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31 December 2009

Slumberland: My sleep patterns have changed dramatically, should I be worried?

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Okay this may be nothing, because I'm coming off a bad case of flu (it's been about a week since I started to feel better), but I'm a little concerned.

I've always been a heavy sleeper but with problems getting to sleep and usually waking up after 6 hours on the dot regardless of time, but now I'm knocking out -bam!- at 11 and not waking up til noon. And not just not waking up, but being unable to be woken up, and waking up groggy and wanting to go back to bed. This passes , but it's been 5 days of 12 hour nights which - while wonderful for my skin and mood - is causing my brain to be deeply suspicious. There has to be a catch.

I'm not on any drugs or pills, and because of the Lurgy I've cut back drinking to almost nil. So why the hell am I sleeping so well - so long - so easily- and so deeply? (and how can I make it stop? Cause I've got things to do in the morning , sometimes)

post by: The Whelk at: 10:50 | 6 comments

anecdata: the mister and I both came off a horrible head cold/the flu right before Thanksgiving. We both noticed almost exactly the same desperate deep need for lots and lots of sleep. Like, we'd pass out every night at 7.30 PM and require desperate measures to get to work on time at 9 the next day, despite our best efforts. This took about a week to a week and a half to normalise after the last symptoms (horrible cough) finally disappeared.

IANAD and IANYD but I've experienced this sort of thing in the past after having various illnesses and my hunch is this maybe a body's normal physiological response to being nastysick. I noticed you said you aren't currently taking anything but I've also noticed that any sort of cold medicines I take during a bout of flu seem to linger about / affect me disproportionately in the sleep arena for like, days after my final dose.

Mind you this was also not a normal "head cold" we had, rather, we were both stricken with a 2-weeks long nonstop bout of coughing that pulled rib muscles and to the point where we were literally ready to cut our own heads off just so we could Stop. Fucking. Coughing.

FYI I am a normal 6-hours-a-night with no need for more type sleeper who wakes readily at 6 or 6.30 AM most days. Also a bit of a night owl, so being desperate to pass out at 7.30-8 PM was a definite sleep pattern anomaly.

Cheers, Whelk! Here's to you feeling all better soon!

posted by lonefrontranger 31 December | 11:55

Sleep is great for your immune system. Your body can direct all its energy toward fighting the illness. When I'm sick I pretty much know I'm over it when I stop sleeping 12 or 13 hours at a stretch.

posted by BoringPostcards 31 December | 11:58

Thirding the immune system making you sleep so it can go kick some illness ass. I force myself to sleep even more than I normally do when I feel a sickness coming on and it usually helps to nip it in the bud.

posted by sperose 31 December | 13:25

I think this is totally normal. I usually have a week of extended sleep after I've had The Lurgy. As long as I get enough sleep then The Lurgy stays gone.

posted by jessamyn 31 December | 14:58

Survey says: Normal! Good. I was worried I was suffering from adult-onset Reverse Vampirism.

posted by The Whelk 31 December | 16:00

You know, when this happened to a friend of mine, it was due to an alien brain parasite. That ate his brain. Except for the runny bits, which dripped out of his ears.

But I wouldn't worry.

posted by BitterOldPunk 31 December | 17:32

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