What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) and various other names, is a syndrome (or group of syndromes) of u...
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Is it bad to sleep a lot with CFS?
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I'm always exhausted so watching t.v. and often even listening to music is out of the question. So I originally felt that sleeping all the time for hours at a time was a bad idea because it could mess up my circadian rhythms. I also wake up out of naps feeling completely out of it and more sick and tired than when I went to sleep. So I tried just laying down in silence and closing my eyes but it hurts my eyes really bad and I often just fall asleep anyways. So instead of forcing myself to stay awake when my body is begging for sleep during the day should I just go to sleep? I don't want to decondition so if anyone could suggest any way like how many hours of sleep at night, naps and how much I should just rest and close my eyes it would be much appreciated. Thank you everyone for the help.
Posted on 07/03/09, 01:07 pm |
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This is sooo hard. I find if I sleep during the day I can NOT sleep at night. But I'm so tired during the day. There ARE some days when I COULD fall asleep but I don't let myself. I don't know the answer to this question. I try to stay on the "sleep at night/be awake in the day" schedule but I'm not certain I'm doing myself any good! 
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I have just recently started on a melatonin spray that I found at mercola.com. It seems to be working for me and I am finding I want to sleep less during the day and that I get up a little bit earlier than I used to and feel like I actually slept. Ont he weird side my dreams seem to be more vivid but not sure if that is related or not LOL.
I tried melatonin pills before with no effect. I take the spray 2-3 sprays right as I am going to bed.
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Its hard to predict how many hours of sleep at night you may need and or daily naps. It depends on the state of your condition or what stage you are in. My doc suggested progressive rest therapy in the beginning of my illness. He said I would have a better chance of recovering if I did.
I still think we all need 8 hours of REM sleep but with CFS many patients dont get into that deep stage of sleep that refreshes our minds and bodies. During the day I find I am more productive if I have what I call my quiet times. I may water the flowers and do some chores. Then I go to the couch, lay down, close my eyes, relax and meditate. I get up in about 30 mins to an hour and I do something cognitive, like the computer, bills and then I sit down and relax for awhile in solitude, (play with my dogs, do my nails something simple) If I balance out relaxing, resting and dont nap I can reduce symptoms and sleep better at night. Granted if I am having bad symptoms or what I call a horrible day...I lay down and take a nap for about an hour. Sometimes when I wake up I feel so out of it or lethargic. So I am not sure if it helps but when my body is so fatiged I dont wanta push myself to keep going. I dont take naps everyday, usually about 2 times a week. Have you ever tried Biofeedback? It can also help. I think our bodies and minds need to take breaks...and relax.
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It's such a shame that it's a hard question to answer. It should be easy, but I think the truth is that no one really knows.
It' s clear that our sleep is dysfunctional, as mentioned in an earlier message. I feel so badly for your struggle. For me it varies. The more I am feeling fatigued, the more sleep I need. I've tried to consistently get various numbers of hours to seewhat would work best for me, but it really does vary too much. Sometimes 10 seems about right, but sometimes 14 or even 18 seems necesary. Of course after that much sleep I feel drugged, but sometimes I really do need it. The sad truth is, I never wake up feeling refreshed. I've read that this can be an adrenal issue. I've just started Adrenal Stress End to see if it will help. It's sad to have to go through every day dragging yourself out of sleep in the morning, feeling like you have a bad hangover, struggling all day and finally feeling a litlle better late at night when you should really be goingto sleep. For me this has been a challenge. Our bodies truly do need more sleep. I think you just have to listen to your body and not try to fight sleep quite so hard. I just hope that medicine catches up to us so that we don' t all have to be guessing and experimenting anymore... I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time and hope it gets better soon.
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