Alan Smithee

I've debated for a while about posting this, you all know that I REALLY suck at housekeeping and some have said the reason for that is I'm a "lazy fuck" which might be true. However let me try to describe what keeps me from getting a lot of stuff done:

In short, I get sleepy REALLY easily. I've only been up for about an hour right now and feel reasonably awake which is why I'm typing this, but on days when I don't go to work I will often wake up just long enough to feed my cats and then check my email and other online stuff, and then feel like going back to sleep for at least another hour or two. If I do have to go to work, I can stay awake knowing that I HAVE to, but I don't always feel at my most alert and tiredness then seems to start stacking up. Recent Monday-Friday work weeks have had me somewhat normal on Monday, but by Thursday or Friday I get dead tired. Sometimes coming home from work on Thursday around 6 PM, I've gone straight to sleep and slept for 13 or so hours until it's time to get up for Friday, the last work day of the week.

This has been going on for at least 25 years, though I used to force myself to keep a schedule more strictly and not take naps during non-standard sleeping hours. I've generally known that "normal" people need about 8 hours of sleep per night, though I usually need more than that if I can. When working I go to sleep early enough to get at least 10 hours, but some days that still doesn't feel like enough. I might get up easily the next morning, but still want to sleep by the time 5 PM rolls around. Caffeine has NOT helped- I don't really like coffee and the few times I've tried it hasn't kept me awake. I do drink a lot of soda, probably TOO much, but that hasn't kept me awake- I often drink a Coke and then fall asleep soon after that instead of being wired.

I particularly slept a lot this weekend- I slept for at least 13 hours on Sunday- going to sleep around 6 PM that night. I had meant to wake up by 8:00 to watch The Simpsons (the only show on TV I watch) but didn't do so til about 11:00. I then got up a bit to check my email and stuff, then went back to sleep a bit after midnight and then slept past noon on Monday- and then I STILL needed a nap before that day was over.

I have tried to get medical help for this; a few years ago I even did a "sleep study" at the hospital where they had me spend the night there with some monitoring stuff hooked up. I slept reasonably well that night and left early the next morning, but after everything was analyzed they found NOTHING wrong with me. Before that I had done a similar thing except I brought the equipment home and slept with it, and again NOTHING unusual was found.

I've theorized that this might at least be partly a way to get out of doing things that I have to do, such as cleaning up the apartment, but even then that's debatable. When I was back in school I often took naps before doing homework, but that wasn't just to put it off but I also felt well-rested and better able to do the homework once I woke up. Even when I decide to devote a day to doing something FUN, I sometimes want to sleep instead. I'll plan a day of movie-watching and waste several hours of that sleeping; in that case I figure that I didn't really want to sit at home anyways- even though I love watching movies I still want to get out and actually DO something now and then. That still doesn't help the sleeping problem though- some days I'll plan to go on a road trip but sleep too late to do that. Other times when I go out I'll be awake enough to drive safely and all that, but I still won't feel completely "there" if there's any way to describe that. There's been times when I'll go shopping in town (for groceries and that kind of stuff) and feel like I'm sleepwalking, and sometimes I'll even buy something that I'll end up not eating because I didn't really check to see what it was. Case in point, I have a vegetarian lasagna in the freezer which I bought not knowing that there was no meat in it (I HATE meatless dishes!)

I'm not sure if this will make much more sense than my infamous "landlords" post, but would be interested to know if anyone else here has the same problem and if they were able to overcome it. I sometimes go for stretches of a few months when this doesn't happen, but then it comes back as it has recently. I've got a few things going on where falling asleep is REALLY getting in the way- I was laid off a few weeks ago and need to more aggressively get out job applications, I think part of what's made me sleep this time around is the discouragement of being laid off twice in the past few months (supposedly due to "cutbacks" both times, not anything to do with me doing a bad job or anything like that but it still sucks- the last job I had I did nothing but train for work that I would end up never doing.)

Anyways, we'll see if I can get through today without having to nap, and hopefully even get some things accomplished.

