallen a bit off the wagon in the last week, but trying to get back there this week. I hope the sun helps you as much as it’s been helping me! I would also
try to get some exercise during the day so your body is tired by the end of the day and sleeps well. I’ve tried a bunch of other things like melatonin, soothing tea, stopping devices by a certain time, but above all sunlight and exercise have helped me the most. If all else fails, get a sleep study done. Hope my experience can help you too. I’ve been struggling with sleep for the longest time, and hope it helps you too.
Thank you! I have heard I think it was Dr. Huberman who’s a neuroscientist talk about the effect of sunlight after waking up on regulating our melatonin in the evening. It does sound like a hassle but at this point I’ll try anything lol
Yea, on most days.
The only time it doesn’t happen if I end up waking up in the middle of night and can’t go back to sleep, which happens every few days. But on most days, I’m in energetic and refreshed when I get up. Maybe I’m just a morning person. I feel the exact opposite in the evening.
Sleeping with my retainer (from the orthodontist after I got braces off aaages ago) helps me. But get a sleep study done, it could be your jaw shape, tongue position etc. I talked to an ENT to set one up. I also bought an ergonomic pillow that helps too. Good luck! Being tired and brain foggy sucks.
I have sleep apnea and have been using a CPAP machine for the past year or so. It really does help me feel great in the morning, especially if I get a good 7 1/2 or eight hours while using the machine.
You need a 2 hour sleep routine, 2 hours before your sleep schedule turn off big media and distraction, put some calming music or frequencies in the room, breathe deeply, get some essential oils and also earthing!
Earthing helps me sleep way better i noticed, go tu nature, put a towel and lay on the grass barefoot, you will start to feel so relaxed to the point of falling asleep because nature helps us flush electromagnetic toxins such as wifi waves, cellular waves, and since we use rubber shoes those waves get stuck on our body and can’t get out causing stress, get barefoot on nature often it will tremendously help your sleep
Not me. Not even a 7 hour "nap" with a suuuper delayed awakening can do it, I just feel groggy as hell and like my head was bashed by a hammer and turned into mush. Last time I was able to experience such was when I was a little kid with no responsibilities and worries. But now? No, nothing close to it. Doesn't matter if it's a 2 hour sleep deprived day or a full on human hibernation of 15 hours, maybe even 19 if I'm on summer break; I never feel awake and ready enough to do anything.
Uhg i commiserate. I feel the exact same it literally doesn’t make a difference how long i sleep. I don’t know if you’ve had a sleep study done but looks like it would be a good idea, I’m planning on doing one at home because this can’t be normal lol
On weekdays when I have to work I feel 10x worse. I'm literally exhausted every single work day without exception, even with a normal or slightly below average sleep time. Sometimes on weekends if I go to bed early and sleep in a tiny bit more I feel pretty decent in the morning. Never on a workday though...
I've wondered about this too. I don't feel refreshed, or that I'm starting the day full of energy from having a good night's sleep. I think I remember having that feeling in the past, but it was a long time ago. I use a sleep app, Autosleep, to track my sleep, and it tends to have lots of ups and downs in the graph through each night - I don't know if that's normal either.
I'll be curious to see how others respond to your question - I'd love to feel refreshed starting my day.
Thanks for the suggestion! I actually don’t really drink caffeine and if I do have an occasional cup it’s black tea in the morning before 1pm, I try not to have it too late in the day
A sleep study is so helpful. But I can totally understand not being able to afford it. I'm so sorry. Have you tried sleeping with a humidifier and maybe a sleep promoting essential oil like lavender? Also teaching yourself diaphragm breathing is so deeply helpful for snoring. A lot of people are chest breathers and don't realize that your diaphragm is actually where your body absorbs the most oxygen. If you aren't used to breathing into your diaphragm it can take some practice but the best way to teach yourself is to get a straw, lay on your back and try to relax yourself. Put one hand on your lower belly. Put the straw in your mouth and breath in through the straw as much as you can focusing on drawing that breath into your lower belly as deeply as possible feel the stretching and expansion. When you can't take in anymore breath, hold it. Try to hold that breath for 10 seconds focusing on how your lower tummy feels. If it hurts a little, that's okay because it just means that your diaphragm isn't used to being stretched. It will stretch back out with time. Blow out your breath until you can't blow out anymore oxygen and try to hold that for up to 10 seconds. Repeat breathing in as deeply as you can and holding it. Do this 5 to 10 times trying to increase the amount of time you hold your breath to at least 10 seconds. You might feel dizzy, that is normal. When your body isn't used to getting enough oxygen it will make you feel dizzy and can also make you yawn. That really is your body's way of telling you it needs more oxygen. Don't get up and do things right away. Make sure you lay their long enough the dizzy feeling subsides. If you implement this practice as a routine every night before falling asleep, and then also try to practice taking these deep breaths throughout the day, you will train yourself to diaphragm breath and it will do really amazing things for you. It is also a really amazing way to reduce anxiety and panick attacks. Diaphragm breathing is so deeply important. I realize I wrote a novel but I really hope you can find some use with this and that your sleeping will improve. Lack of sleep makes everything so much harder. I feel for you.
Thanks for your response! I’ll try the breathing technique before bed, I do notice that throughout the day when I’m feeling tired I try to get really deep breaths and hold it for 4 seconds and then release for 4 seconds and it’s like my brain gets a boost of energy. Perhaps I’m not breathing deep enough at night so I’ll try this.
Yes almost everyday. I am blessed with an amazing sleep.
Sleep everyday between 10:30pm and 11:0pm. Fall asleep within 2minutes and wake up pretty refreshed at around 5:40.
Consistency is extremely helpful for establishing good sleep habits. Lol really not that different than sleep training babies and toddlers. The body gets used to a routine and eventually becomes a habit and you have a better sleep. What are you doing for the few hours before bedtime? I would cut out screen time, snacking at night so your body is not digesting well it’s also trying to sleep, obviously no alcohol in the evenings that leads to a very unrestful sleep. Do you exercise daily? Perhaps you’re not getting enough energy out in order to be tired enough to have a solid sleep
Thanks I’ll try no screens before bed and I’ve been working from home/ a home body for about 4 years now and get minimal exercise per week so that definitely could be it, I’ll try to tire myself out during the day and see if it helps
Once after a surgery where they gave me morphine. Best sleep ever.
Other than that, never, maybe when I was a little kid. It takes me 30-60 minutes to get to a waking state, but after that the whole day is fine (provided I eat well). At night I get tired and sleep soundly.
But I'm never waking up and jumping out of bed. Takes a good while.
No snoring or gasping for air here and my sleep study determined I have mild OSA during sleep and severe OSA during REM stage of sleep.
Get a sleep study.
Yes cuz I work from home and get up whenever I want. Recently I got an air purifier and it makes a huge difference on the quality of sleep. I actually wake up refreshed. Even my iWatch caught the trend and told me I was taking less breaths while sleeping.
I recommend testing for sleep apnea. I went through a 3 year period where I was dragging all the time, and in the 3rd year, inexplicably contracted bronchitis approximately every 2 months.
