Changes in sleeping patterns

[InChristAlone]

Depending on how long you've had CFS/ME, this question might be difficult for you to answer. Most likely though, I think everyone will find it easy to answer.

How has everyone's sleeping patterns changed over the course of their illness?

When I first discovered I had CFS, my sleeping patterns were terrible! I would wake up multiple times in the middle of the night and even be awake for hours because, though I was tired, I could never fall back to sleep. Now, that is completely the opposite of how I am! Sometimes, I can't fall asleep at all, until an hour or two after laying down and then when I do go to bed, I wake up a million times at night. And then I wake up so early and never can fall back to sleep.

As of late, thankfully, I'm able to fall asleep rather quickly and stay asleep, only waking two or three times a night.

Just thought it would be interesting to hear how everyone sleeps and how that's changed.

 

[jimbob]

Mine is the latter even though I take sleep med. Takes long time to fall asleep and then I wake too soon and can't fall back to sleep. Even though, like you say, were freaking tired!

 

[soxfan]

I would never be able to fall asleep without lunesta no matter how tired I am. I can feel like I could lay down and sleep for years but it never happens..thankfully I sleep great with lunesta. The minute I get into bed it seems as though my body decides to get wired at the same time feeling exhaustion beyond belief. I don't always have refreshing sleep but at least I am not laying awake all night which is torture....

 

[InChristAlone]

Mine is the latter even though I take sleep med. Takes long time to fall asleep and then I wake too soon and can't fall back to sleep. Even though, like you say, were freaking tired!

That tends to be how I am now but not all the time. However, I'm not taking any sleeping meds because I feel that I sleep well enough that I don't really need them. Plus, I don't want to become too dependent on those sleep meds that if I were to come off them, I wouldn't be able to sleep at all.

I would never be able to fall asleep without lunesta no matter how tired I am. I can feel like I could lay down and sleep for years but it never happens..thankfully I sleep great with lunesta. The minute I get into bed it seems as though my body decides to get wired at the same time feeling exhaustion beyond belief. I don't always have refreshing sleep but at least I am not laying awake all night which is torture....

I know the feeling. Sometimes during the day, I'll want to take a nap but, my body is so exhausted that I just can't fall asleep. Or if I do too much during the day, my sleeping pattern at night is totally different because so much exhaustion.

 

[Carrigon]

My sleeping varies alot. I've gone through periods of time where I have only slept a few hours a night. Then it has reversed to where I need two sleeping periods a day. I'll sleep like anywhere from five to six hours, be up awhile and need to go back to sleep for alot more hours. It just totally varies. Then I had periods of time where six hours was fine for me. It hasn't been regular all these years. I've never been able to really get on a schedule.