Can't stay awake, tracking sleep could help?

[UberScout]

Recently I've stumbled upon a new health problem. For some reason, I can't stay awake in the morning, and upon waking up, I end up falling back asleep four 3+ hours and waking up in the middle of the night.

I figured tracking my sleep somehow would help me figure somethings out: I got this app on my phone called Sleep As Android, it's free on the Google store, and it tracks everything from what it sounds like when you snore to when you're having a dream to even you talking in your sleep. I did that last night and apparently I talked about some very.....interesting topics with my shadow. Or something like that.

Turns out my first track of my sleep, I had gotten a single hour of REM. My next was five hours, twenty minutes in deep sleep.

But this goes back to my problem. Why can't I stay awake? I'm 300 lbs exactly and I don't suffer any other health factors except maybe occasional high blood pressure. I don't want to spend my life in Dreamland! Help!

 

[Aspychata]

If you do something considered exercise for one hour, this does help sleep. Another, sleepy tea, warm water bath. Limit phone and computer activity. Good luck. Can you bike or get a trampoline? Those wore out my entire family. It was funny to see mom - dad- daughter jumping around.

Use to put cats in trampoline like a cat enclosure.

 

[unperson]

I often sleep in a split shift, sleep for 2 or 3 hours, wake for same, sleep again. It used to be normal apparently. Think it's called bimodal or biphasic.

 

[UberScout]

So this is normal? Or not?

Or do I need more sleep?

 

[Nervous Rex]

So this is normal? Or not?

Or do I need more sleep?

I need more sleep than normal people. I can’t function on less than 8 hours and 9 is ideal. I have friends at work that stay up late playing video games or binge-watching TV shows, and they can come in dead tired, have a cup of coffee and get to work. I envy that ability. If I get 7 hours of sleep, I’ll be lucky to get 2 productive hours in the day.

 

[SusanLR]

I often sleep in a split shift, sleep for 2 or 3 hours, wake for same, sleep again. It used to be normal apparently. Think it's called bimodal or biphasic.

Now that I am not working, I sleep this way. Didn't know it was a type of sleep pattern or had a name.
Interesting.
I think as long as you get the needed amount of sleep your body needs it really doesn't matter when you
get it. Keeping it at the same time is important and your body will develop it's own circadian rhythm
if you don't have to interrupt your daily routine.

I sleep usually about 5-6 hours, have breakfast, go back to bed within the next hour and sleep 2-3 hours more. There. I've gotten my 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Then I stay up the late afternoon until the wee hours
of the morning and start all over again.

Strange habit maybe. Different.

 

[WoodWorkingJoel]

Struggling with fatigue myself for a long time and sleep is a major factor. There are lots of good articles out there but it all comes back to overall health excerise and eating habits.
Personally I find it tough to excerise regularly and my eating habits are not great so I can't really say if that helps.
Right now I'm trying to set a better sleep routine.

 

[SDRSpark]

Sleep trackers are notoriously inaccurate, and if you're having a serious issue such as being unable to stay awake during the day, this is really something you should see a doctor about.

Sleep tracking works best when you sleep well - in various studies of different sleep trackers, when you're not sleeping well is when they tend to misreport stuff.

I use a wearable fitness/recovery tracker myself. I know sometimes the sleep readings are inaccurate (for example whenever I'm lying awake ruminating on something it predictably registers as REM sleep). However, after using it for several months, I've been able to track trends, and notice that, for instance when I have a night with fewer complete sleep cycles I don't feel very good compared to a night with a lot of sleep cycles, etc.

But like I said, it took months of nightly use (I've been using it for over 6 months) to get to a point where I am really truly benefiting from the data and am able to gain useful insights to make true positive changes. And I am using it largely for general health/fitness, and mood/stress management. Not a potentially serious health problem.

You'll get faster and better results from a medical professional than you will a sleep tracker, especially a free sleep tracking app.