Insomnia: Getting Too Much Sleep Is Also a Problem

I slept last night. When I say I slept, I mean I slept for around 10 hours. The alarm clock did not wake me. I was in a dead sleep – a good sleep. This is the kind of sleep I rarely get but for which I often wish. Unfortunately, it does not make me feel the way it should.

After getting so many hours of deep sleep, I would expect to wake up feeling refreshed. I expect to feel energized and well-rested, but that is not what happens. On the rare occasion that I get more than the average amount of sleep, I feel worse rather than better.

Feeling groggy after a good night’s rest

Despite sleeping for a good bit more than the recommended amount of sleep, I woke up feeling groggy and that feeling has lasted throughout the day. I still feel the same fatigue I feel when I get 4 to 6 hours of interrupted sleep. Getting too much sleep has the same effect on me as getting too little.

It seems that “just the right amount” of sleep is a very small window for me. More or less than 8 can have the same effect and often does. For me, 6 hours of sleep seems to be the sweet spot. An uninterrupted 6 hours of sleep makes for an excellent day.

Waking up is hard to do

I am not a morning person and never will be. Mornings are the worst for me. I never want to wake up and get out of bed, and people who wake up cheerful annoy me. Let me be clear. I have a hard time waking up every day regardless of how little or how much sleep I have had.

You would think getting more than the recommended amount of sleep would be different. You would think I would wake up feeling better. That is far from the case. I often wake up feeling more agitated if I get too much sleep. It is normal for me to have a hard time waking up, but it is often worse when I get the most sleep.

Trying to get the right amount of sleep

I gave up on the idea of getting the right amount of sleep. I have no control over my sleep patterns or schedule. Sleep comes and goes as it pleases, and I am merely along for the ride. While I know what the ideal amount of sleep is for me, it is impossible to achieve on a regular basis. My sleep schedule is constantly changing, and there is nothing I can do about it.

Too much sleep or too little sleep is a problem. I can spend all the time in the world dreaming about a normal sleep schedule, but I spend very little time actually dreaming. This randomness is my normal, odd as it is. I long for consistency, but it seems that will not happen.

What is your ideal sleep schedule? Do you feel better when you get a certain amount of sleep? I would love to hear about your experience.