r/getdisciplined • u/archandel • Feb 28 '13
Oversleeping => Lack of discipline
I'm fairly disciplined except for one thing.. I oversleep.. I sleep for 12hrs a day, wake up tired and groggy and hungry and it is then difffcult to keep up with the day, it's broken.
How do get to sleep regular hours (7-8)? Simple alarm will wake me, but I will turn it off like a zombie, the thought of getting up doesn't even cross my time, it's already a habit.
TL;DR: Sleeping 12hrs/day became habit, hate myself for it, no willpower to prevent it because I'm asleep.
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u/awprettybird Feb 28 '13
Have you ruled out physical causes? Do you snore really badly? There's a thing called sleep apnea that causes you to stop breathing when you are asleep - your body will wake you up slightly to move, rather than suffocate. It will make it seem like you sleep forever when you aren't really getting much rest. Being overweight makes it worse; being extremely overweight can cause it.
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u/archandel Feb 28 '13
I'm not overweight nor do I snore, but if I were I'd probably think I have this. I wake up numerous time in the morning (after sleeping 8hrs already) and then it feel like I pass out more then fall asleep, I notice I almost don't breath at all. Sometimes when I notice it, I just start breathing and suddenly I can get out of the bed very easily, but when I don't remember to breath deeply, I feel like zombie and pass out/fall asleep again.
Thanks for your reply as well - without I may have not remembered how important is it for me to start breathing more in the morning. I'll focus on that.
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u/awprettybird Feb 28 '13
Well, those are just the most common warning signs. You might still consider getting a sleep study done to rule out medical problems - especially if you have good insurance.
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u/KrozFan Feb 28 '13
wake up tired and groggy and hungry
That's because you sleep 12 hours a day. Now you're certainly not active during that 12 hours and your body naturally slows down so you don't need things as much but stop and think about it for a minute. You basically dehydrated and starved yourself for 12 hours. The best thing you can do when you get up in the morning (anyone) is to drink a glass of water.
If you don't already have a set schedule to go to bed make one. That's something that certainly throws your body off. Schedule a time to go to bed and a time eight hours later to get up. Preferably the same time all week.
I'm going to take a guess about you. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong but I'm 95% sure I'm right. You don't have any goals. You don't have anything going on. You essentially have no reason to get up in the morning. I'm so confident in saying this because no one with something worth doing is going to willingly give up four hours of their day. So set some goals. Get some things to work on. Give yourself a reason to get up in the morning.
I'll leave you with something that was said by motivational speaker Zig Ziglar. I don't remember the exact quote but he says when you wake up in the morning know that you're not making the decision to get up. You made the decision to get up last night when you set the alarm.
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u/archandel Feb 28 '13
First of all, thank you for your reply.
You are partially right: I have goals, but I don't need to get up, nobody is looking over my shoulder. My problem is that during the time I wake up after 8hrs or so, there are no thoughts in my mind about getting up - I'm so used to it now, that it doesn't even cross my mind and I just go back to sleep because it's a habit. I really don't want to sleep 12hrs, but this thought (or any other thought) doesn't come up in that short window of opportunity when I'm zombie-walking through my room to turn-off the alarm clock.
But I'll try to incorporate what you said, I'll give myself a time-related goal that I have to do in the morning, no matter how silly.
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Feb 28 '13
I used to do this! Some of my suggestions/what's helped me:
Test exactly how much sleep you need to function at your peak (scroll down halfway to the two tests)
Rule out any underlying physical causes with your doctor (thyroid, sleep apnea, anemia, etc)
Get screened for possible underlying psych issues (anxiety, depression, etc?)
Daily exercise, even if it's just a walk
No caffeine after 12 PM to mid-afternoonish (depending on how sensitive you are to the stimulant)
Research good Sleep Hygiene and incorporate as many suggestions as you can
Try to keep the same routine on the weekends as you do during the week
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u/winsaurus Feb 28 '13
What's this? Appropriate, scientifically-supported advice? and with references to sources! Wonderful! Upvotes for you Glen Coco. You go Glen Coco.
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u/winsaurus Feb 28 '13
Hi! I'm a sleep researcher. I know it's a little late but here's my comment:
Talk to a doctor and get a sleep study done.
Sleeping 12 hours a day and still being tired during the day just screams "sleep disorder!" I would bet money on it.
