Sleeping patterns

[Anth_F]

I have noticed quite a good few people here mention they suffer from crap sleep a lot!!

Now i am starting to get some of that. I feel tired like i could sleep for a week kinda feeling sometimes, then go to bed, but after maybe a couple hours pass i can be wide awake again and find it hard to get back off sometimes... tossing/turning. I wonder if this is due to too much regular exercise, or maybe just the time of year or something?!! It doesn't seem to have affected my performance, or my ability to get motivated for exercise, at least not yet anyway.

I take 1 rest day per week from all exercise activity. On the rest day it will just consist of dog walking, anywhere between 6-8 miles... now we all know how beneficial daily walking is, so i won't even go placing any blame there.

Maybe i will start taking some valerian root or something to see if that helps.

[skiffrace]

I feel tired like i could sleep for a week kinda feeling sometimes, then go to bed, but after maybe a couple hours pass i can be wide awake again and find it hard to get back off sometimes... tossing/turning. I wonder if this is due to too much regular exercise, or maybe just the time of year or something?!!

Nothing abnormal. It happens to most, if not all people, including some babies as well
In different times (ex. Middle Ages) people routinely slept in stages: slept for a few hours, got up and did some farm chores, then went back to sleep for a few more hours.
The Industrial Revolution created the concept of work in blocks of 8(10/12...) hours/day, and this led to the belief that sleep should be in such blocks as well.

It doesn't seem to have affected my performance, or my ability to get motivated for exercise, at least not yet anyway.

This answers your own question. If the occasional sleep disruption does not affect your life, there is nothing to be concerned with.
OTOH, if your sleep becomes disrupted on a regular basis, it's another story.

[Anth_F]

I feel tired like i could sleep for a week kinda feeling sometimes, then go to bed, but after maybe a couple hours pass i can be wide awake again and find it hard to get back off sometimes... tossing/turning. I wonder if this is due to too much regular exercise, or maybe just the time of year or something?!!

Nothing abnormal. It happens to most, if not all people, including some babies as well
In different times (ex. Middle Ages) people routinely slept in stages: slept for a few hours, got up and did some farm chores, then went back to sleep for a few more hours.
The Industrial Revolution created the concept of work in blocks of 8(10/12...) hours/day, and this led to the belief that sleep should be in such blocks as well.

It doesn't seem to have affected my performance, or my ability to get motivated for exercise, at least not yet anyway.

This answers your own question. If the occasional sleep disruption does not affect your life, there is nothing to be concerned with.
OTOH, if your sleep becomes disrupted on a regular basis, it's another story.

That first part is interesting... and eases my concerns somewhat, so thanks for that. The second part, that is kinda what i was getting to with "Yet".. if it becomes quite persistent then it would start to affect things. Years ago it got quite troublesome and i couldn't sleep properly for a good few weeks. I also want to publicly thank Paul aka Gammmmo for the PM he sent me in relation to this thread, with some very helpful advice which helped his sleeping issues. Thanks again mate!!

[Gammmmo]

In different times (ex. Middle Ages) people routinely slept in stages: slept for a few hours, got up and did some farm chores, then went back to sleep for a few more hours.

Yes, I've head this, including the body being designed for it to take a mid afternoon nap (definitely helpful).

OTOH, if your sleep becomes disrupted on a regular basis, it's another story.

This is self-perpetuating - worrying about not sleeping just makes things worse. When you feel you must get better sleep frequently exactly the opposite happens. Sleep preparation can be "hacked" somewhat but the actual act should be effortless...and welcome! Now, if the source of the worry is something else then that's another issue...

[jamesg]

So long as we dream, I don't think how we sleep matters much. The basic 3-hour sleep cycle offers this, usually, but with age I can't say I sleep 2 or 3 cycles on end as I did 60 years ago.

Worrying about lack of (or indeed about anything) is unlikely to offer improvement, so if we're not in total abstinence perhaps it's best to take it as it comes, but watch what does change things.

In that light, certain types of physical action can be recommended, as also a spring mattress. Years ago, I noticed that if I tried to learn Chinese by reading a book in bed, I never got beyond the first page. Today's e-books are handy and seem to be equally effective.

[Anth_F]

Thanks guys!! Yes, some years ago, worrying about it was what caused my sleeping disorder to soon become a vicious cycle that got worse. So i had to learn from past experience not to worry about these things. They tend to take care of themselves if you don't let them bother too much. My sleep was better last night, in bed for a total of 9 hours. And slept most of that, with some dreams too.

I had a banana and some milk before bedtime, which may have helped do the trick.

[JRBJR]

Just about everyone suffers from inadequate sleep these days, either occasionally or frequently. The relatively new topic of "sleep hygiene" stresses the importance of setting up your bedroom to promote optimal sleep. TVs, table radios, alarm clocks (especially those with lighted displays), kindles, iphones, etc. are all verboten. They all interfere with good sleep, and the blue light emitted by iphones and tablets is particularly disruptive. If you must use a wakeup alarm, use a non-lit one with a soft alarm noise. Try to keep the room slightly cool and don't over-do it on heavy blankets that you or the wife end up kicking off after a few hours. You need a quiet sleep environment: If you live in a noisy neighborhood (nighttime car traffic noises, barking dogs, etc.), consider wearing ear plugs or; if necessary, install sound-insulating multi-pane windows. Keep the room dark using effective window treatments.

During the day, eat a healthy diet to promote good digestion and eliminate/minimize occurrences of late night heartburn. And all the "sleep experts" agree that exercise helps promote good sleep if it isn't overdone or performed in the evening.

And keep that Chinese language book within easy reach on the nightstand.

[Gammmmo]

Years ago, I noticed that if I tried to learn Chinese by reading a book in bed, I never got beyond the first page.

Funniest thing I've heard today.

Just about everyone suffers from inadequate sleep these days, either occasionally or frequently. The relatively new topic of "sleep hygiene" stresses the importance of setting up your bedroom to promote optimal sleep. TVs, table radios, alarm clocks (especially those with lighted displays), kindles, iphones, etc. are all verboten. They all interfere with good sleep, and the blue light emitted by iphones and tablets is particularly disruptive. If you must use a wakeup alarm, use a non-lit one with a soft alarm noise. Try to keep the room slightly cool and don't over-do it on heavy blankets that you or the wife end up kicking off after a few hours. You need a quiet sleep environment: If you live in a noisy neighborhood (nighttime car traffic noises, barking dogs, etc.), consider wearing ear plugs or; if necessary, install sound-insulating multi-pane windows. Keep the room dark using effective window treatments.

During the day, eat a healthy diet to promote good digestion and eliminate/minimize occurrences of late night heartburn. And all the "sleep experts" agree that exercise helps promote good sleep if it isn't overdone or performed in the evening.

And keep that Chinese language book within easy reach on the nightstand.

A good summary on how to "hack" sleep.

[Anth_F]

It's a good thing i have no tv's/radios in my bedroom then!!! also have blinds with curtains as well so it's pretty nice and dark. Never use an alarm either, i'm woke up by habit!! I am also lucky to be self employed, and can work and get up when ever i feel like it... many people do not have that luxury and are required to abide to company working hours, so for most alarms will be essential.

The only thing i do now and then is burn some incense sticks in my bedroom! lavender/patchouli/clary sage etc.. these are sedative fragrance aromas that help to promote sleep.

I am guilty of exercise sometimes later in the evenings however so i hold my hands up there... sometimes i just feel the need to get down and crank out some pushups or do a bit of shadow boxing etc.