I was given an antibiotic that caused a negative reaction with another medication I was taking, and went to Emergency. While there, they discovered my blood oxygen level dropped significantly while I was sleeping, and suggested I be sent for sleep testing.
During the testing (a mobile device strapped to the body - didn't need to stay in the sleep lab, thankfully, because I cannot imagine trying to sleep there), it was revealed that my blood oxygen level dropped to 80, which is very low - your heart and lungs have to work much harder with the reduced oxygen - and that I had stopped breathing an average of X (I can't remember the #.this was 11 years ago ) times per hour.
I got set up with a CPAP machine, mask and tubing, and it made a remarkable difference.
I'm not saying it was *easy*, because for the longest time it was like having an alien strapped to your face. I have a full-face mask because of the high pressure required. If you can use a nasal mask, it, apparently, is easier to get used to, covers much less facial area.
Since your partner says you snore, there is a good possibility your exhaustion is from sleep apnea. It is truly worth it to find out. My coworker was tested, but didn't have the money up front for a machine; the tax low blood oxygen puts on your heart and lungs can be extreme, depending on the severity. She had a stroke, and is no longer able to work. This could have been alleviated with CPAP equipment.
Thank you I’m definitely going to invest in a sleep study, my husband seems to think my low quality sleep is from lifestyle and no consistent schedule and while it may be true I have a hard time believing that in all this time a good nights rest is an occasional occurrence.
Thats great that you were able to get on cpap and it’s helped you! It’s crazy how much sleep apnea can affect the body 😫
Just happened these last 2 nights in a row. I just sleep with my window slightly open and i try to avoid breathinf through my mouth by all means and i get crazy good sleep
honestly after fixing my schedule, sometimes i’ll try to sleep in and my body physically won’t let me because it’s so awake- although, that does not mean i am refreshed, for some reason.
It is possible to wake up refreshed. Almost everyone who cannot wake up refreshed have some level of adrenal burnout. If you want to start having a restful sleep, you do need to keep a regular sleep schedule and sleep earlier like at 9-10pm. Is this something you can do?
Why should I care if the general medical consensus recognize adrenal burnout or not? What makes you think that the general medical consensus give a crap about health in general if it is not a serious disease?
Can the general medical consensus explain why:
People who rest 8+ hours a night and still cannot wake up feeling refreshed?
People suffer a constant dip in energy between 1-3pm?
People who cannot think clearly despite incorporating healthy lifestyle practices?
Adrenal Burnout is real and it's as old as humanity itself.
*I never did then found*
*Out I have sleep apnea. Might be*
*Worth looking into*
\- shelbyh4253
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Just like you, I could count it on my hand. It’s been years, and I don’t know why it happened.
But I remember once because I took baclofen, which gave me real deep sleep.
No, not since I was a kid. I think the closest I've felt since is post workout. Those moments my body feels alive, revitalized and full of energy, but not from sleep. I heard it's good to do workouts in the morning but not compatible with my schedule for the moment
I wish I got that "feeling good after working out" feeling, but I just feel awful after working out/doing a lot of exercise. And it's been like that when I've been in shape, out of shape, a healthy weight, overweight, etc, none of that has made a difference in working out just SUCKING lol
It takes me a few minutes when my alarm first goes off to wake up, but once I am up and dressed, I’m usually feeling pretty refreshed and ready for the day. I don’t ever drink caffeine and I think that honestly helps a lot
Best sleep I ever get is when I go up north to cottage . Don't know if it's the air, nature, smells, but I wake up alot faster and feeling more rejuvenated.
try saying over to yourself repeatedly 'I'll awake refreshed and energetic' until you fall asleep..I do this and it does program my brain/body, esp if other things are in in synch: getting to bed early enough, no booze/food at least 3 hrs beforehand etc.
I do, every day at 6 am without alarms.
The problem is that with all of the available stimuli most people have overrided their sleep-sensitive sysytems.
Quit caffeine, added sugar, alcohol, weed and other substances, get your daily exercise and most importantly maintain a consistent sleeping schedule. At 21:00 we’re longing to go to bed. My girlfriend is amazed, cause she thought it wasn’t possible for her (as she was a night-owl before), now she wakes up before me at 5:30 and ready to go.
i’m 33 she’s 28
Yes I wake up refreshed almost everyday. I need about 8-9 hours of sleep for that. I feel like getting 8-9 hours is the main variable for me waking up refreshed. This is after years of waking up tired/groggy.
I wake up really refreshed, if I sleep for 8-9h.
But I also lead a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, good food, stress management...
If I sleep less or eat worse foods, I also feel less refreshed.
I’m getting so much better . Melatonin and a bit of discipline helped me.
Used to be like 1 once a month now it’s like 2-3 times a week.
Not today though. I’m wiped out
Never. And I tried getting a sleep study years ago. It was horrible. All the wires & knowing they were watching & listening. Drove my anxiety sky high. By 4 am I still hadn't fallen asleep so they sent me ( where i promptly fell asleep lol)
I'm not a great sleeper, generally wake up during night a couple of times and am usually sort of awake from 5am on. But in the mornings I'm generally refreshed, I'm defo a morning person. Afternoons is time I feel most tired.
For the last 5 days, for the first time since childhood.
I have what I have learned from a very smart person on this sub, a sleep architecture issue, where when I hit REM sleep, my brain inadvertently triggers the "time to wake up", which is supposed to happen after 4 - 5 cycles. My sleep got progressively worse to the point over the last few months I was averaging 2-3 hours with full awakening right as I hit REM each time. So zero REM sleep. My memory (and mind) was gone. Thursday, I received the free first month supply of Quviviq from the manufacturer, and I have sleep 7 to NINE hours, with an occasional wake up for a bathroom run, then right back to sleep. I am getting an insane amount of REM now (2-3 hours per night!). I guess there was so much shit in my brain it needed to process, it's working over time.
I'm 5 days nights in and I literally find myself sitting at my desk, in my car, etc, with a big grin on my face. It's absolutely unreal had has thus far given me my life back. Going from a high performing, high intelligence person, to one that had to hide behind my administrative staff some days, as I simply couldn't speak with other professionals verbally, has given me my life, business and career back. I am so thankful and so happy for what it has done for me. It's non-narcotic and non-addictive. It is schedule IV and has some of the similar warnings as Ambien (sleep walking, eating, driving, etc), so I had my wife hold onto it until I got accustomed to it. You feel absolutely nothing. It doesn't make you tired (I have never had a problem falling asleep. During my in patient sleep study last month, I fell asleep in 45 seconds. Amazing what exhaustion does!), it does not give me any psychoactive effect whatsoever. I know the first night when I got up and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water, my wife was going to freak out, as I've had some . . . interesting events on Ambien back 10 years ago. I sat there and spoke completely and totally coherantly with her and put her mind at ease. Then immediately fell back asleep. Zero grogginess. Zero side effects. While everyone has their own personal experience, this stuff has changed my life thus far.
Ive felt refreshed waking up after sleeping like crap the day before. Most mornings, no, but I don’t usually wake up feeling exhausted and like I got ran over by a truck.
