Question:

I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda

Response:

Hi Amanda! These are the symptoms of *atypical* depression: hypersomulance (excessive sleeping), carbohydrate craving, weight gain, fatigue, aching in limbs (especially anterior thighs). While the person feels depressed, the mood can respond favorably to pleasurable stimuli (good movie, good book, funny joke, good news, etc.) The treatment of choice is the SSRIs and the MAOIs. TCAs don’t work so well. Chip I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda

Response:

These are the symptoms of *atypical* depression: hypersomulance (excessive sleeping), carbohydrate craving, weight gain, fatigue, aching in limbs (especially anterior thighs).

Chip, do you have a reference for the "pain in the anterior thighs" thing?  I have been having that off and on for years for no reason.  It feels tender, like terrible bruises, but there is nothing there. Dot

Response:

These are the symptoms of *atypical* depression: hypersomulance (excessive sleeping), carbohydrate craving, weight gain, fatigue, aching in limbs (especially anterior thighs). Chip, do you have a reference for the "pain in the anterior thighs" thing? I have been having that off and on for years for no reason. It feels tender, like terrible bruises, but there is nothing there. Dot Dot, I wish I could kiss your thighs and make them feel well. ; )         But seriously, I’ve had recurrant atypical depression for a number of years. In my readings  on this problem in psych journals I came across "pain or aching in the anterior thighs" a few times, and it rang a bell with me since that’s exactly what I had experienced with atypical depression. I also experienced tenderness in the anterior thigh muscles. Sorry, but I am unable to give you referrences. Can’t remember exactly where I read it. Chip p.s. Dorothy is such a pretty name. Would you consider it "forward" for me to call you by that name?

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda

I have something like this. I always work late and/or am on the Internet at night and/or read books. So I always go to bad late. I am self-employed so there’s no boss waiting for me in the morning, never has been, although I have been kown to work in the morning too… (this situation is a lot better for the imaginary boss BTW, I have a darling of an *authority conflict* which I treasure greatly ;) ) I sleep exactly for 6 hours each night. In the afternoon I start to get tired. Either at the end of the afternoon or in the early evening I will nap for an hour or so (sometimes two). It’s the meds: Xanax & imipramine, both well known culprits. But I *hate* it too. I don’t feel I nap to *escape from my life* (although I find this a beautiful construct) as I generally love my life, such as it is, and don’t have nearly enough time to do the things I want to do. I hate those naps partly because it’s a control issue (IMO *I* want to decide whether and when to sleep or not but I’m willing to accept the trade-off) and partly because it’s wasted time in a sense. I wonder whether I should go exercising instead of napping. Would that help? I *hate* exercise significantly more than I hate napping but it seems to be *healthy* and I am in my fifties, overweight and take a cardio-vascular problems triggering TCA. Hm….maybe I should try to substitute *exercise* for *napping*. I know many people, some of them PD-ers, others *normies* who are dedicated nappers and like it too…;)) Philip

Response:

I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and

When I was using Xanax 1 mg. a day I couldn’t stay awake.  It was weird…sleep just felt so damned good.  Now I use Klonopin and don’t seem to have that problem at all…I can jog my 2 miles every night and get up at 5:30 for work, no problems.  YMMV! Melissa

Response:

I asked innocently: Chip, do you have a reference for the "pain in the anterior thighs" thing? I have been having that off and on for years for no reason. It feels tender, like terrible bruises, but there is nothing there.

Then Chip had the nerve to say: Dot, I wish I could kiss your thighs and make them feel well. ; )

Chip, you obviously are getting a thrill out of these incessant sexual references.  You are probably, as I speak, sitting around with your thumb up your rear (by your own admission) and masturbating to the word "thighs" on the screen.   But seriously… In my readings on this problem in psych journals I came across "pain or aching in the anterior thighs" a few times… ….Sorry, but I am unable to give you referrences. Can’t remember exactly where I read it.

You "can’t remember" where you read it?   I don’t think there ever was a reference,  I think you made that up so you could trick some innocent female into mentioning her thighs. p.s. Dorothy is such a pretty name. Would you consider it "forward" for me to call you by that name?

YES!!!!!!! Dot (Now I know why Jackie spurned your advances.)

