# How have your sleep patterns changed?



## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

As you've gotten older what changes have you noted in your usual sleep patterns if any?


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## Jillaroo (Mar 9, 2014)

_Mine have changed dramatically, i am lucky to get 3=4 hours if i'm lucky then i wonder why i'm always tired_


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## Rainee (Mar 9, 2014)

I am the same Jillaroo, not a very good sleeper at all.. go to bed maybe 1 am and then read till 2 then off to sleep ,
but one or two hours then wide awake seems to be the normal pattern for me these days then drift on and off till 7 or 8.
sure makes me tired all the time.. I can understand what you mean by your post too..


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## Pappy (Mar 9, 2014)

The older I get, the worst I sleep. I'm lucky to get 4 hours at one time. Bathroom trips and then I can't get back to sleep so I listen to talk radio. Sometimes I will doze off for an hour or two. I am up by 6:00 most mornings.


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## Justme (Mar 9, 2014)

I often lie awake for an hour or two in the night, sometimes longer these days as I have always had an overactive mind, which never seems to shut down. I usually go to bed between 9 and 10pm and up about 7.30am. I have never been one for late nights not even as a youngster.


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## Davey Jones (Mar 9, 2014)

Once I hit the sack and within 15-20 minutes Im gone to la-la land, Only time I wake up is to go pee and thats my fault for drinking liquid 2 hours before bedtime.


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## Falcon (Mar 9, 2014)

No problem outside of the (circa) 3 AM  p*ss call. {It's the age thing} Then I'm right back to sleep. Usually get up from 6 to 7 AM.


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Jillaroo said:


> _Mine have changed dramatically, i am lucky to get 3=4 hours if i'm lucky then i wonder why i'm always tired_



That stinks Jill. Sleep is our way of recharging the body. Have you tried anything to help? I use natural substances for sleep. And here are some tips too:

http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2011/03/xx-sleep-better-tips-you-haven.html


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Falcon said:


> No problem outside of the (circa) 3 AM  p*ss call. {It's the age thing} Then I'm right back to sleep. Usually get up from 6 to 7 AM.



You're a lucky fellow. Most people don't sleep straight through but the trick is to get back to sleep and you seem to have that under control.:zz:


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Davey Jones said:


> Once I hit the sack and within 15-20 minutes Im gone to la-la land, Only time I wake up is to go pee and thats my fault for drinking liquid 2 hours before bedtime.



Another lucky one! The sleep of the just?


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Justme said:


> I often lie awake for an hour or two in the night, sometimes longer these days as I have always had an overactive mind, which never seems to shut down. I usually go to bed between 9 and 10pm and up about 7.30am. I have never been one for late nights not even as a youngster.



I have to stop the tendency to review all the ills of the world at night. I make a mental picture of pulling down a metal shade over a shop door.

And I avoid caffine for sure as well as too much activity before bed. I take passionflower too if needed before bed. I've always been a light sleeper and use ear plugs as I hear every friggin thing.


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Pappy said:


> The older I get, the worst I sleep. I'm lucky to get 4 hours at one time. Bathroom trips and then I can't get back to sleep so I listen to talk radio. Sometimes I will doze off for an hour or two. I am up by 6:00 most mornings.



This is why I asked this question because reports are that as you age you sleep less. Not to mention the pee thing. :apologetic:

I'm an earlier riser too. If I sleep till 8 that's late for me. And I sleep sounder in winter months in the cooler weather.


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Rainee said:


> I am the same Jillaroo, not a very good sleeper at all.. go to bed maybe 1 am and then read till 2 then off to sleep ,
> but one or two hours then wide awake seems to be the normal pattern for me these days then drift on and off till 7 or 8.
> sure makes me tired all the time.. I can understand what you mean by your post too..



Stinks when you can't get a solid nights sleep. It affects you all day, or it does me. Well, they use sleep deprivation as a form of torture don't they?


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## Happyflowerlady (Mar 9, 2014)

I think that I sleep as well  now as I did before. I have always been an active, outdoor-sy type of person, and worn out by bedtime usually. Now, it doesn't take nearly as much to wear me out though.
I have a sleep-number bed, and I would not trade that for anything in the world. It is just the most comfortable bed ever ! 

I also take melatonin about a half hour before I go to bed, and when I lay down, I am asleep almost by the time my head hits that pillow. Now and then I have to get up during the night for the bathroom, or some noise wakes me up; but usually, I sleep straight through until daylight or the dogs wake me up.
I drink one cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and usually just lemon water after that, so unless I have had pop or tea with caffeine in it, there is no problem with that keeping me awake. All it takes is one cup of coffee, or pop in the afternoon, and then I have a terrible time going to sleep that night; so I do my best to avoid anything that might cause that to happen.


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## That Guy (Mar 9, 2014)

Usually sleep deep and well unless aches and pains or a weird dream disturbs my slumber.


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

That Guy said:


> Usually sleep deep and well unless aches and pains or a weird dream disturbs my slumber.