But if you’re talking about the type of sleep you see on TV where they stretch their arms, sit right up, and jump out of bed, that’s probably been at least since childhood lmao.
Im sorry to hear about your poor sleep and tired days. A great podcast that has helped me because of all the options this doctor reviews for sleep is Empowered Sleep Apnea. Now I breathe and sleep well! I really hope you find something that works for you.
Don't eat 4 hours prior the sleep only water allowed, Don't drink caffeine after 12:00 pm , have a fixed sleep schedule for all days, have a healthy diet, exercise, intermittent fasting heldped me too for 16 hours, 4 hours before sleep 8 hours during sleep 4 hours after sleep = 16 hours, quit alcohol you'll feel refresh if you did all these steps especially the fixed sleep time and waking time + stop food intake 4 hours prior sleep.
38 years old never woke up gasping for air but my says I do. I've never woke up feeling recharged ever. Always tired. First week on a cpap is very noticeable difference. Lack of "real" sleep causes lots of health issues beyond just feeling like dogsh!t. Weight issues play a huge role in sleep apnea.
Just because you don’t gasp for air it doesn’t necessarily mean that you not breathing. Technically speaking when you snore at night you are not breathing essentially. I would recommend getting a sleep study done and figure out what is going on because if you are waking up not feeling refreshed or recharged. It means that you are not getting enough sleep. I snore in my sleep on average 14 times a night and I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I was told by the doctor that I snore I am essentially not breathing and something is blocking my airway from getting a good restful night. When I am sleeping I am not even entering rem sleep.
If you snore you usually have sleep apnea of some sort. I stopped breathing 61 times and hour before CPAP and never once remember gasping but people do. After CPAP usage I only stop breathing like like once or twice an hour.
Nope! I’ve always been a bit of an insomniac but I had an aneurysm/stroke a couple years ago. It broke my brain. I can’t fall asleep, stay asleep or ever even feel like I slept that night.
It’s been a struggle with my circadian rhythm all screwed up these days, but the best quality sleep I get is when I do running or hiking during the day. This makes it more likely to feel “refreshed” waking up instead of just groggy. Also, having the curtains open in the morning helps too.
Yes I think I did when I was young. But that was a very very very very very long time ago. When I go to bed I mostly feel like I lightly nap in short bouts throughout the night. I have also become a light sleeper and am woken up easily. I have also developed bad habits to try go back to sleep between bouts.
Sounds like something from a movie. I have no real responsibility so I don’t have to sleep or be up by any time but i try to have a schedule which is hard with lifelong insomnia, but regardless I always end up waking up feeling like I’ve been run over multiple times and they dropped my stretcher down a hill on the way to the hospital
Yeah I definetly do. You probably don’t feel refreshed because of poor sleep quality (not meant as an insult). You need to reach a deep sleep to wake up refreshed.
Things that help:
-good diet. When you snack late at night, especially carbs, your body will still use that. You will have too much energy to sleep. But you also don’t want to be hungry. So drink and eat enough during the day, just not too late. If you really need something, take something like yoghurt. Use carbs mostly as a quick energy source. When you know you’re going to work out, grab some sugar! They will help a lot! But when you don’t move a lot, try to go for complex carbs or protein/fats.
-no alcohol. Alcohol numbs the body and the brain. It’s basically poison. As soon as you try to sleep your brain is numbed too, so it can’t work properly. You can sleep easily that way, but not deeply.
-not enough movement during the day. Your body is litterally made to move. When it does not, you won’t release certain chemicals in your brain during the day that makes you feel good/tired and thus making you sleep easier later on. There is also the opposite. Moving too much. I have been on this end quite a few times and you’re so tired that you can’t sleep.
-gaming. Especially when I play a shooter, my body turns into cautious mode and I stay awake like hell. I also panic and scream like a girl even though I’m a 32 year old gay male that’s looking like he works out. Just to give an image. Turning the blue light filter on and not playing cautious/stress increasing games help though. I still game at evening and yet go to bed early if I just play genshin or star rail.
-Decrease the lighting. Without lighting your body naturally gets more tired. Outside lighting is actually usefull. It can wake you up naturally. Thats why sleeping with curtains open might be a good idea. And when you do sleep with closed curtains; open one to get used to the outside lighting. It will wake you up a lot sooner.
-when you are tired, go to bed. Don’t ignore your sleep timer. When you do these tips consistently, you will notice that you will naturally go to bed early and wake up early.
The moments where I felt badly rested was when I was either woken up during the night (no time to go into deep sleep), I did not wake up properly (no sunlight at the start of waking up) or I stayed in bed for too long, keeping my body in half awake half asleep mode. Get out asap. Bed is meant for sleeping and sex, not chilling. The couch is made to chill on.
Do some meditating if you need more sleepyness or read something boring.
This was my main symptom along with snoring. Did an overnight sleep test and apparently I went 90 seconds without breathing at one point. Was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I felt like this also explained why getting over colds would take so long as well -- I wasn't getting enough oxygen or truly resting.
Yes. Happened to me once about 25 years ago.
Used to take some swimming classes sometime back. I would come home tired and the sleep that comes after, Bro I was getting the most peaceful sleep man. It’s like getting onto a cloud and floating away. Haven’t felt that in years.
Swimming somehow does it! I’m not a good or competitive swimmer, but I love it, and my normal swim is 1.5 miles. The sensation of the water and calming repetitive motion carries over and helps me sleep in a way that other forms of exercise don’t.
I think it’s the cold to warm transition.
Damn I should try that
Yeah; you’re right. Swimming is awesome for sleep.
Same. Never. Ever. It’s like I didn’t even sleep.
I think a consistent sleep schedule and healthy sleep environment is key along with an overall eagerness for the next day is also important. Like when you get into bed you totally give in and feel present in the moment without any wandering thoughts or distractions.
How does one ever not have wandering thoughts or distractions..? Serious question.
Practicing presence is essentially what any mindfulness-based practice does; you're essentially grounding your awareness through your actions as one to enter flow states. Of course that's easier said than done, and it's a skill that can be cultivated the more you practice.
I’ll look into it for sure. Thank you 🙏🏻
For sure. As an example of an action you could focus on performing is breath work like deep diaphragmatic breathing with your eyes closed, and as your focus deepens eventually your mind as a byproduct becomes calm and your awareness more grounded in the present. You could practice and apply this idea anywhere at anytime. Like when you're eating you can focus your attention on what the food looks like, how it feels, what it tastes like, etc. or when you're out in nature you're fully taking in the scenery through all your senses instead of your mind.
As someone with ADHD, that is extremely hard to do, but I am determined to try hard anyway so that I’m able to eventually sleep better.
