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I feel guilty if I take naps or lay around during the day.

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Anxiety & Panic Disorders
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Posted 10/19/2014 3:15 PM (GMT 0)
My husband is a work a holic and is always on the go, I on the other hand take till noon to even feel like a human. He can run on 2 hrs sleep, I need 20. I still care for my handicapped son and the house is clean, but find myself wanting to nap.....a lot. I don't feel depressed, in fact life is pretty good right now, so I don't think it's that. My cats and little chihuahua enjoy the couch company, but I do feel guilty and unproductive and wonder if anyone else feels this way?
Posted 10/19/2014 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
You can't compare yourself to him. I'm the king of lazy and you don't sound lazy to me. You're caring for your son and pets love the attention it sounds like you're giving them. Give yourself a break, okay? :)
Posted 10/19/2014 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
D.S.

Agreed...you are anthing but lazy. Being a mom and caregiver as you are, is exhausting.

...add anxiety into the mix, and it is even more so.

Do what you need to to take care of yourself, after tirelessly taking care of others...if that includes rest and naps...that is OKAY! :)

In support,

S.C.
Posted 10/19/2014 4:19 PM (GMT 0)
Deborah you shouldn't feel guilty at all. You are not lazy, like every other human being you have a right to rest and take care of yourself. You are doing all you can and you are a fantastic mom.

Besides, couch buddies like cats and dogs are so soft and cozy! Just enjoy their company :D
<3
Posted 10/19/2014 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Deb, I'm the same way! My husband works so hard and when he's home is always doing some sort of project and can't sit still. I on the other hand, just feel exhausted sometimes and wanna lie in bed or numb my mind with a TV show. Taking care of your son and being a housewife I some seriously exhausting work! And we all know panic can wipe you out no problem! Enjoy any free time you have and nap all you want!!
Posted 10/20/2014 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
It is okay for you to require more sleep then your husband. I am wondering if you have talked to a Doctor? It would be good to make sure that you dont have anything else going on. Blessings!

~Ducktapetherapy77

Posted 10/20/2014 9:23 PM (GMT 0)
I can relate to this one. I'm a CP patient, so it takes me a while to get going, and an AP patient so it takes me a while to wind down. One thing I'm highly protective of is my sleep. My Husband can function, and quite well, on very little sleep. He can pull all-nighters and get up the next day like nothing happened.

(...............it's really annoying!) ;)

But WE are not THEM! I'm saying this as much to you as to me because I find myself relating my activity level to his. With my CP, I try to stick to 1-2 activities per day. If I do the laundry, that wipes me out for the rest of the day.

You've got several steps ahead of me, because our house looks, uhm,....erm...."lived in" shall we say?

Cut yourself some slack,....really! You've got so much on your plate! What would you tell a friend of yours going through the same thing? Hmm? Would you be *this* hard on her? Something tells me you would not.



:)





M.
Posted 10/20/2014 9:29 PM (GMT 0)
Deborah,
Do not compare yourself to your husband .That's worst we can do and make ourselves more anxious in the process.
Everybody has own needs and wants and the way they FUNCTION.

we are all UNIQUE SO RELAX!!!!

TAKE IT EASY and nap as long and as frequent you want !!
Posted 10/21/2014 2:45 AM (GMT 0)
Deb

It sounds like you got a man that knows how to care for a woman! I guess I am old school but there is nothing wrong with the husband working and paying the bills... You're a homemaker and a mom! That's a meaningful and a full time job within itself.

And when you can catch some zzzzz's on the couch, then good for you! And don't let anyone make you feel guilty!

I put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears growing my business so my wife (and family) could have a better life and daggoneit, if my wife wants to sleep til her hearts content then that's her decision and nobody's business.

Cornell

Post Edited (Cornell) : 10/20/2014 8:50:42 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/21/2014 5:24 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I know what u mean.... My husband is an extremely energetic workaholic, and I'm not like that, and I do feel bad sometimes that I don't get as much done, as quickly...! (Not even close.)

But, God, girl, u r taking care of a handicapped son..... You take all the naps u want!! That is a lot, and your body and mind need the rest. I do not think u should feel guilty for anything!! No way. I think u deserve credit that the house is clean, too. A lot of women I know cannot keep their house clean, even without being a caregiver. I think u r doing awesome...! :)
Posted 10/21/2014 6:47 AM (GMT 0)
Some of us just function better with more sleep! I need an afternoon nap almost every day (ideally for 1 or 2 hours) and after that I'm ready to get back to work. It's so important to me and so energizing that I even nap in my car when I'm at the office. And when I'm at home my Chihuahua curls up behind my knees while I sleep. :-)

If you're on meds that can contribute to being sleepy. I don't think I was such a huge nap fanatic before I started taking lorazepam.
Posted 10/21/2014 7:59 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,
this is because you have adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue and anxiety go hand in hand. Try to eat every two to three hours to keep your energy levels up!
Jon
Posted 10/21/2014 4:01 PM (GMT 0)
D.S.

Not everyone with anxiety has adrenal fatigue...in fact, this is not an extremely common physical effect.

Only your doctor can make this determination for you.

Fatigue is a common anxiety symptom. Using your coping skills and making time for personal down-time and decompression (and yes, the occasional nap!) will help.:)

S.C.
Posted 10/21/2014 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Making another addendum to the wonderful advice you've received so far: Please do not try and diagnose yourself. Things can just spiral out all sorts of crazy ways when we try to do that....

As I mentioned, I'm someone who covets my sleep and I get a lot of it (well, I get it when I can, which is not always in one go). And, being on disability, it isn't like I'm contributing much at all to our "financial pool." I understand how that feels.

But contributions in relationships are not............repeating that, okay? ..........NOT......made in dollars. Each person in a relationship contributes different things, in different amounts, and the goal, hopefully, is to strike a balance.

Please do not compare yourself to him and his need (or lack of) for sleep. I know, because I'm married to one of those non-sleeper high-energy type people too. But much as Cornell mentioned, my Hubster is the same way: Do what you need to do to take care of you! And THAT is contributing to a healthy relationship!!





M.
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