Sleeping Too Much?

[Stokes]

So I briefly now and then do research on this online, but just seeing if anyone else has some ideas. I'm a college student, which one produces lots of stress for a person, especially at the school I'm at where the workload can be enormous, but I don't think the work is the problem.

Normally if I don't wake up by an alarm, I can sleep on average 12 hours a day and still wake up really tired.. When I set an alarm its hard for me to get up cause I feel really tired even when the alarm goes off and unless I HAVE to get up, then I go back to bed.

I have a healthy life though, I'm a college athlete (football), lift weights on a normal basis and am very active, yet it seems like I'm always tired, sometimes I yawn in the weight room, which I don't think is from being tired its just from not having all the oxygen my body needs at that point.

Is this a simple matter as when i set an alarm get up at that point and don't just lay there?

 

[bignateyk]

I find that if I sleep more than 9 hours on average, then I actually end up more tired. Usually I sleep about 8 hours a night.

Also, having a good sleep schedule helps alot. If you can get into a routine of going to bed at ~ the same time, and getting the same amount of sleep each night, you will feel alot better.

 

[Greyd]

get a sleep test done. you could be suffering from any number of sleep disorders (sleep apnea for exapmple) which are not allowing you a truly restful night of sleep - hence the tiredness.

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

College student here too, I sleep about 5-6 hours a night. I could easily sleep more, but I've usually got so much going on during the day I don't have time.

8am: First class on TuTh
9am: First class on MWF
~11:30am: Get back to dorm
11:30am-4:30pm: Homework, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, or just mess around online
4:30pm: Run, usually 3-4 miles
5:00pm: Get ready for German class
6:15pm: Leave for German class
8:00pm: Back at dorm
8:00pm-12:30am-ish: Study or kill time with people on the floor (TV, movies, Top Gear)
1:00am: Go to bed

That's pretty much my schedule through the week, I used to take a nap at 11:30am but since I've started coffee again in the morning I'm not tired during the day anymore

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Depending on where you are going to school it could be a change in elevation that is doing it to you.

 

[SVT Cobra]

That's normal. When you feel groggy it is not because you did not get enough sleep it is just because you were suddenly wakened in a deep sleep. If you are not groggy it is because you were awakened in a light sleep. You go off and on like this throughout the night, but more so when you are still resplenishing. So after 8 or so hours you are less likely to be in a deep sleep, and after a few hours you are more likely to be in a deep sleep. So the number of hours you sleep is somewhat dependent on how groggy you are but not completely dependent on it. Ever wake up in the middle of the night and not feel tired?

On a side note they now make expensive alarm clocks which can sense your sleep pattern that will not wake you up in a deep sleep, but only in a light sleep so you always wake up refreshed.


It also sounds like you may have low test levels which is normal for a college student under your stress and activity levels (football etc). I would take a look at ZMA. You can research it more, but basically it is a popular bodybuilding supplement which can increase testosterone levels if they are low, help you relax and get a better sleep, and sleep deeper. It became huge back in the early 90's after it was proven on a study of college football players who were worn down (sound familiar?).

 

[Auryg]

Depression?