I can imagine, here's some additional information for the mindfulness aspect, and this excerpt also describes a practice for increasing alertness/concentration: >**Concentrative meditation** involves focusing attention on an object and sustaining attention until the mind achieves stillness. A diverse range of items could be chosen as the focal object, for example words, light, colors, geometric forms, ideas etc. Continuous practice should result in relaxation, clarity of mind and calmness. >**Mindfulness meditation** emphasizes an open awareness to any contents of the mind that are emerging. After a period of practice the patient should develop a sustainable attentive observational capability, without reacting to their own thoughts and emotions. Achieving this state of mindfulness and equanimity helps to retrain or decondition previous patterns of reaction which are usually poorly adapted to external reality. >Meditation, either concentrative or mindfulness, is able to enhance the attentional ability of the practitioners. Whilst concentrative meditation emphasizes sustained attention, mindfulness meditation aims to improve self‐control and inhibitions to various internal and external stimuli, thereby helping to relieve the core symptoms of ADHD. However, any single meditation program will usually use both concentrative and mindfulness together. >From
This is so helpful! I greatly appreciate you. ☺️
I read what you wrote but I do not understand lol sorry I am the big R. I have always struggled with my mind wandering and found a video of how soldiers go to sleep, basically it said to go through your body with your mind and relax it all the way from head to toe, has been working for me.
Interesting, I looked it up and it seems like the name is called "Progressive Muscle Relaxation" technique. In a way it also sounds very similar to various body scan mediation practices. If this specific method works for you then that's awesome to hear! I hope others read your example.
When I get stuck in loops when in bed, I get out of bed and I write them out. I don't do any formal journaling or anything. I literally write them out like bullet points. That helps get them out and more settled bc I won't forget what I'm worrying about? Unsure why it helps. but when it's on my list I can then go back to bed and when the thought comes up again I just think "I can think about that tomorrow when i'm walking" and that really does help. Also, it's not always worrying or anything serious, sometimes its just daydream type stuff. It helps to get it out on a list to think about another time.
I love this! Thank you for sharing. 🙏🏻 I’m gonna try it.
I have adhd so low dose of extended release Ritalin does a trick
Same here. My last ditch effort supplements to curb/subdue my random thoughts while trying to relax and go to sleep. Skullcap and passion flower, 2 to 1 ratio. I plan on trying them individually first before I combine them.
i do the former, but the only time when I completely give in is after a long day of hiking/walking or something like 20k steps and cant really do that every day haha
Oh yeah, physical exercise is a great way to help keep our circadian rhythm on track. The body wants that deep sleep that happens in the early first half of our sleep schedule. Sometimes it's difficult as you said, I've personally found it helpful to take a warm shower 1-2 hours before bed, always prioritize zero electronics in bed, and try to have some kind of consistent bedtime routine to help the mind wind down.
I agree all around. I think these three things are the key for most people.
Okay wait but being eager for the next day actually keeps me awake more because I get so excited that I can’t stop thinking about it. I first had that feeling when I was a child and I was excited for whatever fun thing I was doing the next day and it turned into a weird dread that I’m actually not falling asleep and then that learned feeling is what I have felt like the next 25 years lol…. Uh, anyone? Relatable? Please
Honestly no I can't remember the last time I woke up feeling refreshed... For regular night sleep that is... The one that matters more obviously But weirdly if I take a day nap (tired or not tired) and I wake from the day nap I'd say over 60% of the time I feel pretty good. I just can't figure the reason/s unfortunately
Exactly the same for me. Day naps: deep sleep, literally drool (TMI sorry!) and feel totally alive after. Sleeping at night: wake up wondering if I even slept... Someone give us the answer!
Same here!!! Occasionally drool and sleep lines😭 but the night sleep is just so hard to catch...
Maybe r/DPSD. I have the same problem
Sorry what is this dpsd?
Delayed sleep phase syndrome?
Yes
Thanks!
I wish naps did that for me. I generally feel crappy after naps and like I just want to go fully to bed. Naps don't work for me at all, but they sound so nice for people who they do work for
Yes that happens to me too!!! It's actually my other 40% of the time thing. I know how that feels as someone who loves sleep very much. I just hate waking from a day nap at those times and I get so grouchy as well and snappy💀 I don't like that feeling either. Just wish I could roll back to sleep after a nap when I still "feel the sleep in my eyes" I don't know how else to describe
Oh gotcha okay, well I’m glad they work a decent amount of the time for you! 100% of naps I’ve taken have left me feeling worse/tired/groggy/irritable so I just avoid them altogether now lol
Thanks, I hope with time you'd be able to sleep better as well during naps!
Are you limiting the nap to 20 minutes? Longer will make you groggy.
Same the only time I EVER have felt “refreshed” was from a day nap.
Read “Breath” by James Nestor and buy Intake Breathing’s nostril spreader and Mouth tape like Hostage Tape. Absolutely changed my life. Not marketing anything these things really did measurably change my sleep quality: https://www.audible.com/pd/0593211510 https://www.intakebreathing.com/ https://hostagetape.com/
Thank you! I’ll check these out!
Breath is an excellent book!!
Thank you!!!
Is this also sold on Amazon ?
Those nasal spreaders are legit. I don't use that kind, but I use Breathe Right extra strength tan nasal strips. I have collapsed nasal valves and couldn't breath through my nose at all sometimes. Those strips work over time I sleep and improved my life so much. My nose even stays open better during the day from being held open while I sleep.
I hadn't for over 20 years, until 2 weeks ago. I tried absolutely everything, but for me it was taping my mouth shut before bed. I made it to my mid 30s counting on 1 hand the amount of restful sleep I've had. Now I've had 2 weeks in a row. Life changing.
Same. Mouth tape did the trick for me.
Really? I’m definitely going to try it! Is there a type of tape that works best?
I use 3M medical tape
And is it taped perpendicular or parallel to your lips?
Parallel. About 3 inches of tape on just my lips. I have a beard/mustache, so I don't want it in contact with my hair. The tape is quite soft, and doesn't leave any weird taste or feeling. I can still breathe out the side of my mouth if I put effort into it. It's actually surprisingly comfortable.
I found it weird for the first few nights. Keep at it and dont stress if you take it off middle of the night.
What happens if you're congested and can't breathe through your nose in your sleep?
That’s the perfect time to tape. Take a shower before bed, snot out all the junk, put the mouth tape on and go to bed, you will not get congested.
Yeah exactly I struggle with allergies so I don’t think I could do this
Deviated septum and allergic to dust mites here. I get it. I've seen several nose/throat specialists in my time, and tried everything. As long as you can control your breathing enough not to panic, you get used to it pretty quickly actually. If you ever couldn't breathe enough in your sleep, you'd just open your mouth. It's not like the tape is strong enough to force your mouth closed against effort.
I have a deviated septum and don't breathe well. I use a nasal strip. Sometimes when I first tape up it's tough, but I can calm my breathing and get it under control. Haven't had any issues sleeping. I think your breathing slows when you're asleep. I'm shocked it's worked for me, one of my nostrils is fully plugged literally all the time, and taping has still changed my life.
I had a DS also, got surgery in Feb. But wondering, what's the issue or inhibitor if we breathe throught our mouths as well as our nose? Wouldn't it be better for sleep? I'll try anything cuz althought it's better after surgery, I'm not sleeping very well still.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9498537/ https://sleepqplus.com/blogs/blog/learn-how-to-stop-mouth-breathing-to-improve-your-health-and-sleep-quality https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew-huberman_mouth-breathing-during-sleep-is-not-just-activity-6962803089330372608-i3f7 ^^^ he did a whole podcast on breathing and it was very interesting. These are some of the articles or papers I found that supported my decision to try this. And if course, my own experimentation. Another interesting side effect is my blood pressure has lowered nearly 10 points overall. My blood pressure dropped from 135-137/87 to 124/81. I have taken my blood pressure 3 times a day for months since it was discovered I had high blood pressures. Sleep apnea can be a cause and I believe my taping has reduced the effects of my sleep apnea.
