Sleep

[writerdahling]

I've been thinking a lot about sleep lately. My occupational therapist wants me to stop sleeping during the day time and just rest, which seems to be the general consensus for anyone suffering from CFS/ME. (You're tired, so they want you to sleep less? Go figure :P) I highly value my naps, so maybe I'm grasping at straws, but thinking back, I've

Comments

[helbling]

To play devil's advocate, it's a well known fact that over sleeping, weirdly enough, doesn't lead to insomnia; it leads to feeling sleepy!

It's quite possible that your therapist just wants to rule out the possibility that you're exacerbating your own symptoms by doing what your body is telling you is right - sleeping - when in actual fact, you should be getting up, getting up, getting up!

The nap thing, you have to remember, is only applicable to the average person who does not in this modern age, sadly, get 8 hours of sleep; they'll probably get less. There is a definite link between average hours spent asleep and blood pressure - more is better (up until a point), and because the average person gets <8hours, getting them closer to the magic number will lower blood pressure, so lower risk of all the complications from having high blood pressure, so will extend your life expectancy. So for people who *do* get enough sleep...there will be little to no (or even negative if you've pushed yourself into the 'too much bracket') benefit

[writerdahling]

Thanks! It's good to get another perspective. No one actually came out and said why rest is better than sleeping.