Anyone else only get about 2-3 hours of sleep

[Garion_55]

at a time?

I live in a busy apartment complex with lots of noises and neighbors, i have people living with me and have three cats that are constantly on and off the bed, on and off me, smacking me in the face if there is no food.

im a night owl so im ususally up when its dark and trying to sleep during the day.

all of that adds to me rarely ever getting a full 8 hours of sleep. if i get 4 straight through im lucky.

eventually the lack of solid sleep starts wearing on me and my physical health so Sometimes I just take a couple days vacation, pick a spot and go there and sleep for 48 hours straight in the hotel lol.

[More_Cowbell]

1. Me too

I lost my job in May, so money worries keep me up. I have a 10-11 year old cat and last September I brought in an outside cat who'd been living on my apartment patio, because the apartment complex is having extensive renovations and the first thing they did was demolish the patios. The cats don't really get along, so at night I shut myself in one room with my older cat so that he and the "new" one can have some peace from each other.

But that leaves no peace for me, since my older cat is used to being able to come and go. Coupled with job worries, I pretty much sleep from 2-6am and that's it.

You're not alone!

[qazplm135]

5. what about switching it up

and having the young cat stay with you and the old cat outside.

Or if you have a second bedroom with a bathroom, put the young cat in there...two rooms so some movement ability, but older cat can come and go?

[Awsi Dooger]

2. Zzzquil and citric acid help me

I experimented until I found a combination of 1/2 dose liquid Zxxquil and one gummy Zzzquil. That works.

Citric acid is outside for the frogs. They make a racket at night by my pool if I don't have plenty of chlorine in the pool and citric acid sprayed all over their favorite places. The neighbor pool is a swamp. That is responsible for the frog population. I really should file a complaint. Mosquitoes also from that yard

[DFW]

3. Five is about my norm except in July. Often less.

I get home (if at all) do paperwork from the day's work, get to bed at somewhere between midnight and 1:30 AM, then have to get up between 5:00 and 5:30 to get to where I have to be the next day. That is, unless I have to be in Barcelona or Madrid, Zürich, München or Paris the next day, in which case I have to get up at 4:30 in order to get the right plane (Spain, Switzerland, Bavaria) or train (France).

I'm usually in the States in July. I catch up on lost sleep then.

[mr_lebowski]

4. My body just won't stay asleep that long anymore ... 5.5-6 hours is a good night o' sleep

for me the past 5 or so years.

That said, I can get through the day on only 4 hours sleep for about three nights in a row at best and that's if I'm not doing much.

Guess I'm lucky in that my cat appears to believe I die for about 6 hours every night, because he never gets on my bed when I'm sleeping. Nor does he wake me up to feed him in the AM. I get up and he's laying by his food dish, chillin', waiting for me. It's like it doesn't occur to him to come and bug me. HOWEVER I didn't start giving him wet food til he was 16 years old. Before that he was free-fed dry food his whole life so maybe that's why. He really never actively bugs me to feed him, he just sits by his dish when he's hungry, and he'll literally do that for hours. Or he'll eat the dry stuff.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that ... it's really much better to get the sleep every night as opposed to trying to 'catch up' every few weeks or months. Have you tried melatonin?

[mvd]

6. Yes, sometimes

Used to more than I do now, but there is a lot of anxiety and stress out there. It is not hard for it to prevent the brain from shutting down to sleep.

[msongs]

7. feed the cats before bedtime then keep them out of your sleeping area if possible nt

[Laffy Kat]

8. Going to a hotel is actually a good idea.

Make sure to ask for the quietest room, away from elevators, ice machines, stairs, etc.

I know what you mean, though. I sleep so much better in the daytime than at night. Nighttime sleeping feels wrong to me.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. I never attempt sleep before 6 AM

This is in Florida. When I lived in Las Vegas for 24 years I typically slept beginning 4 to 5 AM.

I don't think there is anything more gruesome than 8 AM sun...other than GOP politics, cats and cheese

[Laffy Kat]

27. LOL. i don't like the sun, either.

I used to work graveyard shift and that is perfect for me. Seems more natural.