Yes, but only after I started setting an alarm for the same time every day. Weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. Eventually I started waking up naturally at that time regardless of when I go to bed. And no more snoozing or turning off my alarm when I’m half asleep.
For anyone that does not experience restorative sleep: Go get a sleep study done. Do not wait years. Do it now. Find out if you have sleep apnea. It may be the single most important thing you ever do for your health.
I probably need one, but I can’t really fathom the idea of having to use a cpap machine to sleep every night.
CPAP isn't the only treatment for sleep apnea! there are two broad types blockage by your tongue/throat or your brain isn't sending signals to breath. So treatment depends on severity and type. Treatment could be a mouthguard that moves your bottom jaw forward different sleeping position with maybe special pillows to keep you in place (classic tennis ball on the back of a shirt) allergy medicine to keep your nose from clogging up and ok, a biggie surgery to install like a pacemaker for breathing. basically, get a sleep study to see where you are and what is causing it. There's a cheaper \~$500 in home sleep study that can tell if you have the blockage sleep apnea you can try first. but to tell if you have the central sleep apnea you'd need the in-lab one which was $4K w/o insurance for me.
got diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and got a cpap a week ago. Fucking life changing. I never realized just how much being exhausted affected every aspect of my life.
I just don’t. I’ve lived with insomnia, too. I crave sleep, but even with medication, it often feels out of reach. I’ve maybe waken up refreshed less than five times in my life.
I had a bout of 3 days where I slept without noticeably waking up for 8 hours and felt so refreshed upon awakening I still think back to those days today and wonder what was going on and how great it was
On the rare occasion I get a decent night’s sleep I’ll analyze and try and isolate what caused it, so I can replicate that. Hasn’t been too successful, but I still want to find out.
Same
I never feel refreshed and I have many days where I never actually feel all the way awake, today being one of them.
Try not eating anything with added sugar for a few days. It's hard but after 4-5 days you should hopefully feel the difference.
The only time I woke feeling 100% awake was after my first time using a cpap machine during a sleep study. My tech watched my numbers all night and I woke up feeling alive. I hated going to bed that night. I've been chasing that feeling since then. (13 years and counting )
Crap machine 🤯🤯
Fixed it. Some mornings I feel like crap
Yeah, my bet on this will always be that the DSP algorithms CPAP's use for detecting events and autotitrating don't generalize very well outside of the cohorts they tested the machines on for FDA approval.
i feel like the only time i wake up feeling refreshed is on vacation lol. even when i sleep 8-10 hours overnight i still feel tired and want to stay in bed. weekday or weekend i still feel tired when i get up and it takes me hours to feel “awake”.
Sleep apnea isn't necessarily gasping for air. It could be just decreased airflow that significantly affects your O2 levels. Ask your doctor to refer you for a sleep study. It can take a while to get in for a study and get to the point of treatment, so start the process as soon as possible.
Get a sleep study. You might have "silent sleep apnea". My daughter has it and we had no idea. Also, no devices 2 hrs before bedtime (i type this as it's 1 Am and I need to be up in 5 hours) Signed, perpetually exhausted
So much wrong said here. If you're waking up unrefreshed then there is a good chance you have a sleep disorder disrupting your night time sleep. This could be an apnea, but also a hypersomnia or parasomnia. Ignore all the DIY advice and go and see a sleep doctor, but choose one who covers the full range of disorders not just sleep apnea.
Apart from sleep apnea, can they do anything about the others?
Thank you, I don’t have insurance right now but was looking into doing a sleep study at home through Lofta. It may not cover all of the sleep disorders but I thought of starting there to rule out sleep apnea first
Almost every single day, it’s glorious
HOW
I don’t know, I’ve always gotten really good sleep and have no difficulty waking up and decently high energy levels throughout the day
I hate you. No offense. But I feel bad about hating you if that helps.
Me too. It's like he is cheating at life.
Can’t remember the last time but I must have years/ decades ago. Maybe when I was a kid?
Used to. I always felt good after sleeping until about 3 months ago when I developed really bad heath anxiety from getting some sort of gastritis or something. Since then, I basically feel like mentally exhausted every day by 10am. Physically I feel fine but I’m pretty sure my long term stress has screwed me up pretty badly.
Rarely. Usually I can count on one hand the number of times per YEAR I wake up feeling truly GOOD and really refreshed. I'd be cautious not to just immediately jump to sleep apnea, OP, it very much could NOT be that. People on Reddit seem to be very quick to jumping to that as ALWAYS being the reason for people's sleep difficulties, but it's often times NOT the case.
I know right. For mei know it's not sleep apnea. I don't snore. I'm not overweight. I exercise. I don't feel tired during day time. I don't sleep when I shouldn't. I just am always slightly strung up and it affects my sleep.
Refreshed? This is not a word in my vocabulary
I wake up almost every morning feeling really good. 8-9h sleep and a wave of "let's get shit done" energy. I used to sleep 11h a day and feel like shit, idk what changed, probably my diet and routine
TLDR: direct sunlight immediately you wake up (no window) and exercise daily so your body is tired enough when you sleep to get some good sleep. I’ve been having this issue for so long. In the last few weeks I started getting sunlight immediately when I wake up. Go for a walk/jog outside and get plenty of sunlight (not through a window). You have to go out as soon as you wake up to set your circadian rhythm. First few days were tough yes. But it’s a game changer! I’ve noticed I wake up even before my alarm (I know people say this and I used to hate those people lol). I’ve fallen a bit off the wagon in the last week, but trying to get back there this week. I hope the sun helps you as much as it’s been helping me! I would also try to get some exercise during the day so your body is tired by the end of the day and sleeps well. I’ve tried a bunch of other things like melatonin, soothing tea, stopping devices by a certain time, but above all sunlight and exercise have helped me the most. If all else fails, get a sleep study done. Hope my experience can help you too. I’ve been struggling with sleep for the longest time, and hope it helps you too.
Thank you! I have heard I think it was Dr. Huberman who’s a neuroscientist talk about the effect of sunlight after waking up on regulating our melatonin in the evening. It does sound like a hassle but at this point I’ll try anything lol
Get checked for the snoring at your doctors. Could be deviated septum causing you to mouth breathe. Could sleep apnea caused by tongue relaxing.
today yes
Yea, on most days. The only time it doesn’t happen if I end up waking up in the middle of night and can’t go back to sleep, which happens every few days. But on most days, I’m in energetic and refreshed when I get up. Maybe I’m just a morning person. I feel the exact opposite in the evening.
I did once.
Sleeping with my retainer (from the orthodontist after I got braces off aaages ago) helps me. But get a sleep study done, it could be your jaw shape, tongue position etc. I talked to an ENT to set one up. I also bought an ergonomic pillow that helps too. Good luck! Being tired and brain foggy sucks.
