Fatigue, Old Age, Sleep?

[ofg-1]

Sleep. As I have become older, I am 68, it is getting more difficult to sleep through the night. I used to notice my father, in bed by 9pm, up at 3am, asleep in his recliner by 9am. Well, its starting to happen to me.

I have tried the cliche cures, no food or drink after 7pm, I have increased my daily walk to 2 - 20 minute miles, no caffeine after noon, white noise, sleeping in separate room, when I do wake up in the night, if I can't fall back asleep in 30 minutes, I get up and take a melatonin. Some days it works, others it does not. My exercise has fallen off with my local gym closure, but I try to keep moving.

This is leading to an energy crisis in the afternoons almost every day, and a general lack of motivation. At the moment, I am getting 5-6 hours of good sleep a night. Some afternoons I nap for an hour, most not, but it does not seem to matter. And today, the time changes, does me no good at all. And no, even after a 2 hour cave dive, it is no better sleeping, although I do generally feel better.

I understand that this is common in us geezers, so I was wondering how many of you are having similar issues, and what you have tried short of drugs?

 

[lexvil]

I can’t offer any sleep tips (66) but I’ve pretty much always only slept 6 hrs, sometimes a little less and some times a little more, more than 7 and I’m groggy for hours. Sometimes a 20 minute, more or less, nap on a slow day but for the most part if I’m doing something I just keep going. A good solid 6 hours is all I need, so far.

good luck, getting old is not for the timid…

 

[agilis]

I'm 79, and have for the past two years noticed a similar pattern: up till after midnight, awake at three or four, a tendency to fall asleep again while watching cartoons while slumped into the sofa with my cat around eight. I usually fight off this morning urge to sleep, and the fatigue passes in an hour or so. When I've given in to the charms of an early morning nap I find myself waking up close to eleven, with the best part of the day gone, so I try to avoid that sort of thing. I tell myself that it's nature trying to gradually ease me toward accepting that permanent sleep we all have heard so much about. That usually gets me up and moving.

 

[captain]

Try a glass on milk before bed. The tryptophan in milk promotes sleep, works for me.

Understanding Tryptophan: Does Turkey Make You Tired?

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in turkey and other foods. We cover how tryptophan works, why it is important, and whether or not it makes you sleepy.

www.sleep.org

 

[JohnN]

Sr. Mick said it well. . . ."What a drag it is getting old. . . "

 

[Still Kicking]

Daltry had a solution...."Hope i die before i get old."

 

[Subcooled]

I'm 79, and have for the past two years noticed a similar pattern: up till after midnight, awake at three or four, a tendency to fall asleep again while watching cartoons while slumped into the sofa with my cat around eight. I usually fight off this morning urge to sleep, and the fatigue passes in an hour or so. When I've given in to the charms of an early morning nap I find myself waking up close to eleven, with the best part of the day gone, so I try to avoid that sort of thing. I tell myself that it's nature trying to gradually ease me toward accepting that permanent sleep we all have heard so much about. That usually gets me up and moving.

You say that you sleep 6 to 7 hours a night unless you fight it. The only problem is that it is not continuous sleep. I am curious. Does this sleep pattern (3/4 + 3) make you tired in the afternoon or evening?

You say "with the best part of the day gone". I know what you are talking about as it has sometimes happened that I have slept quite long (although Im quite young, realtively speaking). But what makes 8am-11am better than 4am-8am? There are many things we can or want to do that are not tied to a specific time.

 

[Cert1967]

Sleep apnea evaluation?

 

[agilis]

You say that you sleep 6 to 7 hours a night unless you fight it. The only problem is that it is not continuous sleep. I am curious. Does this sleep pattern (3/4 + 3) make you tired in the afternoon or evening?

You say "with the best part of the day gone". I know what you are talking about as it has sometimes happened that I have slept quite long (although Im quite young, realtively speaking). But what makes 8am-11am better than 4am-8am? There are many things we can or want to do that are not tied to a specific time.

I sleep, on average, from about 1AM to 7 AM, with an interruption around half-way that lasts perhaps for an half hour. I feel an urge to nap about two hours after I awaken at 7AM but only if I'm stuck indoors, and I usually fight it off and the urge disappears after an hour or two. I feel no sleepiness at night, but I often do in mid-afternoon if I'm not doing anything outdoors. I never allow myself to nap in the afternoon unless I'm spending several days hiking and camping. Then afternoons are for sleeping, mornings and nights for being active.

I very seldom give in to the urge to nap in mid-morning- its aftereffects are an unpleasant sluggishness. My biggest problem is falling asleep at night. I find I cling to consciousness then, despite attempting not to do so. Soporifics tend to muddy morning alertness. I am very much an outdoors person, and mornings are the best time to be in the forest, at the beach, or on the water. After dark is also a great time to be out and about. This has been my life pattern, so perhaps my indifference toward afternoons is an acquired trait. Mornings are glorious in the natural world, and nights are seductive. Afternoons are boring, except for sex.

 

[Blackcrusader]

Sr. Mick said it well. . . ."What a drag it is getting old. . . "

Old age aint for sissies.