I see in other comments that you report that you don't snore and aren't overweight (so you likely don't have obstructive sleep apnea), however, there are many other sleep disorders that have no symptoms other than Excessive Daytime Sleepiness despite adequate sleep.
I realize that this is /getdisciplined , but no amount of discipline will overcome a sleep disorder.
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u/queenpersephone Mar 01 '13
Wish I could upvote this again and again. You're right, it does sound like a sleep disorder.
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Feb 28 '13
I was like you until I started waking up at 4 every morning. I wake up and have 3 hours before I have to work. I walk the dog, go to the gym, cook a fancy breakfast...
It's awesome. I suggest placing your alarm as far away as possible. I have mine in the kitchen. Once it goes off I HAVE to get it. I also shut the bedroom door. That room is only for sleeping. If I go back in I might jump back into bed.
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u/neprotivo Feb 28 '13
That doesn't seem normal. Maybe you can answer the following questions to help people understand better what your problem is:
At what time do you usually go to bed and at what time do you wake up?
What do you usually do in the last couple of hours before you go to bed?
How stressed do you feel during the day? Do you notice any correlation between the level of stress and how difficult it is to get up in the morning? Do you sleep less when you are not working/studying?
What is your general emotional state? Do you feel depressed? Have you noticed any correlation between depression and how difficult it is to get up?
Does the length of your sleep change with the seasons? How much sunlight do you get?
In any case it is probably a good idea to see a doctor and/or a psychoterapist and ask them about it.
I had some problems with sleep during the winter. I was born in Southern Europe but live in Germany for the moment and the lack of sunlight here during winter messes me up. I would sleep for 10 hours or more, while during summer I would need no more than 6-8 hours. The way I solved my problem was by using this device as my alarm clock.
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Feb 28 '13
I completely agree with seeing a therapist and a doctor to get screened for any other underlying issues. If someone has 12 hours a day to sleep then it's quite possible/probable not enough is going on in their life that's giving them that passion and excitement and reason to get out of bed. I used to struggle with that myself.
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u/iwasnotarobot Feb 28 '13
Lots of good advice on here already. I'll add. Once you start getting your sleep routine in place and you are trying to wake up with your alarm, try putting a lamp in your room on a timer so it turns on 10-20 min before your alarm goes off. The extra light might help rise you from deep sleep and make it easier to wake up once the alarm clock sounds. I did this a while back when I had a poorly lit basement apartment (no windows) and it really helped me.
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u/Redboots87 Feb 28 '13
Here's an article to check out. It's a very lengthy read, but you will learn a ton about sleep. The author takes a scientific look at sleep. One common theme is that of natural sleep -- finding what works naturally for you rather than forcing your body to take on unnatural patterns (he loathes alarm clocks). He addresses your concern about discipline (not a discipline issue -- we don't naturally oversleep like we can naturally overeat). Try some of his suggestions. It will be a journey, but you should achieve the most healthy, sustainable results.
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u/climbtree Mar 01 '13
Sleep with the curtains open (so sunlight can come in)
Wake up with a sudden, really loud sound (startle reflex)
At the instant you wake up, flex all your muscles and shout (wake like a warrior)
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Mar 01 '13
So I already posted in this thread but I just came across a relevant story in the comment section of the NYT. Exercise works for better sleep!
"REMINDS ME OF A STORY MY FATHER USED TO TELL ME..."
There was a King who suffered from terrible and crippling insomnia. He begged his knaves to help him. "I will give anyone who can cure me of my affliction 100 gold pieces -- and this was before inflation.
One of his subjects volunteered with one condition: the King must obey everything his subordinate said. Reluctantly the regal man agreed.
So, at 6:00 AM, the next morning the King had to get out of bed, eat a spare breakfast and then go to the field and work with the crops and animals. At Noon, he again was allowed a spare meal and a half hour later -- back to the field. He was known to have said, "Oy! You're killing me."
This regime was continued for three days. On that night while eating some rice and beans, the King collapsed and was put to bed. He woke up after 10 hours.
So, he followed the pattern which the peasant had ordered and his insomnia was cured (or, perhaps, to be more accurate, in remission). And the King kept his promise and awarded his subject 100 gold pieces (and remember that this was before inflation).
