There’s probably very little about me or the way I do things that’s normal but I seem to have this weird thing going on. Every afternoon about 2:30 or 3, I cannot hold my eyes open. I’m not one to sleep in a chair. I need to go to bed, cover up with quilts and fall asleep – usually for a couple of hours. I know if I do that, I’ll be up half the night so I try not to take an afternoon nap. For at least the last 10 days, I’ve wanted a nap so badly but have resisted. Then, every evening, about 8, I get this burst of energy. It’s like . . Hey Vince, let’s go outside and pull weeds or let’s clean up the downstairs family room. He doesn’t get that burst of energy. I’ve always been one to fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow. Last night, I went to bed at midnight, tossed and turned, thought of things I should have done upstairs, got out of bed twice and went upstairs to do something. It was after 2 a.m. before I fell asleep. Still . . 5:15, I was awake.
I hope it isn’t a medical condition because I’m not about to go to the doctor with all the covid out there. It’s just so weird how I get so sleepy in the afternoon, then so wired by bedtime, then still wake up way too early in the mornings.
I want my old sleep habits back!
I’ve made sure that I don’t drink a Dr. Pepper after our last meal, which is usually around 3 p.m. I used to drink one about 8 or 9 p.m. but I wouldn’t dare do that. I usually don’t eat anything after our last meal. I have no idea what’s going on but . . I have energy except that short window when I’d give anything to take a nap, and I don’t feel bad so I guess I’m not sick.
Has this ever happened to you?
Teri says
Yes! Except for the wired part in the evening. I just get that afternoon slump and wind up taking a nap for an hour.
vivoaks says
I have very similar issues. More and more often I will head to bed, anytime between midnight and 1, and lay awake till 3 or 4. Drives me nuts. And I get really tired right after our evening meal, which is generally before 6. I’ll finish eating, set my laptop in my lap to do some things on the computer, then wake up an hour or more later, disgusted with myself for falling asleep at that hour! Then by 11 I’m ready to get to work!! Disgusting!! I do have my alarm set for 8 AM, regardless. I have one day I’m up by 7 because of an early meeting, but there are mornings I never hear the radio turn on at 8…I’ll sleep right through till 9 and wake up with the radio turns off! Wish I could stick with a schedule, but the older I get, the more that evening nap sounds like a really good idea…
Prima M says
Judy, it seems as I get older, nothing makes think of things I need to do like laying my head on my pillow does. I can be so very sleepy, but that pillow seems to make me think of a million things, both past and present. I used to go to sleep very quickly. Now, not so much.
Donna says
Judy I’ve been doing the same thing for about the last 10 days. I’ve never been a napper but lately about 3pm I have to either lay down or fall asleep in the chair. I’ll sleep about 1 1/2 hours then at bedtime usually midnight I’m still wide awake. When I do go to sleep about 3am I sleep until about 9am. When I wake up I’m mad because I slept so late. I want my old schedule back! Let’s blame it on the weather and not the number of years we are. LOL
Christina says
Sorry all but thank you all as well, I thought I was the only one with ridiculous sleeping habits. I’m like you Judy I’m lucky if I get to 3.30 in the afternoon without having to lie down. Then it has to be bed and I’m asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. That’s me out for up to 4 hrs! !! Then I’m up and left with decision to eat tea or not. I go to bed at 9-10 make myself comfy and have know to be awake till 3 am! Sometimes I do sleep from 10 to 3 then I’m awake for the day! If I keep busy in the afternoon I end up falling asleep at 8 in the chair . Chased to bed by husband and as soon as my head hits the pillow I’m awake a aaaah. I haven’t slept for more than 5 hours at night since my car accident. So I take any sleep as a top up. Interesting to read that women who have poor sleep patterns are more likely to be overweight as their hormones are affected. So you have it I’m fat because I don’t sleep. Oh the joys of being a woman.
Cindy F says
I really don’t have a solution for you but I do empathize. For myself I have no problem falling asleep, it’s staying asleep. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and I dread looking at the clock. If it’s 4ish I’m okay as we get up 5-5:30 and a little early is fine. It’s when I look at the clock and it isn’t 2am yet that I start to wonder if I will be able to get back to sleep. Sometimes yes but mostly no. When that happens I don’t take a nap during the day, well not willingly anyway. I might find myself snoozing a bit and realize 20 minutes have gone by but I don’t go lay down or I won’t be able to fall asleep later. That burst of energy you get sounds like a second wind to me. I get that at times when I’m up late at night and I could be falling asleep in the living room but once that feeling passes then I’m good to go for a couple of hours and I could go do something productive. I do find that if I have snoozed a bit right before bedtime and then try to go to bed, I can’t. It’s as if I’ve rested enough to get that second wind. I hate to say it but age seems to be a factor for me. I didn’t have all these sleep problems when I was younger. I’m 63 now and good sleep has been an issue for several years now.
Robin R Crittenden says
Not sure about the bedtime issues but I’d wonder if you are eating a lot of carbs with your meal and then get really sleepy. Once your body processes the carbs some you even out. Just a thought
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Vince is halfway doing keto so most days, we don’t have a lot of carbs. Some days, we do. I’ll watch that and see if it makes a difference. I think one thing is I’m busy getting the meal prepared,then getting the kitchen clean and when I sit down, I’m tired but after sitting for a while, I get my energy back. Not sure.
Deb says
I get so tired about 3 times a week that I really DO need a nap. It’s stress in my case – just moved into a ‘new’ house, helping our daughter as her house is sold and closes a week from today. Plus all the tradespeople I have to research, narrow down & get in here to do quotes, then get the work done. It’s a lot! I take the nap, and I still go to sleep from 7:30 to 8:00 every night. Problem is I’m so busy and my mind is so “full” that I often wake at 1 pm and am up the rest of the night, too. I take 3 mg of melatonin, which really helps, and I take it every single night as seniors have melatonin levels that drop (so don’t sleep) and seratonin levels that increase (bursts of energy, which is NOT helpful at bedtime)…so taking melatonin makes all the difference for you. I don’t worry about it – if I need the sleep, I get it!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
About a year ago, Vince convinced me I should try melatonin and I took half of a 3 mg pill and slept four about 14 hours, got up, ate and went back to bed. I don’t do well taking lots of meds so I’m staying away from the melatonin. 🙂
Carol Andrews says
Hi Judy and everyone else experiencing the I need a nap thing. I was talking with a friend (a physician) about this exact situation. She says it is a form of reaction to all we have been going through with almost 2 years of dealing with Covid, lockdowns, lack of our normal social behaviours and routines. It’s a depressive reaction is her exact words. In other words we’re normal! It will come and eventually we will go back to our normal routines. Trying not to actually have that nap is the best way to get back to normal sooner
judy.blog@gmail.com says
Thank you! Today we were busy all day. I hardly ever sat down and I didn’t ever feel like I needed a nap. It’s the days I’m sitting and reading or stitching so maybe it’s when I relax that I subconsciously feel overwhelmed and a nap would be an escape. Who knows but I appreciate that info.