[Midnight Writer]

32. Me, too. Up all night, sleep most of the day. Loved working night shifts.

[Raine]

9. I have insomnia, always have. I wake up every couple hours

sometimes I can go back to sleep but half the time I can't. I'm always tired.

[silverweb]

13. I hear you.

Insomnia here, too. I worked 2nd shift doing transcription for over 20 years, so I'm used to a split-shift life, but I retired almost 2 yrs ago and still can't sleep more than 2-3 hours at a time.

I used to drink to get to sleep, until it interfered with the rest of my life. Since then I've used an indica vape to get to sleep, but it only lasts a couple of hours and then I'm awake again.

Prescribed sleeping medications either don't work or have unacceptable side effects.

The most useful approach is that I've stopped fighting it. Now I sleep when I'm sleepy and find something to do when I'm not. I work mornings and am fine until noon, then a 2-hr post-lunch nap is what keeps me going.

If you study it, an 8-hour sleep period only came into being after the industrial revolution. Before that, people rose and slept when sunlight dictated. They also awoke during the night and did other things by candlelight for a while, then went back to sleep until it was time to get up.

Now that I'm semi-retired, I can afford to flip the bird to anyone who says my sleep period should be 6-8 hours every night. And whenever I hear about anyone unable to sleep by that schedule, I empathize. There are few things worse than being exhausted all the time.

[safeinOhio]

19. Same here, 30 years of late afternoon work hours.

18 years later and have terrible sleep hours.
I just go with it and go on DU when I wake up and nap when I can and feel like it. Not all that bad. Sleep aids all have negative side effects.

[True Blue American]

23. Exact opposite for me.

Have always been an early bird. When I had to work late hours it killed me.

At the Y Pool for vigorous water exercise at 5:45 AM. Now retired, all my work,errands,etc done early.

Even family parties, lunches,that used to be huge non existent now.

Thank goodness I can keep my brain busy. Early to bed!

[smirkymonkey]

25. Same here. It's awful and I rarely feel completely rested.

I seem to sleep best in the late morning, around 7am - Noon. Although if I am really exhausted and it's a weekend, I will occasionally sleep well into the afternoon. However I have to be up around 8 am for work during the week.

Every once in a while I will manage to fall asleep at a reasonable hour (11pm - Midnight) and stay asleep most of the night, and that's great, but it's rare. I've tried everything (except serious sleep meds) and sometimes things work, sometimes they don't.

[Laffy Kat]

28. Think you may have sleep apnea?

I'm an insomniac, too, especially since having to be at work at 10:15 a.m. (ugh!).

[Skittles]

11. very often

it is SOP for me

[Jane Austin]

12. I use an app on my iPad

that has Pink Noise. It's supposed to give you more deep sleep.

It's called Ambience EX-White noise.

It has several different sounds, including pink noise, and it's free.

Between that and a dual release melatonin tablet (It releases a second dose after four hours, so you stay asleep) I usually get a full night's sleep.

If I'm really tired, I've been known to sleep ten or eleven hours at a time.

I exercise every day, which might also help.

I can definitely recommend the Pink Noise plus dual release melatonin.

[True Blue American]

24. Exercise is the key. Energizes you.

[dameatball]

14. Yes, sleep issues here also. Which is why I am writing this at 4 am. Been this way for years.

[yonder]

15. For the last few years 5.5 or 6 hours in normal for me.

Rarely can I sleep for 7 or 8 hours. Just can't sleep any longer no matter what time I go to bed. Of course, an afternoon nap is becoming more and more a must do.

[Tribetime]

16. Yes 3 hrs then wake up

Stay up for a couple then back to sleep 3 or so

[Meowmee]

17. I am nocturnal

I am usually up a lot at night and when I sleep I am waking up a lot due to various things.. my kitties have not been sleeping with me lately because I fixed the pet flap and they are scared of it, so I have to put a new one in which is a chore. One angel spooned me every night from the time I rescued him, I miss him so much. And his sister too, one on either side, they used to fight over who slept next to my face until she passed. My siamese has started sleeping in my room again on and off however and the new guy who I rescued will too but siamese does not like him being there and they chase each other off the bed etc. sometimes. I feed them before I sleep so they do not bother me about food until much later if I don't get up eventually... I tend to read a lot and work etc. before I get up.

