Insomnia? You Might be a Mutant

[JamesSavik]

"Sleepless" Mutation Found Responsible for Insomnia

 

 

This explains a lot.

[Tiger]

I'm actually a sufferer of insomnia. I usually only sleep 5 or 6 hours a day. I know it isn't good, but it's just reality. It could be some kind of genetic mutation. It's certainly plausible.

[Phantom]

And here I was blaming it on the fact taht I hate sleeping... oh well.. at least now I know im a mutant

[kitten]

IIUC - Insomnia is less about number of hours of sleep than about quality of sleep. In fact recent studies (sorry, don't have the reference to hand!) have indicated that adults who have 8 or more hours of sleep tend to have health problems (or shorter lives - I can't remember which!). The same study gave a figure of around 6.5 to 7 hours as 'optimum'.

 

Of course, one takes all such studies with a pinch of salt!

 

Personally, I find I'm happy with around 7-8 hours sleep in winter and 5-6 hours in summer. This far north it's full daylight by about 4am in mid summer and not until about 8am in winter. (I hate getting up in the dark!)

 

Of course, just because I don't have insomnia doesn't mean I'm not a mutant!

 

Kit

[Razor]

What about binge sleepers? I know I have a habit of going to sleep once every other day or once every three days, and it's usually for twelve hours or so (if I'm lucky). If I get on one of my kicks where I just can't sleep, it's quite possible that I stay up for four or five days and then crash for an insanely long time, upwards of 16 hours or more.

 

Also, what about nappers? I know a lot of people who only sleep 2-4 hours at a time, but they sleep more often.

 

I'm really thinking the majority of people don't fit into the six to eight hour a night bracket.

[Krista]

During the school semesters I am lucky to get two hours of sleep a night. I can live and function quite well with that much sleep. In the summer there could be two days in a row where I don't sleep. The night life is just too appealing (even in Kentucky).

 

So yes.. 'Mutant?"

[sat8997]

I'm actually a sufferer of insomnia. I usually only sleep 5 or 6 hours a day. I know it isn't good, but it's just reality. It could be some kind of genetic mutation. It's certainly plausible.

 

I can't remember the last time I had 5 or 6 hours of sleep in one day. Best I've managed is a little over 4...and that's with meds to help.

[AFriendlyFace]

Great article and topic, James! Thanks

 

 

 

Personally speaking I adore sleep! I think it's one of the most positive experiences in life. I definitely notice myself experiencing negative emotional effects if I get less than 7 hours of sleep a night on consecutive nights. I'm usually OK if it happens on one night, but two or more in a row and that's it! I actually notice the physical and mental side-effects to a much lesser degree, but man do I am ever more prone to irritability, overly emotional reactions, general grumpiness, and sadness.

 

On the other hand I tend to internalize these effects - which is easier on the people around me, but probably harder on me - so most of the time people don't even know I'm grumpy, sad, or emotional because all my remaining energy is going toward keeping up a pleasant, cheerful facade (if I don't I usually feel really guilty and it just perpetuates a bad cycle of negativity...yeah these are my issues :wacko: )

 

Anyway, I can just avoid all that by 7-10 hours and legitimately being cheerful and happy

 

Personally speaking I've got a weird relationship with sleep. I almost never want to go to sleep, even though I know I'll enjoy it, I know I should do it, and I know I'll be able to do it once I try. Nevertheless, actually getting me into bed is difficult. Once I'm there I really don't have trouble falling asleep and I usually do it before I want to. I really like lounging in that relaxed, pre-state sleep, and I love my thoughts and emotions at this time. So I usually drift off before I'd like to.

 

Once I'm asleep it's really difficult for me to get up. I've cancelled quite a few things that in retrospect I'd really have enjoyed doing (and I've similarly missed class or called in sick to work on more occasions that is strictly responsible ) because once I'm asleep virtually nothing seems as important or enjoyable as staying asleep.

 

So for me it's a major labour to go to bed (physically) and a major labour for me to get up again. I know this sounds ridiculous but it's so bad that on a few occasions I've been jealous of people who can't sleep through the night because getting up truly is so difficult to me.

 

There's practically no limit to how long I can sleep either. I've happily slept twenty-two and twenty-three hours before (and not while sick). If I don't have to get up, I almost never do it until I've had between 10-12 hours.

 

Today for example I got up after ten (and was quite proud of myself for doing it). I felt perfectly rested, but going back to sleep was still really appealing.

 

On most nights I actually get between about 6-8 hours which I figure is pretty healthy. Still, as I said, I'm grumpy if I slip below 7 so I try to make up for it by getting 8 or 9 the next night. It's when I can't get 8 or 9 the next night (due to business, never insomnia) that we have a problem.

 

I also have a very pronounced preference for a 'delayed phase shift', which is standard for most people between about 12-25 which means that my body naturally wants to stay up late and sleep late as opposed to getting the same amount of sleep by going to bed early and getting up early. This is why schools, especially middle schools and high schools, starting before 8am is truly a disastrous idea in terms of both the quality of education and the health of our children. It's also very much responsible for much of the sleep deprivation that the majority of our teens experience.

 

It happens because parents want to get their kids up and out the door at the same time that they're going to work, and most adults can go to bed and get up early, but adolescents and young adults truly do have different physiological needs and trying to cram them onto an adult (or early childhood) schedule is truly doing them a disservice.

 

I personally think it's safe to say that this is a major factor in teen car accidents, health issues, and especially behavioural and emotional problems. It's no wonder that many teens are depressed or moody: they're sleep deprived!

 

 

 

Take care all and get some sleep

Kevin

Edited July 21, 2008 by AFriendlyFace

[Tiger]

I can't remember the last time I had 5 or 6 hours of sleep in one day. Best I've managed is a little over 4...and that's with meds to help.

Yikes! You poor dear. I think it has gotten worse since I started taking Wellbutrin. I might have to see if the doctor can prescribe me with something that will help me sleep. The problem is that some of them are addictive.

[Drewbie]

I can sleep for 8 hours or 7, and sometimes take a nap during the day. When I get less then that amount of sleep usually more moody and be only active for a shorter time.

 

 

With some of teen car accidents I agree not enough sleep.