I was attacked by a nap today. It kept me under for 3 hours. Same happened yesterday. These damned naps take a huge toll on my productivity.
Just don't go to sleep? Have you seen a cat, or maybe a kitten, experience a nap attack? Suddenly their eyes get sleepy, their head wobbles, they try to stay awake, and then they fall asleep in some weird position, like half out of their bed or upside-down in a chair. Well that's what my nap attacks are like. The only thing is I manage to put things off my lap and somewhere safe before I fall over asleep. And I don't sleep upside-down.
These are a bit different from the zombie-sleeping I experienced when I was on the evil Haldol: with these last two nap attacks, I felt very sleepy but not like I wouldn't be able to do a couple of things before I slept. I had the chance to use the restroom, get comfy on the couch, and set an alarm. (Which did no good because after an hour, I turned it off and went back to sleep.) The zombie-sleep attacks hit me like a freight train and I had to put things down immediately because I was going unconscious Right Now. It is possible that I'm still suffering effects from Haldol as it leaves my system; I'm very sensitive to medications and they seem to take forever to clear out of my body.
Still, I don't think I should be napping like this. Let's see, yesterday I had therapy, took a walk, and grocery shopped. I had to ice my heels due to the fact that my feet are still weak and stiff from sitting and lying about. Today I had a massage that worked some very severe knots. I iced those previously knotted areas. However, I don't think the ice had anything to do with my naps.
I couldn't tell you if I'm getting good sleep, but I am not going to bed at a good time, so I'm getting around 6 hours of sleep. Tonight I should get 7 — woo hoo! — and going to bed much earlier, both of which should offer me benefits.
Yes, I need to see a doctor, just to make sure I'm okay. But I haven't written the letter to my health insurance stating why they need to reinstate me, so I don't have health insurance right now and I don't like the idea of paying the huge amount I'll need to pay. As it is, I may need to buy several meds at full price if I don't get this insurance thing handled soon. You'd think this would motivate me to write the letter (and I've had over a week, almost two, that I've known to write it).
Right now, all that seems to motivate me are naps. And I'm just not enjoying them as much as I used to.
I was going to ask you this before, but this post just reminded me. When do you take your medications? And can you take them later in the day? At night perhaps? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteJulie
I seem to remember reading that it's okay to get your 8-9 hours of sleep in more than one "sitting" so to speak. So when you say you're getting 6 hours of sleep, are you including the 3 hour nap?
ReplyDeleteIf you're sleeping 6-7 hours, and then napping for 3, then I'd say you're doing alright. It may not seem practical, but you're actually getting the right amount of sleeps for the average person.
Some researchers even believe it's more natural!
http://intraspec.ca/segmented-sleep.php
;-)
Julie: I take almost all of them at night. One I take in the morning and at night, but it hasn't changed in the 4 or 5 years I've been on it.
ReplyDeleteMabel: That's a good thought. Last night I got around 8 hours of sleep (although I woke up a lot in the morning, even though I wear a sleep mask to keep the light out) and didn't fall asleep. I was tempted in the early afternoon, but I resisted and the feeling wasn't as compelling as the previous 3 days. I also had only one energy drink today, which I consider a victory. And I'm out, so I won't be having one tomorrow morning. I need to get out and get some before the nap-attack time arrives, just in case!