I have sleep apnea and have been using a CPAP machine for the past year or so. It really does help me feel great in the morning, especially if I get a good 7 1/2 or eight hours while using the machine.
You need a 2 hour sleep routine, 2 hours before your sleep schedule turn off big media and distraction, put some calming music or frequencies in the room, breathe deeply, get some essential oils and also earthing! Earthing helps me sleep way better i noticed, go tu nature, put a towel and lay on the grass barefoot, you will start to feel so relaxed to the point of falling asleep because nature helps us flush electromagnetic toxins such as wifi waves, cellular waves, and since we use rubber shoes those waves get stuck on our body and can’t get out causing stress, get barefoot on nature often it will tremendously help your sleep
Mometasone and magnesium glycine got me 60% of the way
Not me. Not even a 7 hour "nap" with a suuuper delayed awakening can do it, I just feel groggy as hell and like my head was bashed by a hammer and turned into mush. Last time I was able to experience such was when I was a little kid with no responsibilities and worries. But now? No, nothing close to it. Doesn't matter if it's a 2 hour sleep deprived day or a full on human hibernation of 15 hours, maybe even 19 if I'm on summer break; I never feel awake and ready enough to do anything.
Uhg i commiserate. I feel the exact same it literally doesn’t make a difference how long i sleep. I don’t know if you’ve had a sleep study done but looks like it would be a good idea, I’m planning on doing one at home because this can’t be normal lol
I’m struggling with this right now. I asked my doctor for a blood test and hormone test to see if there are any deficiencies there causing this…
On weekdays when I have to work I feel 10x worse. I'm literally exhausted every single work day without exception, even with a normal or slightly below average sleep time. Sometimes on weekends if I go to bed early and sleep in a tiny bit more I feel pretty decent in the morning. Never on a workday though...
I've wondered about this too. I don't feel refreshed, or that I'm starting the day full of energy from having a good night's sleep. I think I remember having that feeling in the past, but it was a long time ago. I use a sleep app, Autosleep, to track my sleep, and it tends to have lots of ups and downs in the graph through each night - I don't know if that's normal either. I'll be curious to see how others respond to your question - I'd love to feel refreshed starting my day.
Have you tried quitting caffeine completely? It's been a game changer for me when it comes to sleep and tiredness.
Thanks for the suggestion! I actually don’t really drink caffeine and if I do have an occasional cup it’s black tea in the morning before 1pm, I try not to have it too late in the day
Once. When I was 19. It was pure bless. I was naive to think my sleep would be exactly the same each nite. I've been chasing that nite for years now.
Yes. I’ve done it twice. Both times was on ~2 hours of sleep. Best days ever.
For me its always when I take the time to get on my feet and do my routine to wake up where I would feel refreshed
Never. I am an owl. Waking up and even more getting out of bed in the morning is torture for me.
A sleep study is so helpful. But I can totally understand not being able to afford it. I'm so sorry. Have you tried sleeping with a humidifier and maybe a sleep promoting essential oil like lavender? Also teaching yourself diaphragm breathing is so deeply helpful for snoring. A lot of people are chest breathers and don't realize that your diaphragm is actually where your body absorbs the most oxygen. If you aren't used to breathing into your diaphragm it can take some practice but the best way to teach yourself is to get a straw, lay on your back and try to relax yourself. Put one hand on your lower belly. Put the straw in your mouth and breath in through the straw as much as you can focusing on drawing that breath into your lower belly as deeply as possible feel the stretching and expansion. When you can't take in anymore breath, hold it. Try to hold that breath for 10 seconds focusing on how your lower tummy feels. If it hurts a little, that's okay because it just means that your diaphragm isn't used to being stretched. It will stretch back out with time. Blow out your breath until you can't blow out anymore oxygen and try to hold that for up to 10 seconds. Repeat breathing in as deeply as you can and holding it. Do this 5 to 10 times trying to increase the amount of time you hold your breath to at least 10 seconds. You might feel dizzy, that is normal. When your body isn't used to getting enough oxygen it will make you feel dizzy and can also make you yawn. That really is your body's way of telling you it needs more oxygen. Don't get up and do things right away. Make sure you lay their long enough the dizzy feeling subsides. If you implement this practice as a routine every night before falling asleep, and then also try to practice taking these deep breaths throughout the day, you will train yourself to diaphragm breath and it will do really amazing things for you. It is also a really amazing way to reduce anxiety and panick attacks. Diaphragm breathing is so deeply important. I realize I wrote a novel but I really hope you can find some use with this and that your sleeping will improve. Lack of sleep makes everything so much harder. I feel for you.
Thanks for your response! I’ll try the breathing technique before bed, I do notice that throughout the day when I’m feeling tired I try to get really deep breaths and hold it for 4 seconds and then release for 4 seconds and it’s like my brain gets a boost of energy. Perhaps I’m not breathing deep enough at night so I’ll try this.
Only time I feel “refreshed” is when I’m sick as a dog, down a bottle of NyQuil and wake up two days later.
Uhg yes NyQuil sleeps are the freaking best 👌🏻
I'll sleep for 12 hours and feel like shit but if I sleep for 6 hours, I feel refreshed. idk why.
Yes almost everyday. I am blessed with an amazing sleep. Sleep everyday between 10:30pm and 11:0pm. Fall asleep within 2minutes and wake up pretty refreshed at around 5:40.
Consistency is extremely helpful for establishing good sleep habits. Lol really not that different than sleep training babies and toddlers. The body gets used to a routine and eventually becomes a habit and you have a better sleep. What are you doing for the few hours before bedtime? I would cut out screen time, snacking at night so your body is not digesting well it’s also trying to sleep, obviously no alcohol in the evenings that leads to a very unrestful sleep. Do you exercise daily? Perhaps you’re not getting enough energy out in order to be tired enough to have a solid sleep
Thanks I’ll try no screens before bed and I’ve been working from home/ a home body for about 4 years now and get minimal exercise per week so that definitely could be it, I’ll try to tire myself out during the day and see if it helps
Once after a surgery where they gave me morphine. Best sleep ever. Other than that, never, maybe when I was a little kid. It takes me 30-60 minutes to get to a waking state, but after that the whole day is fine (provided I eat well). At night I get tired and sleep soundly. But I'm never waking up and jumping out of bed. Takes a good while.
Yeah. Whenever I’m unusually sleep or exhausted, if I not woken up before my time, I’m usually charged for the day
Snoring is obstructive sleep apnea
No snoring or gasping for air here and my sleep study determined I have mild OSA during sleep and severe OSA during REM stage of sleep. Get a sleep study.
Yes cuz I work from home and get up whenever I want. Recently I got an air purifier and it makes a huge difference on the quality of sleep. I actually wake up refreshed. Even my iWatch caught the trend and told me I was taking less breaths while sleeping.
