OT-Sleep

I always generally have always done fine on 6 1/2 -7 hours sleep.
Lately though my sleep patterns have changed. i go to sleep a bit later, usually around 1 AM, and sleep till around 10, sometimes later. Yes i get up at night once or twice, sometimes up for an hour, sometimes right back to sleep. But i am sleeping 8 1/2 hours a night.
Last night i went to sleep at midnight, slept till 3:30, back to sleep at 5, and slept till 10:30am.

Do you guys generally sleep more as you get older? I always thought less. Its making me a little nervous (what else is new). i have a checkup coming next week, the day after i turn 70. I'll be interested in the bloodwork which i will do this week.
My blood sugar which i take at home, has always been high, at around 105-110 fasting, but lately has been running 115-122, and comes down later in the day. So i wonder if theres a connection. I also had anemia a few years ago, never figured out the reason , but was remedied with plasma transfusions, and i wonder if its returned. I 5 mwonder if my T has crashed again, after recovering from ADT as of 5 months ago, and maybe thats the reason. I notice an occasional mini hot flash once in a while.
I'm also used to being active. The last 6 months, like many, much less so. I do get a 2 mile walk in most days, but other than that, i play a little guitar, then just sit around, read, watch tv unless i am going food shopping. i DONT think its a sign of depression in my case, i'm not thrilled with whats going on but i dont think i am clinically depressed by any stretch.
Anway , curious if anyone else has had a similar experience.
Some of my friends tell me they wish they could sleep till 10am. I dont like it.

In addition to anemia you might also check TSH. If thyroid is underproducing you would have those symptoms -

Best -
Wilderness.

I'm definitely sleeping less than I used to. I'm like mattam, 5-5:30 is wake up time, even in the middle of winter when the sun doesn't show up till 7. We'll see what happens in a few years when I don't have to get up and go to work.

People often talk of "catching up on sleep", and I know the feeling, but we never catch up on lost sleep.

Thanks fir the replies.

@Wilderness, thanks, my PCP checks my thyroid function every year, it’s always been in the middle of the normal range, I’m sure he will check it at my next visit in a week, thanks,

@ logo, no , you’re not “overstepping your bounds”. I asked because I want others experience and honest answers, so thanks. I’ve considered obviously that it might be depression. I have no mental aversion to a drug for that. I was on Zoloft for about 3 years, but weaned myself off of it. However, I’ve thought about going back on it because I’m admittedly bothered by the Covid thing, and the limits it places on us all. But at the same time, I’m on 4 prescription drugs Daily, plus Cialis every other day, plus aspirin daily, vit d3, Prilosec . The thought of adding another pill is not making very appealing. But maybe.

I should also mention, I came down with a bad cold 3 1/2 weeks ago, and it hasn’t completely resolved, I’m still coughing and somewhat stuffy. Seems like a long time.

Everyone’s answers confirm what I was thinking, I should be sleeping less, not more.
If anything comes of this I’ll report back.

Hello, Pratoman ~

Good ideas shared, already!

You might still be "kicking" the last remnants of that pesky cold ---

I just had my monthly consultation with my doctor, and asked him to review all my labs, to make sure everything was on track.

You might ask to have your testosterone checked --- but also get your ferritin checked, to ensure proper iron levels. If it's low, you can take iron supplements or increase iron intake in your diet.

There are times when my doctor tells me to bolster my iron intake. Steaks, roast beef, burgers, and even Grape Nuts cereal -- all packed with iron.

Because of medications I take, I am always borderline anemic, but seem to have no issues. Check on the possibility of anemia ...

Thyroid level was another good suggestion ...

They can easily run a depression screening --- in fact, my clinic now does a brief screening for all oncology patients at each appointment.

One more idea --- sleep apnea? If so, a sleep study might be indicated.

Good idea to have a brotherly chat with you doctor, and your doctor can put in some lab work orders --- for some of these possibilities.

Keep in touch --- just a few extra thoughts to share ~~~
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Mick Jagger said on David Letterman skit:

“You start out playing rock n’ roll so you can have sex and do drugs, but you end up taking drugs so that you can still play rock n’ roll and have sex”

I guess that's the way it is when we get older - more scripts. 🙂

More appropriate than you know, since i started taking guitar lessons earlier this year LOLOL

GoBucks said...
I have been going to bed earlier and sleeping longer. 10:30 to 7. If I have a "bad night"(which happens about 4-5 times a month) I stay in bed until 8:30 or even 9. I don't sleep straight through. I have multiple hot flashes and sometimes have trouble getting back to sleep. Strangely I have NOT been getting up to pee.

gobucks, sounds like me, except 1. the hours are different, and 2. i get up to pee. I thought i was done with that after my RALP, but alas, SRT seems to have put me back in that box.

<< i get up to pee. I thought i was done with that after my RALP, but alas, SRT seems to have put me back in that box. >>

Exactly my experience. One reason I picked the RP/ART route was I thought I'd at least be able to pee relatively normally again, which I did after surgery. I guess they "forgot" to tell me that my bladder would lose its elasticity from RT.

That may be why I spend so many hours in bed - it's hard to get true rest when you wake up 4 or more times to pee

Less. Sleep 6 - 7 hours, usually starting around midnight. Eight hours or more is long past. My wife goes to bed around 10, so the next two hours are spent reading, unless I indulge myself with something like last night’s Seahawks’ game. Urinate once in the night, but usually get back to sleep pretty quickly. In the am, start out with multiple Mexican coffees with my wife, then try to do some physical work. Almost never nap. No doubt I am sleep deprived compared to my long ago Irish ancestors. Ireland barely gets seven hours of often rain shrouded light in winter. For Irish peasants, even candles would have been a luxury. Endless winter hours must have been spent abed — people were better rested, probably helped with survival in a world without medical care. Blame Edison.

Pratoman

Have you ever had a sleep study? When you have your app’t next week, might be a good question to discuss with your PCP

I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea in 2015. I now sleep connected to a cpap machine every night. My sleep pattern is now normal. I don’t snore anymore. I don’t wake up as much and as a bonus, I’ve been able to get rid of acid reflux meds.

I have an annual meeting with a sleep specialist. The cpap has a wireless modem and they can analyze my sleep pattern.

Anyone out there who snores should consider a sleep study.

Al

I historically slept 6 hours, habit formed in the Navy. I now sleep pretty regularly 8. I attribute that to a few things. one my urinary function is now very normal. Many night I sleep straight through. I also think that the anxiety of PC has left me to the most part. I also am very active, often play 36 holes of golf, work out, etc.

My opinion is there is no real normal, sure there are averages. Remember averages span many numbers. One key question is do you wake rested? The quality of the sleep may be more important than the quantity.

Denis

It will all make sense on Sunday when the clock gets turned back...

Did a sleep study years ago which was negative but knocked an item off the "why am I so tired" list. It was done overnight at a facility with a lot of wires hooked up so hard to imagine it being done at home unless a technician stayed overnight with you with all the equipment. Hardly could sleep with all the stuff hooked up and not being able to roll around much. Tech said they got what they needed from the handful of hours of actual sleep measured.