As long as I get enough I am good, even if I wake up, I will read and eventually fall back asleep.

I recommend feeding kitties before sleeping, as well as covering eyes, earplugs and a noise machine and maybe some melatonin.

[SergeStorms]

18. Oh yeah...

Never more than 2-3 hours at a time, and most days 5 hours or less total. I'm older now, and they say older people sleep less. About once a month my body shuts down for a 24 hr. period, and I just sleep the day away. Then it's back to the old routine. I've never been one to sleep that much though, even when I was a teenager. I just figure it's my nature, and don't worry about it. I get through the day alright, and don't seem to suffer any ill effects because of it.

[rickyhall]

20. I thought it was just me

Sleep schedule:
12am-3am
6am-8am
4pm-6pm
So I still get 7 or 8 hours, just not all at once
Good thing I'm retired
I'm gonna find a 20hr. job once I get The Vaccine
But not till Mr Biden kicks the orange asshole out...

[murielm99]

21. I have the same problem.

Every couple of weeks, I just crash and sleep for ten hours or more.

[AmyStrange]

22. SLEEP?! What the HELL is that?

-

I've heard it can be quite relaxing, but I've never had the pleasure.

Just Kidding.

The worst thing is after a couple hours, waking up and having to face cheery, happy people.

(Fill in your own expletives here)

A hotel sounds like a good idea and thank you.
============

[Layzeebeaver]

26. Lately it's 3am to 7:30am here

So that's 4 to 5 hours typically.

As we get older we sleep less. When I'm 130yo I'll be awake all the time, I'll just look like I'm asleep.

[Laffy Kat]

30. Supposedly, the higher the IQ, the less sleep you need.

At least that's what I've been told. If it's true, I must be incredibly stupid because I need a lot, more than I'm getting, usually.

[fleur-de-lisa]

29. Me!

That’s been my sleep pattern for over 30 years. I take sleep medication, a muscle relaxer, melatonin, and taurine before going to bed and still only sleep 3 to 3 1/2 hours. And that’s when there’s no noise or other disturbances.

I get up for a few hours and then take a nap for about an hour before starting work every day.

I don’t remember the last time I slept for a solid 8 hours. Probably in college.

[mucifer]

31. Probably 3 times a year I sleep 7 hours. A choppy 4-6 is my norm sometimes 3 or less

[shanti]

33. Melatonin

Give it a try

[Delmette2.0]

34. I go to my sister's home.

She lives in a small mountain town. And it is so relaxing and quiet. Well, except for New Year's and July 4th.
She cooks and I do the dishes. We just have a good time hanging out. I can get a solid 8 hours every time.

[Blue_true]

37. I have never been able to sleep more than around 6 and a half hours.

Even when I was a boy. I have found that naps hurt me badly if they are longer than 10 minutes. If I nap for an hour at 6pm, I am sure not to sleep at all that night, the nap doesn’t allow my brain to calm down later that night, so I lay awake thinking about things, mostly things related to my work - then at 4 or 5am, I crash for an hour of so, but wake back at 5 or 6am. I have learned to nap nap more than 15 minutes max, I adhere to that.

[Delmette2.0]

38. Power naps are awesome.

That was my go to thing when I was working and raising children. Just 20 minutes and I was a new person.

[Blue_true]

39. Yes they are. 10 minutes does it for me. 15 minutes is pushing it, that

interferes with later that night. The 10 minutes sharpen my mind like a razor. I think companies should encourage people to take a 5-15 minute power nap at a time that works best for this, of course meetings and other things interfere with that, but as soon as a person has 10 uninterrupted minutes, that person should recline in a chair and close their eyes. I have found that just closing my eyes and relaxing (even without sleep) helps a ton.

[LisaL]

35. If you have cats, you have to make sure there is always food.

Always...

[Blue_true]

36. Force yourself to not sleep during the day, even if you have to mow your

lawn and other things outside.

Your body is telling you that you are not a night owl, that it will sleep more restfully at night if you let it. The human body is amazingly good at filtering out identifiable noises, even if your neighbors make slightly different noises outside your apartment (other than blaring trumpets), your brain will ignore that, if you haven’t thrown it off by sleeping during the day.