I’m sleeping much better. So why am I still so tired all the time?

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The third and final installment of our Community Correspondent Emma Goodlad’s sleep diary

So, getting to sleep is much better, I can’t believe the difference focusing and using a couple of things on my phone is having.  Bloody Andy from Headspace actually woke me up the other night after I’d fallen asleep in a quiet bit of a meditation… so I cancelled my subscription.  Anyway,  why pay when they have 10 free meditations?

Mornings are still a battle (although some, I can get up with minimal grumbling).

Most nights I am asleep by 11pm. My first alarm is at 5:45am, plus snoozes, so I  get at least 7 hours of sleep (not counting waking during the night).

But I can’t get out up before 9am unless I absolutely have to (and even then, not always).  The mornings I get up early enough to travel to work with my husband, I spend half an hour in bed after my alarm – which then impacts on my poor dog who doesn’t get as long a walk as I’d like to be able to give him. So– on the days I’m in bed until 9am – that’s 10 hours of sleep.  That’s a lot of sleep, that’s ridiculous!!

So why am I tired all  the time? And why do I struggle to get out of bed at all some days? I probably know the answer.  I want to keep the world at bay, I don’t want to see or speak to anyone, I don’t want to go out in the daylight and I don’t want anyone to see me.

I’m struggling to work out what helps, other than absolute definite appointments. (And even then, I struggle. I was due in Edinburgh for work a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t hack it and stayed in bed).

All I know is that the days I feel absolutely awful and don’t want to get out of bed are probably the worst days to stay in bed.

And the days where I don’t feel so bad, but I’m still totally knackered, are ok to stay in bed a little longer because I know I’ll manage it a few hours later.  

It’s all so much easier said than done – how do I change my patterns when the very illness I’m trying to manage keeps me in bed when I should get up? It’s like a strong magnet keeping me there.

I’m trying to work out and have no idea where to start.  Where does the line lie? How do I get myself out of bed on the days I don’t want to, but need to most of all?  Is it always bad to stay in bed?  I really don’t know the answers. I reckon this is something that I’ll ponder for some time.

Emma kept a sleep diary as part of our bed theme. Emma’s previous blogs

Blog one: Bed, sleep, head

Blog two: how my trusty smartphone is helping me get a good night’s sleep 

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2 Responses to I’m sleeping much better. So why am I still so tired all the time?

  1. Mhairi May 13, 2016 at 9:52 pm #

    I think everyone feels like this to some degree. Whether they admit it or not.

    I for one struggle every day getting out of bed. It’s the thought of how uncomfortable / or how much pain I’ll be in that day that holds me in bed, along with still being tired. So tired I can’t face people or things. ( There are so many similarities between chronic pain and mental illness) I need minimum 9 hours sleep but function better on ten, yet will still struggle to get out of bed as I always feel exhausted!

    I end my day with stretches to relaxation music, read ( normally Harry Potter as I know the books inside out so never have the need to keep reading on to find out what happens next) then listen to music, or audiobook. I am fortunate and can get to sleep easy, yet wake up in the night too.

    I now also aim to have something small to look forward to the following day. So, I wake up to a favourite song ( change it regularly). Give myself time to come around. Then have the mindset of , “the sooner I get up the sooner I can…..” it doesn’t always work but the days it helps I seem to be more positive.

    It’s all about trial and error, and hopefully you find something for you!!!

    • editor May 14, 2016 at 7:02 am #

      Thanks for sharing this. There’s such a strong connection between physical and mental health and sleep.

      It sounds like you’re finding solutions that work for you.

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