VinVega

You might be depressed. You've just gotten used to how it feels. That much sleeping can be a sign of depression.

uberjoe

Maybe you're a cat.

benh911

You could be tired from sleeping TOO much. If you have already gone through a couple of sleep cycles and then wake up in the middle of one, you feel groggy.

Philzilla

Astute diagnosis doctor.
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/...iness-146.html

Goat3001

I'm no doctor but I wonder if an unhealthy diet is making you more tired than you should be. Maybe try throwing some greens into your diet (I know where you can get a vegetarian lasagna) and lay off the soda. Maybe it'll give you some natural energy.

Alan Smithee

I've got two cats so they probably aren't a good influence, though they're sleeping right now and I don't particularly feel like doing the same- I have a list of "things to do" today and trying to stick to it.

Depression definitely has a part in this, as I think I often sleep to escape things. Besides the job loss the whole thing with the country's "president" has been a big thing as well that feels like a bad dream. Sometimes when waking up briefly I'll look at the news and then go to sleep in utter disbelief. The news about home 3D possibly being discontinued has been devastating as well- that might not be the biggest problem facing the country right now but I'm still very upset about it. Funny thing is I've been meaning to write letters about that but sleeping has gotten in the way.

But there's been times when I wasn't depressed at all and still felt like sleeping.

Alan Smithee

I'm absolutely addicted to soda (I don't drink alcohol at all so this is my only vice) but I've been told before it might be contributing to my sleepiness. I'll try to cut down on it, though when I AM awake to get things done it's helped me get through it better. When I was working I kept a bottle of water around and will do the same once I get hired again. I used to think drinking caffeine would keep me awake but at this point that's proven to not be the case.

Timber

Wake up, watch fat porn, masturbate, and then fall asleep? All sounds fairly standard to me.

Goat3001

Yeah soda is bad. Cut that shit out. If you're craving it, switch to flavored seltzer instead. If you really need that cola taste, get a sodastream and the cola flavoring (less sugar and I believe no caffeine). Then slowly phase it all out. It'll definitely help.

PhantomStranger

The soda has nothing to do with your sleepiness. It sounds like a possible case of Fibromyalgia without knowing your medical background.

I would recommend a CoQ10 supplement if you are over 35. CoQ10 boosts the ability of your mitochondria to extract energy from your diet. A side bonus is that most people report being far less prone to naps and sleepiness on it. That definitely occurred when I used it.

CoQ10 is not an adrenal system stimulant like caffeine and has no associated crash effect. Just take it early in the day or you will have more difficulty falling asleep.

mphtrilogy

This^^^

I switched to Seltzer 10 years ago.. don't miss Soda one bit...

VinVega

Quitting soda was a significant part of me losing 25 pounds. I don't know if I'm in a better mood because of it, but soda's really, really bad for you.

Rob V

Definitely a cat... /thread

The Cow

Exercise regularly. No excuses.

Sonic

Anyone got the short version? Story too long to read.

Hadrian7

Tl;dr version: reasons why I haven't cleaned? I sleep instead.

cpgator

And he has a strange obsession with 3D TV.

Vibiana

You're going to die. Can I have your--oh, wait a minute.......

cultshock

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out a way of breaking that news to my kids without possibly traumatizing them.

Why So Blu?

I would be depressed, as well, if I lived at your place, Alan.

Clean that shit.

cungar

Too much Soda can dehydrate you and make you fatigued.

Alan Smithee

Thanks- will get some next time I go out. Today's been a little less blah than usual, a nap would be nice right now but I'm awake enough not to need one.

I have a bit of a prediction though; when I REALLY need to do something I do end up doing it, so I'll likely put in a LOT of job applications over the next week. However if that doesn't result in getting hired or worse not even being called for an interview, I might feel like sleeping again. Will just have to see.

Dan

I think I need to take a day off to process this information.

Alan Smithee

I don't know why that hasn't registered with me, but will try to cut down especially if I'm fatigued- at least limit it to with meals and no other times. My crazy ex-girlfriend kept nagging me to drink more water, which admittedly she was right about.

You'll probably call this a bullshit excuse, but being sleepy has been the main thing keeping me from cleaning. When I have cleaned up, I get a thought similar to "Clean that shit" and do it.