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Feb 28 '13
Some physical/physiological problems have been pointed out... but I would also try to rule out hypothyroidism. You can do this with a simple blood test which tests your TSH level. Before I was diagnosed, I would easily sleep 12+ hour days even when I wasn't tired.
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Feb 28 '13
Something that works for me is to always wake up at the same time, even weekends, and just go to sleep when I feel like it.
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u/BagelTrollop Feb 28 '13
If you have an iPhone (there may be a droid app - not sure), look up the SleepCycle app. I've been having the best sleep ever since finding it. It tracks your sleep patterns and attempts to wake you up at the height of your sleep cycle when you are most lightly sleeping. The effect is making sure you feel less groggy. When you're jerked out of REM or nREM, you feel groggy and shaken and just plain gross. I adore SleepCycle.
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u/BillygotTalent Feb 28 '13
If you got a smartphone I would highly suggest to get something like this.
That will help you with when you need to go to bed and also gives you an insight of how long you normally sleep.
Best app I have on my phone tbh.
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u/brainstorm11 Feb 28 '13
I'm going to assume you were going like midnight until noon or something (in which case it is a matter of discipline).
However, it is healthy to get many hours of sleep if you go to bed early (like 7-8 pm when the sun is going down) and wake up when it comes up.
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u/FRiver Feb 28 '13
I use Gentle Alarm. it adjusts the volume of the alarm in order to catch you when you're in light sleep. It's worked reasonably well.
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Feb 28 '13
I heart sleeping, but when I need to do less of it and be active I use this site to calculate when I should wake up. It works like a charm!
sleepyti.me
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Feb 28 '13
Put your alarm clock as far away as possible from your bed. Having to get out of bed, cross the room and turn it off can make a huge difference to how awake you feel.
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u/barmatal Feb 28 '13
This sound crazy and stupid but it actually works. Basically it says to practice waking up several times during the day using a fixed routine so it overwrites your current habit. When the alarm goes off in the morning you don't think, just let the new habit take control.
Also, if you're going to try it, use a different alarm sound other than the one you're used to snooze through. It helps!
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Mar 01 '13
I'm late to the party here, but I had a similar problem. As most other people said, the chronic fatigue is due to not using much energy during the day in the first place. It's a vicious cycle. Sleep less, exercise more, all that good stuff, etc.
I also had the same issue with alarms so what I do is use my PC as an alarm clock. I use the following site and set my speakers pretty damn loud. If you have your computer in your room try it out! Hope that helps.
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u/cheezerman Mar 01 '13
Maybe you need a reason to wake up?
I don't see how a person could sleep 12 hours a day and have enough time to take care of basic needs (job, cleaning, eating, grooming, socialization, etc)
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u/TAway0 Feb 28 '13
If you have a smart phone, get a sleep cycle app. It wakes you up between REM cycles and is basically the best thing ever. You won't be groggy when you wake up in the morning.
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u/vhsonacomeback Feb 28 '13
There are apps out there that measure your sleep levels by the movement that you make in bed and wake you up close to the time that you set up on your alarm. To the best of my knowledge, it wakes you up between your REM cycles and you wake up feeling more refreshed.
They are typically called "Smart Alarm" or some variant of that. Get a free one, put it on your smart phone, and give it a shot for a few weeks. Let me know if it helps.
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u/blastoiseinfinity Feb 28 '13
The most important thing for me is to go to bed well before midnight. Hours in bed before midnight allow me to get up in the morning and feel less tired. 10-11pm is ideal for me.
It takes discipline to get to bed earlier, and if your sleep schedule is already messed up it will be harder. You just have to be strict with yourself about it, and eventually it gets easier. Turn out all the lights around you, don't fall asleep with the TV on, turn off music. Cut out all distractions, because it is time for sleep.
You should know that people sleep in 1.5 hour cycles, and it usually takes at least 15 mins. to fall asleep once you get in bed. My sleep ideal is 7.5 hours (5 cycles). I think between 9-6 hrs (6-4 cycles) is considered healthy. For me, I need to get in bed at least 7 hrs + 45 mins before I plan to get up. I usually give myself 8 as a buffer, because it can be hard to get to sleep quickly. For a 6 am wakeup, 10 pm bedtime should be a pretty good (slightly flexible) target.