Is that you on the bottom?:lol:


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Happyflowerlady said:


> I think that I sleep as well  now as I did before. I have always been an active, outdoor-sy type of person, and worn out by bedtime usually. Now, it doesn't take nearly as much to wear me out though.
> I have a sleep-number bed, and I would not trade that for anything in the world. It is just the most comfortable bed ever !
> 
> 
> ...



You sound like a balanced personality which certainly helps with sleep issues. And doing some things right such as not taking caffine late in the day.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Mar 9, 2014)

I have never had problems with sleep-I always fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow and woke up 8 hours later. Lately,I occasionally take a little longer to fall asleep and wake up a couple of times during the night. Never to pee though-they call me "Iron Bladder". It`ll probably be the death of me. DH is the one with the sleep problem. He has always been a light sleeper-could never have any light coming in under the door or a streetlight outside. He`s not as bad about that anymore but he wakes up during the night and sometimes stays awake for hours. He`s tried every natural sleep remedy out there-some don`t work at all,some work for a while (or at least help a bit) but not for long. So two weeks ago I bought some Essential Oil from a friend who sells them and so far,it has been incredible. I knew it was good stuff because they were using it on my grandson who used to have night terrors and it really worked for him. So every night at bedtime,DH rubs a little of the oil on his wrists and falls right to sleep. He will usually sleep right through but if he does wake up at 3 or 4,he`ll rub some more on and out he goes. It`s pretty cool. The bonus is that,because I can smell the stuff,it`s keeping me asleep all night too. Neither one of us really cares for the smell-it`s not awful but we just don`t care for it much-so I want to get some Lavender Oil to mix with it to see if that will make it smell better. Now the test will be to see if it works long-term.


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## That Guy (Mar 9, 2014)

Gael said:


> Is that you on the bottom?:lol:



Not sure.  One of those weird dreams . . .


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## Gael (Mar 9, 2014)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> I have never had problems with sleep-I always fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow and woke up 8 hours later. Lately,I occasionally take a little longer to fall asleep and wake up a couple of times during the night. Never to pee though-they call me "Iron Bladder". It`ll probably be the death of me. DH is the one with the sleep problem. He has always been a light sleeper-could never have any light coming in under the door or a streetlight outside. He`s not as bad about that anymore but he wakes up during the night and sometimes stays awake for hours. He`s tried every natural sleep remedy out there-some don`t work at all,some work for a while (or at least help a bit) but not for long. So two weeks ago I bought some Essential Oil from a friend who sells them and so far,it has been incredible. I knew it was good stuff because they were using it on my grandson who used to have night terrors and it really worked for him. So every night at bedtime,DH rubs a little of the oil on his wrists and falls right to sleep. He will usually sleep right through but if he does wake up at 3 or 4,he`ll rub some more on and out he goes. It`s pretty cool. The bonus is that,because I can smell the stuff,it`s keeping me asleep all night too. Neither one of us really cares for the smell-it`s not awful but we just don`t care for it much-so I want to get some Lavender Oil to mix with it to see if that will make it smell better. Now the test will be to see if it works long-term.



God bless you! Yours is the ideal of sleep scenarios!:coolthumb:

Yes, lavender oil is known to promote sleep. They have it in everything now, from pillow sprays to body patches. It never worked for me. Passionflower is my herb of choice. But everyone is different.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 9, 2014)

I've been getting more sleep since I retired, than when I was working.  I always went to sleep around 11:00, and had to get up pretty early for work, sometimes 4 or 5 o'clock, depending on my shift.  Now I still go to bed 11ish, listen to the radio for a little while on a talk show, and then get up around 9 o'clock.  I use melatonin and herbal blends sometimes for sleep.  I have used lavender oil in baths, right before bedtime, and found it to be very relaxing.  Passionflower is in the herbal blend I use.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Mar 9, 2014)

Gael said:


> God bless you! Yours is the ideal of sleep scenarios!:coolthumb:
> 
> Yes, lavender oil is known to promote sleep. They have it in everything now, from pillow sprays to body patches. It never worked for me. Passionflower is my herb of choice. But everyone is different.



It`s not Lavender Oil that he`s using-I`m just thinking about adding the Lavender Oil to help it smell better to us. The one he is using is RutaVaLa by Young Living Essential Oils I think it`s a blend-I think the Va is Valarian Root oil and the La is Lavender Oil. Have no idea what the Ruta is. Rutabaga Oil? LOL


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## 0020Mariah (Mar 9, 2014)

I always felt  needed more sleep hours than other people. I sure have changed sleep pattern since I retired. I use to go to bed around 10:30 - 11:00 having trouble waking up at 7 to go to work as I had this reading habit for up to 3 hours in bed. I usually took a nap after work and  slept up to 9 straight hours on weekends. 

Now, I don't keep a "going to bed" hour or for waking up in the morning. Can't seem to sleep more than 4 hs straight; have to go to the bathroom because of medication. I sleep alone in my own room (live with family members). I go to bed  when I need it, whenever I'm getting sleepy. This can be at mid morning or early night after dinner if I feel like it. Sometimes I am reading or browsing the internet at 3 in the morning, going to bed at 5. I share the afternoon hours with family and I cook dinner for them; sometimes we watch a movie or we engage in conversation but they pretty much allow me to decide if I want to go to my room or not.
This living arrengement is ok for all of us. I'm happy and wouldn't change a thing at this part of my life; love watching grandchildren growing up and showing their respect and love for grandma; I sure show them same thing.


