Getting too much sleep

Hey guys, this is kind of a long story, but please bear with me.

I went to the doctor about 11 months ago (right before I started paleo) to get a checkup, talk to her about paleo, and about my sleep issue. The problem is I sleep WAY TOO MUCH. By that I mean like 10 or 11 hours a night. And I don't wake up feeling rested. I spend my days in a haze of sleepiness, and yet I still sleep another 10 hours the next night. When I talked to my doctor, she just told me "as long as you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep and feel rested then I can't do anything". Basically at this point I would have had to go to a specialist.

Fast forward about a month. I had completely primalized, and was feeling AWESOME. My sleep improved a lot. Although I still slept 9 hours a night at least. But I no longer felt groggy all day. I would oversleep ocassionally (which caused me to miss classes. Try explaining that to professors), but only rarely.

Then go to last summer. I got a full time internship, that I had to drive an hour to and from every day. Getting up everyday at 7 was really really hard on me. I would be tired all day and have to go to bed at 10pm at the latest or I was completely out of it all the next day.

And then there is now. I've had a really really stressful and busy semester, and with the stress returned my 10 or 11 hours of sleep per night problem. I can barely get up before 11am, no matter when I go to bed. I wake up tired, have no energy, and then can't get to sleep when I go to bed that night. Rinse. Repeat.

I workout about once a week (all I have time for) and am otherwise extremely heathy. So far nothing has been able to explain my sleep issues to me. I really hope you guys have some ideas for me!

Lots of potential things going on here. To my totally non-specialist eyes I'd guess you're not reaching some state of deep sleep that you really need, even though you sleep a lot.

What is the light quality where you sleep? Even small rays of light disturb some people's sleep.
What is the noise like? Ditto.
Have any roomates or other people told you that you snore?
Have you noticed or your dentist noticed that you clench or grind your teeth?
What is the temperature like in your room? Generally I've read that people sleep better when the room is colder and they have blankets than warmer with less blankets.

It sounds like your doc shrugged you off. The "I don't wake up feeling rested" directly contradicts what she replied to you. Go back. Insist on standing up for yourself. This is interfering with your life in a big way. Tell your doc exactly what you told us. Print out your forum post. Make your doc read it as you sit there with them.

Too much sleep can also be a manifestation of depression - I'm not saying you are, it just might be something to consider.

Thanks for the post!

Lighting I don't think is the problem. My room is dark dark dark. Noise is minimal as well. I don't snore, or grind my teeth. And the temperature varies according to what it is outside, but it's been around 74 at night recently.

I agree that there is probably something wrong with the quality of my sleep though. I dream A LOT and almost every night, and they are vivid and often remembered. That may be part of it. I also have ADHD, but it's been pretty mild ever since I started paleo, and I've been off my medicine for months.

Thanks for the encouragement to go back to the doc. I think I will do that :) I need something to change that's for sure!

It sounds like a pretty straightforward stress reaction to me. Solution is to handle the stress better by preventing it or learning to manage it. This may include rethinking your lifestyle and career choices to avoid high-pressure jobs or overloading yourself with too many classes, long commutes, etc. and make more time for physical activity--preferably outdoors-- as well as resting and socializing. These things are actually not optional, they are integral parts of human life, without which most people function poorly, and which our society tends to largely ignore to nearly everyone's detriment.

Chronic stress is a sign that something in your life is out of whack and should be changed. You've got to figure out what that is, though.

Trypanosomiasis?

I wish it were just stress, but I've had this happen off and on for years no matter what my stress level is.

[QUOTE=keithpowers;993840]Trypanosomiasis?[/QUOTE]

Doubtful! Never been to Africa...

[QUOTE=Kathryn Watts;993831]Thanks for the post!

Lighting I don't think is the problem. My room is dark dark dark. Noise is minimal as well. I don't snore, or grind my teeth. And the temperature varies according to what it is outside, but it's been around 74 at night recently.

I agree that there is probably something wrong with the quality of my sleep though. I dream A LOT and almost every night, and they are vivid and often remembered. That may be part of it. I also have ADHD, but it's been pretty mild ever since I started paleo, and [B]I've been off my medicine for months[/B].

Thanks for the encouragement to go back to the doc. I think I will do that :) I need something to change that's for sure![/QUOTE]

This jumped out at me. How long were you on the meds and how many months have you been off them? That stuff can take a while to clear out of your system and can cause some reactions on its way out.

I wish you well in finding better quality sleep.

[QUOTE=Paleobird;993858]This jumped out at me. How long were you on the meds and how many months have you been off them? That stuff can take a while to clear out of your system and can cause some reactions on its way out.

I wish you well in finding better quality sleep.[/QUOTE]

Oops. I think I mislead you. I was never on "meds" per se. It was just supplements. A little L-theanine and some DHA. So nothing that would need a long time to get out of my system.

Have you had your thyroid checked? Before I was diagnosed, I would be nose in the dirt by 7PM every night. Primal can really help thyroid problems, but stress can make is worse. Simple blood test and most docs will order it right over the phone without the need for an office visit.