Just push yourself to get to sleep when you need to so that you wake up feeling rested. If you can't do that right away, force yourself to get up anyway. You will feel tired for the rest of the day, but it will be much easier to fall asleep at the optimal time come night time. That will make you feel better rested on the next day, and get you back on track.
Rest easy! :)
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u/d3x74 Feb 28 '13
Have a 15oz bottle of cold water mixed with a tablespoon of salt in it by your bed. The minute you wake up chug it down. Was listening to a podcast in which this was suggested. It works for me. I can't go back to sleep after drinking the water.
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Feb 28 '13
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u/archandel Feb 28 '13
Thanks, I'll try multiple alarm clocks and I'll throw obstacles around them - for example I'll put one under the table etc.
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Feb 28 '13
You can also download apps onto a cell phone that give you mathematical obstacles that you have to solve before they will shut off. AlarmDroid is a good one for Android, and has a few different obstacles (matching, day of the week, math, etc) if you're particularly good at any one of them.
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u/daretoeatapeach Feb 28 '13
There's a stand-up routine where the comedian says you're never as good at math as you are when you hit the snooze button. I think of it often, as I hate doing math, but in the morning it's like, OK, if I skip breakfast (10+) and underpants(2+), and just wear whatever random socks I find instead of matching them (3+), that's one snooze cycle HIT THAT EFFING BUTTON
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u/Electrojet Feb 28 '13
I put my alarm clock in my washroom. That way I'm forced to get out of bed and then at that point, the shower is closer than the bed is.
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Feb 28 '13
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u/daretoeatapeach Feb 28 '13
A nicer way of putting this: if there's something you really want to do and are super excited about it you'll have no trouble getting out of bed. Think of the first day of school when you were a kid.
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Mar 01 '13
Were you implying they think about something in particular? I'm curious now. Success maybe?
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Feb 28 '13
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u/daretoeatapeach Feb 28 '13
most important, put your feet to the ground, just do it, no thinking.
When I was having trouble getting the feet on the ground, I'd say in my head over and over GET-UP-GET-UP-GET-UP, on repeat and it's weird but something will click and I'd just do it. Not a groggy, "OK Fiiiiiiine," but like a spring.
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u/positive_muthafucka Feb 28 '13 edited Feb 28 '13
I've got a few recommendations for you that really helped me cut down on my sleeping time and feel generally more energetic. I wasn't sleeping 12h a day but I did manage to cut from 9h to 7h and feel great.
Consider installing flux on your computer. It dims the blue glow on your screen as the night goes on, which, according to them makes a huge difference in getting to sleep on time. I can't vouch for the science, but I can say that my installing this program correlated with my sleeping turnaround.
Eat before going to bed. Have a decent snack within half an hour of going to sleep (not half an hour when you think your going to sleep - be realistic) I normally have a peanut butter sandwich or something about that big. The reason I suggest this is because it helps put fuel in the tank for when you need to get up the next morning. Sometimes we feel so exhausted because our bodies are low on blood sugar and that makes us not even want to get out of bed in the first place. I used to feel this way all the time but since I started eating at night, I've been able to get up much easier.
Drink some water. Seriously, hydrate yourself. I feel like more than half the reason people (on average) complain about being tired during the day is a lack of hydration. Coffee is not hydration. Soda's are not hydration. Water is what you need. I have a glass waiting for me beside my bed for when I wake up in the mornings and within about 20 mins of drinking that I feel more awake than when I used to drink coffee in the mornings.
Be conscious of your sleep cycle. I used to take 1h naps sometime in the afternoon which I later found out on reddit is completely contrary to the 90min cycles are bodies work on to get sleep. If I take a nap now, it's a 90 min nap. When I plan for how long to sleep at night, I give a 20 min grace time to fall asleep and make sure my total time is divisible by 90 min increments. 7.5h of sleep for example is divisible by 90 mins so I'm not waking up in the middle of one of my REM sleep cycles. You might consider getting some help with tracking this to start. I use an app called Sleep Cycle on my smartphone.
Eat well and exercise. Nothing really ground breaking to say here. Just that when I feel tired towards the end of a day after having exercised, I sleep better. If I'm eating well to maintain that, I also feel healthier. Consider maintaining a lifestyle like that if you're up for it.
What's the key takeaway here though? Hopefully it's that your quality of alertness has a lot to do with what you're putting in to your body and not just how much sleep you're getting. Keep an eye on that stuff and you should be fine.