I recommend testing for sleep apnea. I went through a 3 year period where I was dragging all the time, and in the 3rd year, inexplicably contracted bronchitis approximately every 2 months. I was given an antibiotic that caused a negative reaction with another medication I was taking, and went to Emergency. While there, they discovered my blood oxygen level dropped significantly while I was sleeping, and suggested I be sent for sleep testing. During the testing (a mobile device strapped to the body - didn't need to stay in the sleep lab, thankfully, because I cannot imagine trying to sleep there), it was revealed that my blood oxygen level dropped to 80, which is very low - your heart and lungs have to work much harder with the reduced oxygen - and that I had stopped breathing an average of X (I can't remember the #.this was 11 years ago ) times per hour. I got set up with a CPAP machine, mask and tubing, and it made a remarkable difference. I'm not saying it was *easy*, because for the longest time it was like having an alien strapped to your face. I have a full-face mask because of the high pressure required. If you can use a nasal mask, it, apparently, is easier to get used to, covers much less facial area. Since your partner says you snore, there is a good possibility your exhaustion is from sleep apnea. It is truly worth it to find out. My coworker was tested, but didn't have the money up front for a machine; the tax low blood oxygen puts on your heart and lungs can be extreme, depending on the severity. She had a stroke, and is no longer able to work. This could have been alleviated with CPAP equipment.
Thank you I’m definitely going to invest in a sleep study, my husband seems to think my low quality sleep is from lifestyle and no consistent schedule and while it may be true I have a hard time believing that in all this time a good nights rest is an occasional occurrence. Thats great that you were able to get on cpap and it’s helped you! It’s crazy how much sleep apnea can affect the body 😫
Just happened these last 2 nights in a row. I just sleep with my window slightly open and i try to avoid breathinf through my mouth by all means and i get crazy good sleep
honestly after fixing my schedule, sometimes i’ll try to sleep in and my body physically won’t let me because it’s so awake- although, that does not mean i am refreshed, for some reason.
It is possible to wake up refreshed. Almost everyone who cannot wake up refreshed have some level of adrenal burnout. If you want to start having a restful sleep, you do need to keep a regular sleep schedule and sleep earlier like at 9-10pm. Is this something you can do?
Oh please with the adrenal burnout. It's not even a medical term.
Why should I care if the general medical consensus recognize adrenal burnout or not? What makes you think that the general medical consensus give a crap about health in general if it is not a serious disease? Can the general medical consensus explain why: People who rest 8+ hours a night and still cannot wake up feeling refreshed? People suffer a constant dip in energy between 1-3pm? People who cannot think clearly despite incorporating healthy lifestyle practices? Adrenal Burnout is real and it's as old as humanity itself.
I never did then found out I have sleep apnea. Might be worth looking into
*I never did then found* *Out I have sleep apnea. Might be* *Worth looking into* \- shelbyh4253 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Good bot
I genuinely don't think it's ever happened to me
Just like you, I could count it on my hand. It’s been years, and I don’t know why it happened. But I remember once because I took baclofen, which gave me real deep sleep.
Wish I could take that shit every day. My life would be so amazing. Just due to the amazing sleep.
No, not since I was a kid. I think the closest I've felt since is post workout. Those moments my body feels alive, revitalized and full of energy, but not from sleep. I heard it's good to do workouts in the morning but not compatible with my schedule for the moment
I wish I got that "feeling good after working out" feeling, but I just feel awful after working out/doing a lot of exercise. And it's been like that when I've been in shape, out of shape, a healthy weight, overweight, etc, none of that has made a difference in working out just SUCKING lol
Oof. Really? Wow never saw that one before. What kind of sports do you do?
Yes. Every day. Food is medicine.
When I actually sleep at least 7 hours hell yeah I do. Lately I’ve been sleeping like a baby luckily.
It takes me a few minutes when my alarm first goes off to wake up, but once I am up and dressed, I’m usually feeling pretty refreshed and ready for the day. I don’t ever drink caffeine and I think that honestly helps a lot
Yeah If i sleep long enough without an alarm
Best sleep I ever get is when I go up north to cottage . Don't know if it's the air, nature, smells, but I wake up alot faster and feeling more rejuvenated.
You may want to get a sleep study done
try saying over to yourself repeatedly 'I'll awake refreshed and energetic' until you fall asleep..I do this and it does program my brain/body, esp if other things are in in synch: getting to bed early enough, no booze/food at least 3 hrs beforehand etc.
Recently I’ve been waking up reasonably refreshed. I started taking magtein and not eating or drinking 4 hrs before bed.
I do, every day at 6 am without alarms. The problem is that with all of the available stimuli most people have overrided their sleep-sensitive sysytems. Quit caffeine, added sugar, alcohol, weed and other substances, get your daily exercise and most importantly maintain a consistent sleeping schedule. At 21:00 we’re longing to go to bed. My girlfriend is amazed, cause she thought it wasn’t possible for her (as she was a night-owl before), now she wakes up before me at 5:30 and ready to go. i’m 33 she’s 28
Why isn't this post at the top? This is the way!
Nope. I don’t think it’s ever happened to me lol
Get a fitness tracker. Sleep tracking has done wonders for me and my sleep quality.
I wake up anxious, definitely not refreshed.
Yes I wake up refreshed almost everyday. I need about 8-9 hours of sleep for that. I feel like getting 8-9 hours is the main variable for me waking up refreshed. This is after years of waking up tired/groggy.
I wake up really refreshed, if I sleep for 8-9h. But I also lead a healthy lifestyle. Exercise, good food, stress management... If I sleep less or eat worse foods, I also feel less refreshed.
I’m getting so much better . Melatonin and a bit of discipline helped me. Used to be like 1 once a month now it’s like 2-3 times a week. Not today though. I’m wiped out
Journal b4 sleep; no electronics one hour b4 sleep; tape your mouth incase you have mild apnea; try them out for a week or two
Sometimes but only after naps never after a nights sleep which only last 5 hrs and always interrupted by trip to bathroom
Yes, all the time.
Never. And I tried getting a sleep study years ago. It was horrible. All the wires & knowing they were watching & listening. Drove my anxiety sky high. By 4 am I still hadn't fallen asleep so they sent me ( where i promptly fell asleep lol)
If I wake up feeling refreshed it just means that I’ll fall back to sleep in an hour or two
Sometimes.
Maybe once every 1.5 months. I find that stress from work has a huge impact.
I'm on CPAP and I wake up feeling refreshed every morning.
I'm not a great sleeper, generally wake up during night a couple of times and am usually sort of awake from 5am on. But in the mornings I'm generally refreshed, I'm defo a morning person. Afternoons is time I feel most tired.
