@sharks
I am sorry to hear you are dealing with this, (and any others of you that cant sleep more than 3.5 hours)
because I do know and understand,
that you stated it as a problem for you,
and you asked for ideas on how to possibly lengthen the hours of sleep, or shift them somewhat,
to improve your level of sickness and your life,
so I understand what you said and what you asked for. Is real and valid.
For you, as it would be for most people.
And often is for me.
Yes, circadian rhythm problems go with this illness, I have that too,
and in some cases, can be accepted as is, or must be, and might work out ok.
For others of us, they are more extreme, and in some cases,
it can cause additional sufferings, so we might ask for ideas about how to change it, that might have helped others who found it added more difficulty to their lives.
That was what your post topic sounded like to me, but I might be mistaken.
When I myself sleep for less than 4 -5 hours per 24, I suffer more, for all of my awake hours ,
and even worse suffering if i sleep only 3 or 3.5, so i do seek ideas then, and try them all, to hope to get more sleep, and at whatever time of day is helpful for my eating and other ADL. (very basic activities of daily living such as bathing and eating.
@sharks ,
my guess is that is probably you why you asked for ideas , to help shift it or change or increase sleep, because it likely makes your entire sickness level worse,
and in addition, limits what life activitivites you can manage to do, that might give you a bit of joy in your days.
Ignoring or accepting it might work for some people, (and I am glad for them!)
but for some of us, 3-4 or even 5 hours, simply is not enough sleep.
For me, I know and believe that it results in making, for myself, my illness and my life VERY much harder ,
ALL my other illness symptoms are exacerbated, for the entire days,
and overall illness and function level lower and worse, and more miserable,
I don't move or manage other basic human functions, as well,
when I go through periods of time of getting 4 or less hours of sleep.
So, of course, I don't get to do anything but feel ill all day, nor my thoughts cant be as naturally positive, since my brain did not get the sleep it needs.
I am also happier fi I can be awake more during the day, and asleep more of the night. That is me.
Usually I need MORE sleep than normal healthy people, in order to function at all, minimally,
but I go through miserable periods of sleeping very little, that feel terrible to live through.
And, as you stated your difficulty , is with sleeping only 3.5 hours per 24.
That makes sense to me, and it I what you said, so it probably is a problem for you, as it would be for many people, in my opinion. That isn't enough sleep for a body to repair itself, even if it were not ill.
That is a problem in my opinion, because I know that when I have weeks of it, my entire illness gets worse, understandably, because this is not enough sleep for humans to function with and maintain any bit of health they might have left.
If someone else is able to take a bit of a walk outdoors and occasionally enjoy something, after getting only 3.5 hours of sleep per night, I honestly am very happy for them.
But that might not describe most people.
And I think it is important to accept and support the poster with whatever they tell us, on a support forum,
is their difficulty they are asking for ideas for.
I know that everyone thinks their ideas are helpful for the poster, and means well,
and I hope all of the ideas ARE.
Most or many of us, or just me and you,
@sharks, feel much sicker when that is all the sleep we can manage to get.
Sorry to ramble and to be repetitive, I am having a lot of cognitive difficulty today, because , as usual, I have gotten too little sleep. SO I see I am repeating myself, I Apologize for that! I truly do not mean to be overstating or dominating, I am just unable to edit my post properly.
Sorry I cannot suggest anything helpful, for you sharks,
but I do give you my understanding, that 3.5 hours of sleep is probably not enough, for you to feel however much better you can. And enjoy something you might otherwise be able to.
It makes MY life MUCH harder, because it increases greatly, my sufferings from pain and lack of mobility and feeling ill all of the time that I am awake. I am unable to go outdoors, I don't have any strength or stamina, and I feel terribly ill.
I am certain if I could sleep more than 4 hours in 24, that at least, my pain level would go down a little, even though I would still have my illness.
Therefore my quality of life, while I am awake, would be improved.
I guess this isn't true for some of the posters. They either live ok with little sleep, or they sleep more, but at different times of day.
But for me, it is a real problem. A great difficulty for me. I suffer with it. Physical and mental suffering. Pain, brain suffering.
Maybe it is for sharks as well, or for someone else who reads the posts, since it is for me,
and because that is what the post topic is, as far as I could see. I could be mistaken but that is what I understood the topic poster to be stating and asking for and deserves.
I am glad this is not a problem for other people.
Just needed to express that it is a real problem for me,
and might be for some others.
My attitude toward it might help a bit, but does not replace an hour or 2 extra sleep, what that would do for my brain and body and functional ability.