[sleep]

My hours are 12 until 7 am. I seem to wake up at 4 or 5 am and I am not a morning person so I hate waking up so early. My trouble is I get so sleepy at 9 or 10 pm and I am sure this nap is not helping me. Some people say enjoy your early mornings, well I like being a night owl and am most happy that way.

DO you have any ideas how I can make myself not take this nap? I get so sleepy early in the night. I have tried to go to bed 15 minutes later but that didnt help. I am planning on throwing water in my face or keep my feet on the floor. Looks like I will have to make myself do this even though it is so hard. Any other suggestions? I cant walk around outside this time of night and geez probably wake husb up if I walk inside.

I cant remember what I use to do. I never had trouble sleeping before, I could take naps, even long ones and just go on to bed when I wanted to after watching tv. I think I have some fear I wont be able to get to sleep. 2 years ago I was miserable but thankful I can sleep now, just hate getting up so early. I am retired since covid and maybe just dont need so much sleep.

[Sandysnore]

What do you mean by your hours are 12 till 7? Is that when you want to sleep? It sounds to me like your body is telling you to sleep between 9pm and 4am. Perhaps your sleep pattern has changed as you’ve got older. I imagine this is frustrating if you like a long evening to yourself. What happens if you go to bed at 9 instead of 12? I also wake early (often 4 or 5 too) and as a consequence often feel tired mid evening and I do often have a doze. I don’t worry about it so much as generally overall I get enough sleep. I am more of a morning person so I don’t mind too much but like you would like to sleep later. I’m not sure it’s something we can control though. I’d be interested to hear other’s opinions

[sleep]

yes my body would love to do a 9 to 4. 4 oclock is like middle of the night to me. I have a friend who sleeps from 9 until 3. This makes me miserable. Yes I am a night owl, I love staying up watching Jimmy Fallon and late shows. I get so sleepy around 9 oclock so I take a nap. This way I can watch the late shows and stay up late which I enjoy.

This may be as good as it gets. I dont like waking up at 5am, sometimes I make it until 6am. Yes I hate going to bed early and I hate getting up early. I guess I want to be a teenager, stay up late and sleep late. Yes I am older now, 72 years old but I could sleep like this up until I got insomnia 2 years ago from some medicine I was taking.

The only thing I know to do is possibly take a shorter nap if I can to build up some sleep drive, maybe an alarm. At one time I could not even go to sleep, wired tired as they say but I can sleep now without tossing and turning. I may have to accept the 12 until 5. I know a lot of people have it worse. I sure had it worse 2 years ago with no sleep for 3 days at one time, that was horrible. Martin Reed really helped me.

[Sandysnore]

It certainly sounds like your sleep pattern has changed and I agree it can be hard to accept that sleep does not always work as we would like. I have suffered insomnia for many years and like you I have had to accept that 4 to 6 hours is often as good as it gets. There are positives. I have seen the sun rise on the beach several times which I would never have experienced if I was sleeping better. At least we know we are not alone waking at this early time. Hope you get some peace

[Chee2308]

Do you usually get sleepy in the afternoon or take naps? Try them and maybe that’ll help with the 9pm sleepiness.

Since you’re retired, you already have all the time in the world to do whatever you want and/or sleep whenever you want.

Perhaps you’re afraid of trying new things in fear losing your current sleep or pattern.

[sleep]

I am a high energy person which I guess is a good thing but maybe not so much in the sleep department. I have been thinking maybe this is all the sleep I need especially since I dont work any more and am not as tired. Getting older they say you wake up earlier and go to bed earlier. I have tried different hours but still wake up early. At least I can sleep now, 5 or 6 hours so that makes me happy. I also take a short nap which I enjoy and it seems to not affect my sleep if it is short. Yes this may be an age thing that I need to accept. I will have to work on my attitude about getting up early. Those morning larks seem to enjoy something about morning hours.

[Chee2308]

So what about just staying in bed if you don’t want to get up so early? You really don’t have to sleep.

Only get out when you feel like it, you can have all the time you need.

[Chee2308]

Also, when taking short naps, did you feel you can sleep more? Do you feel a strong urge to limit the napping, because you think that is a way you could guarantee you could sleep at night?

All that means you still want to control sleep. You may have retired but your life still revolves about sleep, it is still the main focus for everything.

What about sleeping whenever you want, and however long you want, including taking unlimited duration naps. I think that might help with the 9pm sleepiness. But ultimately, sleep shouldn’t be the center of everything you do or think. Because your life and what you want to do with it is.

[sleep]

well live and learn. I was scared to try something different and for good reason. I was awake all night, well most of it anyway. I have decided what I have been doing for the past year is just fine with me! I hate waking up early at 5 or 6am but it is sure better than last night. I took that nap in the afternoon, probably too long and then last night came and I was glad to not be tired at 9 oclock pm but then I could not get to sleep at all. It was one of those toss and turn nights, probably went to sleep around 4 or 5 this morning. It was miserable. I just could not get to sleep at all. But at least I did not take benadryl like I use to.

Anyway looks like 5 or 6 hours of sleep is the best I can do. I got a touch of the insomnia I had a couple years ago and dont want that again. I plan on getting back on track tonight, hopefully. When something works stay with it and it basically did. I just need to work on that attitude with getting up early and yes I think age has a lot to do with it. I have a busy day today and will power thru, that is what it is all about living not sleeping.

[Author]

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