Not getting any REM sleep

[thatsright]

I just took a '16hr nap' but wok up every 4hrs and still feel tired. So I'm not getting any REM sleep which I think only happens after 6-8hrs straight of sleep.

My doctor has given me a ambian prescription and I can't go to sleep without it. Even with this, still can't get to sleep for longer than 4-5 hrs. Suggestions (besides talk to my doctor ;-)

 

[moonbogg]

Play BF3 until your eyes bleed. Works for me. Seriously though, try some exercise. With a tired body, it feels good to lie down and if you workout hard, you will likely fall right asleep. It doesn't have to be right before bed time. Its best to workout several hours at least before bed. An afternoon workout is good. I suggest running. If you can't run, then walk fast and hard for about 5 miles.

 

[Red Squirrel]

REM is equivalent to a comment, so if you put REM sleep it wont actually execute that code.

This is about MS batch files right?

 

[disappoint]

REM is equivalent to a comment, so if you put REM sleep it wont actually execute that code.

This is about MS batch files right?

That's BASIC knowledge.

 

[thatsright]

Play BF3 until your eyes bleed. Works for me. Seriously though, try some exercise. With a tired body, it feels good to lie down and if you workout hard, you will likely fall right asleep. It doesn't have to be right before bed time. Its best to workout several hours at least before bed. An afternoon workout is good. I suggest running. If you can't run, then walk fast and hard for about 5 miles.

Well I'll be hiking in NH for the next 6 hours, so yeah....that should do it.

 

[Gibsons]

Exercise is good, also some vitamin B.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Start by getting a sleep study done to rule out apnea. It's very common and often undiagnosed.

 

[edro]

Turn 180 degrees in bed..
Sleep with your head where your feet normally are.

I am a doctor, trust me.

 

[Matthiasa]

Actually... if you are only waking up at the 4 hour mark, not just every few minutes and you not remembering it, you went through at least 1 rem cycle each time you were asleep.

The feeling tired part is waking up when you are not in a rem cycle.

 

[pelov]

You don't want to get hooked on ambien. It will certainly help you sleep, but it's incredibly easy to develop a dependence on it.

There's a few things I do that help me:

- exercise. I spend about an hour a day exercising. Usually 20mins on the treadmill and about 30-40mins lifting/stretching.

- don't eat right before you go to bed. Your last meal before nap time should be about 2 hours prior.

- don't drink before heading to bed. If you're drinking alcohol it's even worse. It's like playing Russian roulette -- will I wake up to pee or will I piss the bed?

- develop a routine. I go to bed at roughly the same time every day and wake up the same time every morning. My alarm clock doesn't wake me up but rather I wake up my alarm clock.

- don't play video games right before bed.

- watch something boring on TV.

- I find that I can't sleep in hot/warm weather. I turn my AC on overnight or open the windows if it's cool over night.

 

[Saint Nick]

You guys who say don't eat before bed...you kidding me I am starving before bed. NOthing like a huge snack to knock you out I always have to wake up in the middle of the night to piss. hate it!

 

[BrokenVisage]

REM is equivalent to a comment, so if you put REM sleep it wont actually execute that code.

This is about MS batch files right?

I see what you did there, and I saw it quickly using rapid eye movement while awake.

 

[Ricochet]

You're not getting enough sex.

 

[Born2bwire]

As for getting only four hour stretches of sleep, there has been a trend in the popular science news reporting talking about the notion of first and second sleeps. That is, before the advent of nightlife and abundant night lighting, people naturally went to bed from dusk to dawn. But since the night lasts for much longer than 8 hours or so, people generally would take two sleeps. They would sleep for around 4 hours or so, wake up for an hour or two for various nocturnal activities (prayers, contemplation, talk, sex, etc.), and then return to sleep for another 4 hours or whatchamacallit.

So I doubt getting successive rests of lengths of four hours is your problem.

I wouldn't be surprised if the culprit was the drug induced sleep.

 

[flexy]

I just recently read something about sleep cycles which was pretty interesting.
They were talking about those sleep stages/levels which each last 60-90 minutes, then entering the next phase/level...subsequently with each of those longer phases separated by an "almost awake" gap...here:

I also used to sleep the full 7-8 hours for the longest time, feeling awful all around if i didn't get my "full" sleep - but recently switched to a very weird sleep pattern, YES, usually about 4 hours...then i am awake, i get up, do some stuff, work or game, whatever...and then sleep another 3-4 hours in the afternoon when i am tired again.

And..it totally works! I actually enjoy that sleep in the afternoon, maybe it's also since we moved to Spain where everyone has siesta at that time anyway. (Since its so fricking hot here all the time, i start to understand why people do this..lol)

What i am saying...nothing speaks against splitting up your sleep if your daily routine allows.

++

Edit: As opposed to following a "unnatural" and forced cycle, eg. imposed to you by your work/school schedule etc. which would require you to stay up "all day long"....and then sleep 8 hours "at night"...so WTF if you are actually tired, say, around noon....or "need" to sleep 8 hours but are not tied at night? I noticed when i do those 4 hour sleeps...i do actually go to bed *when* i am in fact tired, often eg. around 1 or 2pm... (i work at home so i can do this)..rather than forcing my body to some schedule. And this is likely why you need meds, because you try to sleep at the wrong times, your inner clock might just be wired differently. So, if you can, you should try those 3-4 hour sleeps instead.