Response:

I used to do the same thing. I was taking xanax at the time. It still happens when I take a xanax for breakthrough anxiety. But since I’ve switched over to klonopin on a daily basis I don’t have that problem anymore. I still sleep deeply but not all day. On xanax I too would go back to bed after the kids went off to school and sleep for 3-4 hours. Maybe be it’s a xanax problem. BTW I was only taking .25 mg of xanan and it had this effect one me. Go figure? Mary — "I want to walk and not run.  I want to skip and not fall.  I want to look at the horizon  and not see a building standing tall." – Dixie Chicks

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda

Response:

I agree with the others…. except for that little tiff in between…. don’t even need to be in a bar…. wow!  When I peaked with my anxiety a couple of months ago (and I’m on a very slow road to getting better) I slept, and it didn’t seem to help…. maybe 10 or 12 hours a day for a while and that was after I had the flu….. My doctor suggested reactive depression in addition to the anxiety…. so don’t be hard on yourself….. this happens and that’s that.  It sucks, and that’s that. Be nice to yourself today. David

Response:

Sorry I am a nap addict.  I am not on meds and my life has been in a better spot, but even when things are going well I love a good nap.  I am able to function in the best of both worlds that way.  Ten hours is not bad for some one on meds, but if you want try exercise to increase the energy level around mid-morning if you can and see if that will get you through that tough time in the afternoon.  :)J — "Just when you think life sucks, someone hands you a vacuum cleaner; it is at this time you start cleaning some house". :) J  Visit me at:  http://members.ync.net/jdgalvin/index.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda

Response:

I go to sleep every night between 11pm-1am and I wake up every morning between 6-8am. That’s plenty of sleep in my book. My boyfriend goes to work everyday on less sleep than that! But for the last two weeks I have been going back to sleep after I get the kids off to school. Around 10am I’m feeling tired and I say OK I’ll take a 1-2 hour nap. But I end up sleeping for 3-4 hours everytime. So I am sleeping over 10 hours out of 24 hours. This has been my cycle for 2 weeks. When PD first started happening to me I couldn’t sleep at all, and I complained. Now I’m sleeping too much, and I complain. Theres got to be a happy medium, will I ever be happy with anything. I know I don’t need and shouldn’t take these 3-4 hour naps everyday, but I find several excuses to justify it!!! All of the excuses add up to one big ESCAPE FROM MY LIFE!!! And when I wake up from these naps nothing is better, I’m still shaky, still have the ringing/buzzing/cloudiness/achiness in my head, still feel anxious, still have diarr. and abdominal pain (several weeks of this) still feel like everything is wrong/off, but then I feel even more worthless than before because I have left too much undone while I take these daily naps. I’m sure it’s mostly the meds (Xanax) making me sleepy. But escapism aids in this and I need to find a way to resist these daily naps, I thought those were only for young children!! Well, I was just chattering and venting, but if any of you give in to this sleep monster, too, or have any suggestions/comments feel free to respond. Take care all Amanda Hi Amanda,               Sometimes I can hardly sleep at all and other times  it is the opposite – I sleep all the time. It is not unheard of for me to sleep 18 hours a day occasionally. This usually happens when I have just been through a period of high stress and have pushed myself too hard. Sometimes it happens when I am trying to avoid things.             One time I was complaining to my (then) psychiatrist about tiredness and naps, and what he said was "Maybe you need it". I think he was right. I think that sleep and rest are essential to healing. That goes for mental and physical healing. I also slept a lot after I was seriously injured in a car crash. Of course your meds can be a factor in sleepiness, as can anxiety and depression in themselves.             The main thing I wanted to say was, don’t be too hard on yourself over this.  It does not make you worthless to leave things undone that need to be done to look after yourself. Give yourself a break. Don’t beat up on yourself for the way you feel. You are doing your best. Allow yourself what you need to heal and don’t feel guilty about it. It is probably temporary. Of course, if you are really worried that it is not normal, talk to you doctor. Sweet restful sleep and sweet dreams to you                 ((((Amanda)))) Sandra

Response:

You "can’t remember" where you read it?   I don’t think there ever was a reference,  I think you made that up so you could trick some innocent female into mentioning her thighs.

Chippy is very good at tricking women into mentioning their bodies. Dot, do you remember when he asked that question *What was your most embarrassing moment*? And how many of us women at ASAP admitted that our most embarrassing moment had to do with losing  our bathing suit tops or bottoms while swimming. You tell me he didn`t plan that<VBG. p.s. Dorothy is such a pretty name. Would you consider it "forward" for me to call you by that name? YES!!!!!!! Dot (Now I know why Jackie spurned your advances.)

Hehehe, I think I scare him. Jackie Men do care about more things than your body. They also care about other women’s bodies.

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