i need a lot of sleep

[Nocturnal]

i dont know how normal this is, but it seems like the only time i really have energy during the day is when i get almost 10 or more hours of sleep. i'm 15, but people will get maybe 7 or 8 and be more alive than me. its been like this for the past 3 or 4 years.

any ideas?

btw my diet isn't terribly bad, in the morning i usually have a bowl or two of cereal, then for lunch a sandwich and a drink or two, then dinner always has its share of vegetables, carbs, proteins etc. i dont think its my diet, but let me know what you think.

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"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"Everybody sees what you appear to be, few feel what you are,"
-Machiavelli

[This message has been edited by MaDsKaTeR212 (edited 12-08-2002).]

 

[wheelin&dealin]

If you tend to get drowsy now and then, stick with low GI carbs(oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread). Also, stay away from sugars because they will have a tendency to make you drowsy later on.

Make sure to balance your meals with carbs and protein because excess carbs can act as a tranquilizer and make you sleepy.

I would recommend eating more protein because protein makes you more alert.

 

[Soshyopathe]

Some people need 10 hours, some only 7.

It's a curse, but I'm in your ballpark as well.

 

[anakin]

You tend to sleep more the younger you are, so do not worry to much.

You sleep 10 hours a day? Is that because you set your alarm clock (I'm assuming you have one) the night before and not wake up in the morning?

1) Get into a routine of sleeping at a certain time and waking up at a certain time (I'm assuming this is no prob, because you are 15 and have school). This will ensure you do not screw up your 'body clock'.

2) Reduce your sleeping time by 10 minutes on every 4 for 5 consecutive days, before cutting it by a further 10 minutes.
Hopefully, your body will adjust to this lack of sleep, and naturally adjust to it.

Before you go to sleep, visualise and think about what you have to do the next day, the more important this may be, the more likely you will wake up the next morning on time.

If you have trouble waking up, get another alarm clock, a fair distance away from your bed so you do not in your drowsiness switch off the alarm and return to sleep.

I sleep less in the weekdays but have a sleep in on the weekend.

Also food for thought is exactly how deeply you sleep. For example the deeper you sleep, the less sleep you may need overall.

Also make sure you are not hungry or thirsty before you go to sleep. That does not of course mean eating just before you go to sleep.

Hope this helps,


ANAKIN

 

[OddTech]

Do you have breathing problems at night? I don't know if its related to you, but older men who are large tend to have apea, which can severely affect their sleep and ability to stay awake in the day. You're 15, so chances are small. But if you're feeling drowsy even in the day, a doctor visit might be good.

 

[Ricardo]

I promise to post more about this later. But basically our sleep cycles run around 90 minutes a piece on average. If you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle you feel way more drowsy than you if you wake up just after you finish one.

This is why multiples of the 90 (example 7 hrs sleep or 8 and a half) are better than the times in between, like 8 or 7.5 hours. It will result in you feeling more refreshed.

The problem is that this is base on the time which you actually fall asleep at which isn't necessarily right after you go to bed. In fact if you do fall right asleep when you go to bed, it's a bad sign. It's a sign that you were sleep deprived.

Hope that helps a bit. For the record, I've always felt like I needed more sleep than the average guy as well.

 

[Anubi]

oddtech, whats apea? cuz i cant figure out why i'm drowsy a lot of days. like i have quick sleeps on bus rides and sometimes classes.

 

[TurfDawg]

I used to be the type of person that slept in all the time, like 9 or 10 hours of sleep a day or something. But ever since I joined the military I've been going on 6 or 7 hours a sleep a day and still be actively awake. I've been in only for about 7 months. Even on the weekends, if I'm drunk on friday night, I still get up early in the morning on Saturday.

You should just force yourself to adjust to getting 7 or 8 hours a sleep a day. Just do that for a month until you get used to it. Too much sleep is a waste of time.

 

[Nocturnal]

i should have replied to this sooner but oh well.

W&D protein might be it, i dont eat excessive carbs, but more protein might help.

anakin i do have an alarm and i set it for when i need to get up, and usually i get less than 10 hours anyway i just feel drowsy during the day. lately i've probably been sleeping from 10:30/11:00 to 6:30/7:00 somewhere in that ballpark. it should be enough but when i get more i just have more energy.

oddtech nope i dont have breathing problems, i had swollen tonsils that got removed when i was about 4 but thats about it. and i dont think its severe enough for it to be something like that. thanks anyway.

ricardo i'll anxiously await your post. that 90 min thing sounds like it makes sense, i'll look into it. and i usually fall asleep within 30 min.

turfdawg i've tried and i think i'll wait a few years before i cut back on it that much. i dont know if this just means i'm growing, even though i'm not eating a whole lot more, but the days i get 6 or 7 hours feel like i'm living my day through hell.

i just feel tired all day. no fun.

 

[Civic11]

Im just turning 15 and i need alot of sleep too, if i wake up with just 7-8 hours of sleep i have the rings around my eyes and im tired as hell. i workout so im tired during the evening and i just go to bed earlier than usual.

I know what you mean though and it sucks

 

[The New Don Juan]

don't worry that you need a lot of sleep, it used to be like that for me too, but you will grow out of it.

 

[alboh]

It's fairly common for someone your age to need a lot of sleep, after all your body is growing really fast what with pub**** (hate that word, sounds gross) and all.

 

[livin large]

The more active you are the more sleep you need. If you just sit around all day and watch tv then something's probably wrong, but if you're always playing sports and staying active then you're going to need a lot more sleep than people who don't do anything. Plus your body might just need more time to recover than other people.