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sleep

Posted: 2002-12-14 12:47pm
by Shrykull
I was kinda wondering this since last night I didn't get any sleep, but I know someone who said they stayed up for a full 3 weeks before with little cat naps here and there (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc) and they say they've been an insomniac "most of thier life" and only get like 2 hours of sleep a night. He's 22 now, so say he became an insomniac at age 8, yes it's pretty hard to believe isn't it? If someone did become an insomniac that early of an age, what would only 2 hours of sleep a night be doing to thier body? Just what exactly is the biological purpose of sleep, (are there any animals that don't need to and don't sleep?) I was thinking the general purpose is to shut down partially, so energy can be diverted to bodily maintainence (such as getting rid of lactic acid) anyone know any specifics on this?

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:05pm
by C.S.Strowbridge
Human beings are supposed to get more than 8 hours of sleep a night. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved. If you sleep in on the weekends, then you are sleep deprieved. If you need a cup of coffee to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved (and most likely addicted to caffine.)

Sleep deprevation can lead to serious health problems, including the weakening of the immune system and eventually death. Has he been diagnoses as an insomniac? If not, he needs to go to a sleep specialist immediately.

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:10pm
by Colonel Olrik
I must have my nine hours beauty sleep.

Unless I have work to do, and then I'll be :evil: all morning.

Exception is at weekends, when I wake up early to ride. After a period of mild regret and confusion (why the hell did I say I was going, today!) I grab my bike and then just :P

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:13pm
by TrailerParkJawa
If I have no place to be in the morning, I usually sleep 9 hours. If I have somewhere to go, I tend to get between 6-7 hours. Thats just because Im not much of a morning person. Ive also always been a poor sleeper.
I noticed if I get excatly eight hours I am super groggy.

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:21pm
by Shrykull
Human beings are supposed to get more than 8 hours of sleep a night. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved. If you sleep in on the weekends, then you are sleep deprieved. If you need a cup of coffee to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved (and most likely addicted to caffine.)
I take it you get a perfect 8 hours a night then, and I guess most people are sleep deprived cause most of us do need an alarm clock, but my sleeping is erratic, I've had nights where I couldn't get to sleep (well, not for a few hours anyway) after being up 20 hours straight, and others were I could get to sleep after being up only 8 hours.
Sleep deprevation can lead to serious health problems, including the weakening of the immune system and eventually death. Has he been diagnoses as an insomniac? If not, he needs to go to a sleep specialist immediately.
He claims it's "not a problem" because he's been one most of his life, provided he isn't full of it, what kind of damage would that do to a person if he started at age 8 only getting 2 hours of sleep, wouldn't at that age it would kill him in about 6 months (or less)?

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:23pm
by aerius
Unless I get my 8-9 hours of sleep I don't function at my best, and if I could I'd sleep 10+ hours every day. I love my bed, it's so warm and cozy in there.

I can get by on 6-7 hours of sleep or less, but it ain't fun and I don't do it unless I absolutely have to, stupid school and early morning classes. When I do this I'm a walking zombie for the 1st hour I'm awake, and I start nodding off and having micro-naps around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

Posted: 2002-12-14 01:28pm
by Ted
I go to bed at around 11:00-11:30, and my alarm clock wakes me at 7:30, but I dont actually wake up till 8:00.

My alarm clock is my father.

Posted: 2002-12-14 03:54pm
by Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi
On weeknends, I end up staying up past midnight and waking up by 10 the next morning, and on weekdays, I try to get to sleep by 10:30, but since I'm all hyped up, and my brotehr is watching TV in my room, I usually stay awake until past 11 (Once, I couldn't get to sleep until after midnight). Then, I have to wake up at 6:30 to get to school, which makes for about 7-8 hours of sleep, depending on how long I end up staying awake.

Posted: 2002-12-14 04:01pm
by Spanky The Dolphin
On avarage, about 6. If I sleep more than that, I'm often tired for the rest of the day.

And if I sleep past ~10 AM, I get pissed off.

Posted: 2002-12-14 05:31pm
by Troll from MSNBC
I sleep for 7 horus here, 11:15 to 6:15. In the past that has been more than enough, but now I am starting to feel more and more tired with this same amount of sleep (I used to sleep 7 on the weekends AND the weekdays, but now I sleep 7 on weekdays and 8+ on weekends)

Posted: 2002-12-14 08:21pm
by ArmorPierce
I usually go to sleep at 1 and get up at like 6:30 or 7:00

Posted: 2002-12-14 08:28pm
by Darth Yoshi
10 pm to 8:30 am on school days, 11 or 12 pm to 10 or 11 am non school days. I think I get enough sleep.