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## Gael (Mar 10, 2014)

0020Mariah said:


> I always felt  needed more sleep hours than other people. I sure have changed sleep pattern since I retired. I use to go to bed around 10:30 - 11:00 having trouble waking up at 7 to go to work as I had this reading habit for up to 3 hours in bed. I usually took a nap after work and  slept up to 9 straight hours on weekends.
> 
> Now, I don't keep a "going to bed" hour or for waking up in the morning. I sleep alone in my own room (live with family members). I go to bed  when I need it, whenever I'm getting sleepy. This can be at mid morning or early night after dinner if I feel like it. Sometimes I am reading or browsing the internet at 3 in the morning, going to bed at 5. I share the afternoon hours with family and I cook dinner for them; sometimes we watch a movie or we engage in conversation but they pretty much allow me to decide if I want to go to my room or not.
> This living arrengement is ok for all of us. I'm happy and wouldn't change a thing at this part of my life; love watching grandchildren growing up and showing their respect and love for grandma; I sure show them same thing.



Sleep requirements do vary from individual to individual and it seems with age. But as long as you've worked out a way to get sufficient sleep then I think you're doing ok.


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## Gael (Mar 10, 2014)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> It`s not Lavender Oil that he`s using-I`m just thinking about adding the Lavender Oil to help it smell better to us. The one he is using is RutaVaLa by Young Living Essential Oils I think it`s a blend-I think the Va is Valarian Root oil and the La is Lavender Oil. Have no idea what the Ruta is. Rutabaga Oil? LOL



I never knew of valerian to work through smell, just internally. But apparently it's in the blend you mention. And the "rue" oil is explained here:
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and Nervous Tension[/h]

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The smell is bitter with a *hint* of lavender. It has been my experience that you will simply *love* or *hate* the smell of this blend right from the start! I actually do like its unusually different aroma!
A few words on Ruta graveolens, Ruta oil or Rue essential oil, *before* you proceed below.
Personally, from what I have read and researched, I would probably only use it in a blend that was *professionally*made. Finding a good quality source of Rue oil is *extremely*difficult, and even then, I’m not sure if I would use it as a single oil.
Therefore, I was happy to find such a *fantastic blend*! And I like the selection of oils that were chosen to *compliment* the Rue oil.
Because, I find Rue essential oil so *interesting*, I did include as much additional information I could find on another page.
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This is an enjoyable and easy reference guide for *RutaVaLa Essential Oil Blend*. It will tell you *how* to use your oil blend and *what* to use it for. It will also provide you with some fun tips and testimonials!
As I receive *new* tips and testimonials they will be added to the page, so check back frequently!
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Rue Essential Oil (_Ruta graveolens_) has anti-spasmodic properties. Emotionally, it is relaxing and releasing.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 10, 2014)

Gael said:


> As you've gotten older what changes have you noted in your usual sleep patterns if any?



None - I've been a practitioner of polyphasic sleeping since my high school days and in one form or another I've pretty much stuck with it. Aging seems to have had no effect on it.


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## Gael (Mar 10, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> None - I've been a practitioner of polyphasic sleeping since my high school days and in one form or another I've pretty much stuck with it. Aging seems to have had no effect on it.



Good news for you then. For those that aren't familiar with the term:

An example of polyphasic sleep is found in patients with irregular sleep-wake syndrome, a circadian rhythm sleep disorder which usually is caused by head injury or dementia. Much more common examples are the sleep of human infants and of many animals. Elderly humans often have disturbed sleep, including polyphasic sleep.


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## SifuPhil (Mar 10, 2014)

Gael said:


> Good news for you then. For those that aren't familiar with the term:
> 
> An example of polyphasic sleep is found in patients with irregular sleep-wake syndrome, a circadian rhythm sleep disorder which usually is caused by head injury or dementia. Much more common examples are the sleep of human infants and of many animals. Elderly humans often have disturbed sleep, including polyphasic sleep.



Heh, heh ... I can't claim to belong to any of those groups. It was just something my martial arts teacher exposed me to early in my training, around when I was 15 or so. I researched it a lot in high school and college and just really took to it.

I suppose if occurring as a result of imbalances or trauma it wouldn't be something desireable, but I've always seen it as an advantage - I can get a lot more things done with less sleep, and *knocks on wood* no problems so far.


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## Gael (Mar 11, 2014)

SifuPhil said:


> Heh, heh ... I can't claim to belong to any of those groups. It was just something my martial arts teacher exposed me to early in my training, around when I was 15 or so. I researched it a lot in high school and college and just really took to it.
> 
> I suppose if occurring as a result of imbalances or trauma it wouldn't be something desireable, but I've always seen it as an advantage - I can get a lot more things done with less sleep, and *knocks on wood* no problems so far.



Lucky you finding out a method that has held you in good stead all these years. Sleep loss is so debilitating.


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