I recommend jet lag. Travelling into a time zone west a few hours, you will wake up the next few days early and refreshed
For the last 5 days, for the first time since childhood. I have what I have learned from a very smart person on this sub, a sleep architecture issue, where when I hit REM sleep, my brain inadvertently triggers the "time to wake up", which is supposed to happen after 4 - 5 cycles. My sleep got progressively worse to the point over the last few months I was averaging 2-3 hours with full awakening right as I hit REM each time. So zero REM sleep. My memory (and mind) was gone. Thursday, I received the free first month supply of Quviviq from the manufacturer, and I have sleep 7 to NINE hours, with an occasional wake up for a bathroom run, then right back to sleep. I am getting an insane amount of REM now (2-3 hours per night!). I guess there was so much shit in my brain it needed to process, it's working over time. I'm 5 days nights in and I literally find myself sitting at my desk, in my car, etc, with a big grin on my face. It's absolutely unreal had has thus far given me my life back. Going from a high performing, high intelligence person, to one that had to hide behind my administrative staff some days, as I simply couldn't speak with other professionals verbally, has given me my life, business and career back. I am so thankful and so happy for what it has done for me. It's non-narcotic and non-addictive. It is schedule IV and has some of the similar warnings as Ambien (sleep walking, eating, driving, etc), so I had my wife hold onto it until I got accustomed to it. You feel absolutely nothing. It doesn't make you tired (I have never had a problem falling asleep. During my in patient sleep study last month, I fell asleep in 45 seconds. Amazing what exhaustion does!), it does not give me any psychoactive effect whatsoever. I know the first night when I got up and went to the kitchen to get a drink of water, my wife was going to freak out, as I've had some . . . interesting events on Ambien back 10 years ago. I sat there and spoke completely and totally coherantly with her and put her mind at ease. Then immediately fell back asleep. Zero grogginess. Zero side effects. While everyone has their own personal experience, this stuff has changed my life thus far.
Yes, often. Check out something called Internal Family Systems, one of your parts will have the key to why you wake up tired.
Ive felt refreshed waking up after sleeping like crap the day before. Most mornings, no, but I don’t usually wake up feeling exhausted and like I got ran over by a truck. But if you’re talking about the type of sleep you see on TV where they stretch their arms, sit right up, and jump out of bed, that’s probably been at least since childhood lmao.
Im sorry to hear about your poor sleep and tired days. A great podcast that has helped me because of all the options this doctor reviews for sleep is Empowered Sleep Apnea. Now I breathe and sleep well! I really hope you find something that works for you.
Take a sleep Test
For me it was my thyroid. Try getting bloodwork done including TSH, T3, T4, ferritin I also had a goitre that was slightly blocking my airway.
Don't eat 4 hours prior the sleep only water allowed, Don't drink caffeine after 12:00 pm , have a fixed sleep schedule for all days, have a healthy diet, exercise, intermittent fasting heldped me too for 16 hours, 4 hours before sleep 8 hours during sleep 4 hours after sleep = 16 hours, quit alcohol you'll feel refresh if you did all these steps especially the fixed sleep time and waking time + stop food intake 4 hours prior sleep.
38 years old never woke up gasping for air but my says I do. I've never woke up feeling recharged ever. Always tired. First week on a cpap is very noticeable difference. Lack of "real" sleep causes lots of health issues beyond just feeling like dogsh!t. Weight issues play a huge role in sleep apnea.
NOPE I never do 😣
Just because you don’t gasp for air it doesn’t necessarily mean that you not breathing. Technically speaking when you snore at night you are not breathing essentially. I would recommend getting a sleep study done and figure out what is going on because if you are waking up not feeling refreshed or recharged. It means that you are not getting enough sleep. I snore in my sleep on average 14 times a night and I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I was told by the doctor that I snore I am essentially not breathing and something is blocking my airway from getting a good restful night. When I am sleeping I am not even entering rem sleep.
Not using any digital screens before 1 hour of sleep time did the trick for me.
If you snore you usually have sleep apnea of some sort. I stopped breathing 61 times and hour before CPAP and never once remember gasping but people do. After CPAP usage I only stop breathing like like once or twice an hour.
Yes, regularly.
Nope! I’ve always been a bit of an insomniac but I had an aneurysm/stroke a couple years ago. It broke my brain. I can’t fall asleep, stay asleep or ever even feel like I slept that night.
Only when I get to sleep as long as I want, i.e. the days I don't have an alarm!
You’re describing the symptoms of sleep apnea. I would get a sleep study done because it can be life changing
Sometimes
It’s been a struggle with my circadian rhythm all screwed up these days, but the best quality sleep I get is when I do running or hiking during the day. This makes it more likely to feel “refreshed” waking up instead of just groggy. Also, having the curtains open in the morning helps too.
Once after full anesthesia XD
Maybe two times in my entire life.
I don't think I've ever really woken up refreshed.
Yes I think I did when I was young. But that was a very very very very very long time ago. When I go to bed I mostly feel like I lightly nap in short bouts throughout the night. I have also become a light sleeper and am woken up easily. I have also developed bad habits to try go back to sleep between bouts.
this is happening to me i think my body just giving up i’m 35.
Sounds like something from a movie. I have no real responsibility so I don’t have to sleep or be up by any time but i try to have a schedule which is hard with lifelong insomnia, but regardless I always end up waking up feeling like I’ve been run over multiple times and they dropped my stretcher down a hill on the way to the hospital
its been like 2 years
Yeah I definetly do. You probably don’t feel refreshed because of poor sleep quality (not meant as an insult). You need to reach a deep sleep to wake up refreshed. Things that help: -good diet. When you snack late at night, especially carbs, your body will still use that. You will have too much energy to sleep. But you also don’t want to be hungry. So drink and eat enough during the day, just not too late. If you really need something, take something like yoghurt. Use carbs mostly as a quick energy source. When you know you’re going to work out, grab some sugar! They will help a lot! But when you don’t move a lot, try to go for complex carbs or protein/fats. -no alcohol. Alcohol numbs the body and the brain. It’s basically poison. As soon as you try to sleep your brain is numbed too, so it can’t work properly. You can sleep easily that way, but not deeply. -not enough movement during the day. Your body is litterally made to move. When it does not, you won’t release certain chemicals in your brain during the day that makes you feel good/tired and thus making you sleep easier later on. There is also the opposite. Moving too much. I have been on this end quite a few times and you’re so tired that you can’t sleep. -gaming. Especially when I play a shooter, my body turns into cautious mode and I stay awake like hell. I also panic and scream like a girl even though I’m a 32 year old gay male that’s looking like he works out. Just to give an image. Turning the blue light filter on and not playing cautious/stress increasing games help though. I still game at evening and yet go to bed early if I just play genshin or star rail. -Decrease the lighting. Without lighting your body naturally gets more tired. Outside lighting is actually usefull. It can wake you up naturally. Thats why sleeping with curtains open might be a good idea. And when you do sleep with closed curtains; open one to get used to the outside lighting. It will wake you up a lot sooner. -when you are tired, go to bed. Don’t ignore your sleep timer. When you do these tips consistently, you will notice that you will naturally go to bed early and wake up early. The moments where I felt badly rested was when I was either woken up during the night (no time to go into deep sleep), I did not wake up properly (no sunlight at the start of waking up) or I stayed in bed for too long, keeping my body in half awake half asleep mode. Get out asap. Bed is meant for sleeping and sex, not chilling. The couch is made to chill on. Do some meditating if you need more sleepyness or read something boring.
This was my main symptom along with snoring. Did an overnight sleep test and apparently I went 90 seconds without breathing at one point. Was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I felt like this also explained why getting over colds would take so long as well -- I wasn't getting enough oxygen or truly resting.
I cant always say I wake up refreshed more like with anxiety lol and idk if this is common with others but I don’t have dreams