Posted: 2002-12-14 09:26pm
by aerius
According to this article at Scientific American, test subjects getting 8 or more hours of sleep per night had a higher death rate than those getting 6-7 hours per night. Go figure. For me not getting enough sleep and being a walking zombie would have a much better chance of getting me killed than getting my beauty sleep.

Posted: 2002-12-14 09:31pm
by neoolong
About 5 to 7. Though when in the day is variable.

Posted: 2002-12-14 09:37pm
by weemadando
Depending on the day it can be anything from 0 to 14 hours.

Posted: 2002-12-14 09:38pm
by Raptor 597
Opposite, I don't sleep much on weekends I play StarCraft all the time. Iget around 7-8 hours on school days depending n how tired I am.

Posted: 2002-12-15 10:10pm
by Shrykull
To add a little bit more to comment on.

Human beings are supposed to get more than 8 hours of sleep a night. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved. If you sleep in on the weekends, then you are sleep deprieved. If you need a cup of coffee to wake up in the morning, then you are sleep deprieved (and most likely addicted to caffine.)


I think your talking about an absolutely ideal sleep system, where you get all the sleep you need and always have, not many people always go to bed at certain time every single solitary night, we stay up late to watch more TV, play some more games, for a party, etc.

Sleep deprevation can lead to serious health problems, including the weakening of the immune system and eventually death. Has he been diagnoses as an insomniac? If not, he needs to go to a sleep specialist immediately.
Um, is there some kind of difference here? You mean if he has been diagnosed as an insomniac and has been doing it for a while then it's ok, or at least not as unhealthy as if it just started happening to you?

Posted: 2002-12-16 12:06am
by Drewcifer
I usually get about 7, but I prefer 9 if I can arrange it. Anything less than 6 and I'm an ogre the next day.

Someday I'd like to try the DaVinci method, and sleep 2-3 hours twice a day.

I miss naps.

Posted: 2002-12-16 04:02am
by haas mark
Before meds: 5-7 and I could function perfectly. Any more than that, and life sucked.

After meds: 10+ and I can't help it and it sucks to be me.

Posted: 2002-12-16 04:05am
by Hyperion
4 hours minimum for "normal" operation, and 7 hours is really what i need.

Posted: 2002-12-16 04:15am
by Raxmei
verilon wrote:Before meds: 5-7 and I could function perfectly. Any more than that, and life sucked.

After meds: 10+ and I can't help it and it sucks to be me.
I was wondering where you went.

My sleep schedule can vary between 4 and 14 hours a night. I am aware that this is not the healthiest plan, yes.

Posted: 2002-12-16 04:32am
by haas mark
Raxmei wrote:
verilon wrote:Before meds: 5-7 and I could function perfectly. Any more than that, and life sucked.

After meds: 10+ and I can't help it and it sucks to be me.
I was wondering where you went.
Heh heh, well, I'l be gone for a week or two while we try to get my compo fixed, so I'll only have sporadic comp access...which really sucks.

Posted: 2002-12-16 04:53am
by XaLEv
Ah, sleep. My friend, my nemesis.

My sleeping schedule can vary greatly, in the hours that I am asleep or awake for, and the hours when I am asleep or awake. I tend to go in a cycle, staying constant for a while - going to sleep and waking at the same times for a while - before I begin to go to sleep and wake later and later, going in a circle like this, until I eventually break out of it and become normal again. During such a time, I will sleep 12 hours minimum - without being able to wake up earlier - and usually more like 14 hours. And I always wake up with a sore stomach and back. The only way to break this cycle is to stay up for 24 hours minimum. If I'm lucky, I'll only sleep for 6 to 8 hours after this and wake up refreshed and without pain. If I'm not lucky, I will have to do it all over again. I will then stay regular for an indeterminate amount of time, before inevitably falling back into the cycle.

At the moment I am fairly regular, getting a good 8-9 hours every night and waking refreshed and pain free. My sleep and wake times have slipped forward a few hours, but I am otherwise doing pretty good. I will be going to bed shortly, and should wake around noon, hopefully with my sleep being as good as it has been these past few days.

Wish me luck.

Posted: 2002-12-16 09:13am
by CmdrSweevo
Normally I get anywahere between 6-10 hrs. But I've got this cought that's kept me up the past two nights. I feel like a fucking zombie, just wandering around doing things without being aware of the world.

Do insomnicas feel like this? How do you cope?

Posted: 2002-12-16 09:40am
by Lord Pounder
I am an insomniac. I get 4 if i'm lucky, but i spend the time reading so as not to annoy my parents.