Paleo Diet: Raw Paleo Diet and Lifestyle Forum

Raw Paleo Diet Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: Max on May 27, 2011, 02:33:35 pm

Title: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Max on May 27, 2011, 02:33:35 pm
Hey all,

I've been sleeping 10-12 hours a night because I find it difficult to get up in the morning.  I am trying to break myself of this habit.  But on the other hand it might be what my body needs right now.  On the third hand, I want to be able to do more in the day.  And on the fourth hand, (everyone has four hands right?) am I just being lazy staying in bed all day?

Diet Note:  I've been sticking to raw pretty well, with a few weekend binges of SAD food and alcohol (red wine).

Questions, Comments, Concerns?
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: goodsamaritan on May 27, 2011, 03:08:31 pm
You look young in your picture.

How old are you?
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: TylerDurden on May 27, 2011, 03:52:23 pm
When I had chronic fatigue, I was often tempted to try to sleep more than 8 hours. The trouble is that I felt even worse, healthwise, if I tried to sleep more than 10 hours a day. Some scientists view too much sleep as being as bad as too little sleep.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: HIT_it_RAW on May 27, 2011, 04:28:36 pm
go to bed early: 10 o'clock
rise early: 6 o'clock
do something active early inthe morning tho kick off the day

this might help astablish a good rhythm. also the mornings are long!
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Techydude on May 27, 2011, 11:38:20 pm
Try sleeping on the floor covered with a comforter, in a hammock, or on a cot , in a sleeping bag/tent, or naturally in the woods or on grass. This is how you're supposed to sleep, is good for your back, you'll be more rested, and sleep better.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: raw-al on May 28, 2011, 12:29:31 am
Try sleeping on the floor covered with a comforter, in a hammock, or on a cot , in a sleeping bag/tent, or naturally in the woods or on grass. This is how you're supposed to sleep, is good for your back, you'll be more rested, and sleep better.
I started that a month or two ago. I have one folded blanket then a Mountain Equipment Coop thin air filled mattress then a thin sheet under me.
For a pillow I use a U shaped pillow like you see advertised as travel pillows.

Someone also mentioned sleeping 1/2 hour every 3 1/2 hours all day and night. Polyphasic sleep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myi2sRph69A) I will try it when I gather up the courage. Skinny Devil and others mentioned it in the thread "Introduce yourself".

If you try it tell us how it worked out.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 28, 2011, 01:49:42 am
Someone also mentioned sleeping 1/2 hour every 3 1/2 hours all day and night. Polyphasic sleep (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myi2sRph69A) I will try it when I gather up the courage. Skinny Devil and others mentioned it in the thread "Introduce yourself".

If you try it tell us how it worked out.

Been there done that. Don't try it unless you don't mind looking like you're 10 years older (think of zombies). I was pushing it for 2 months, the best I could do was just a bit under 5 hours (when averaged over all days), and I'm a really determined guy. Considering that during the day you sleep 5 hours on average and you're a zombie not very able to function properly for another 5 hours, it's just not worth it.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Max on May 28, 2011, 09:42:02 am
GS I am 24 years old.  I work second shift so I get home at about 1am every night.  I tried sleeping on the floor on my back but was unable to do it (I couldn't fall asleep).  My plan is to get home at night as soon as I can and right away get in bed and start reading (helps me sleep).  Then force myself up at 10am and get outside go for a walk or bike ride right away.

The problem I see with my plan is having the willpower to not just shut off my alarm and go back to bed.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: goodsamaritan on May 28, 2011, 10:58:03 am
Aajonus says if you aren't bouncing out of bed after a good night's sleep, you may lack raw vegetable green nutrition.  Juice a couple of green vegetables and see how that affects you.  I know it works for me.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: bharminder on May 28, 2011, 02:16:05 pm
blood sugar issues - eat a good breakfast

detox - get extra sleep for now

depression - read a couple self help books

nervous tension - exercise which normalizes your body

eat a better diet - examine your current diet and modify

anxiety - see if the job you are in is the right job for you



Sometimes, we just need extra sleep. It may be a phase that will pass.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 28, 2011, 04:03:50 pm
The problem I see with my plan is having the willpower to not just shut off my alarm and go back to bed.

Try this, it may as well help: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/
It has worked quite well for me, even with just a few "trainings".
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: pioneer on May 29, 2011, 05:38:17 am
Been reading a lot about thyroid lately for energy metabolism. Try eating some thyroid raw, but more importantly avoid PUFA, poly unsaturated fatty acids, or anything other than beef, beef fat, dairy fat, coconut fat (such as oil), and saturated/monounsaturated fat in general. Any animal other than beef, venison, or red meat animals generally has enough PUFA to cause fatty acid oxidation in your body. Saturated fats dont typically do this, and neither do monounsaturated fatty acids. Pork and pig is the highest source of PUFA, with duck/chicken as close seconds. PUFA oxidation prevents glucose oxidation, and glucose oxidation is needed for proper thyroid function. Dont be afraid of carbs, and glucose, you need them for your thyroid. A sluggish thyroid will cause daytime drowsiness and could be your problem easy. Get off the low carb bandwagon if you are on it, and make sure you eat clean carbs from fruit and veggies.

Sure, you may not believe the philosophy of it all but neither did I until I got bloodwork and confirmed that this stuff does work. These are studied in science also, not just philosophies like many paleo promoters purport. We wouldnt have had access to many PUFA animals like ducks, pigs, and chickens anyway in my opinion. Most of the history shows us hunting large game from red meat animals. Besides red meat animals are also the only ones that nobody is allergic to. If you cheat on your diet, be careful of all processed food, which contains waaayyy too many PUFA like any corn, soy, or other processed oil.


I eat coconut oil because the medium chain triglycerides are pro thyroid. I buy mine from nutiva who never go over 104 degrees, so it is basically raw. Dont believe anyone that tells you that it is bad for you if over like 96 degrees. Sure, thats why in thailand, where most of the globes' coconut oil is produced is typically over the 100's in the warmer seasons. Its the same idiocy as saying dont eat an animal if you are stranded in the wilderness because the animal died and freezes on the ground so it is bad.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Max on May 29, 2011, 10:23:27 am
Pioneer,

Do you think it is ok to eat fish?  What is the PUFA content like in fish?
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: CHK91 on May 29, 2011, 10:31:10 am
I find myself sleeping a lot more when I don't feel as healthy the day before. Whenever my bile ducts become clogged again, I tend to sleep more. I hate sleeping that long. It makes me feel so damn lazy.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: TylerDurden on May 29, 2011, 01:07:33 pm
Well, some people are allergic to grainfed meats.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Max on May 29, 2011, 01:29:07 pm
My diet has been spot on this last week.  A lot of grassfed beef, raw egg yolks (from a farm), and around 100grams of carbs per day from, apples, peaches, cucumber, watermelon, and raw honey.  I think it might be that I ate a lot of SAD food the weekend before and my body was recuperating.  Also it might just be a bad habit (sleeping in) that I need to break from.

Try this, it may as well help: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/04/how-to-get-up-right-away-when-your-alarm-goes-off/
It has worked quite well for me, even with just a few "trainings".

I'm going to give the idea in this link a try.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: pioneer on May 30, 2011, 03:55:27 am
Pioneer,

Do you think it is ok to eat fish?  What is the PUFA content like in fish?


The PUFA content in fish is high and if you follow any biochemistry, it will cause a switch over from glucose oxidation to fatty acid oxidation. I know the philosophy doesnt make sense, but this has been shown to be true, and not only in vitro.

However, dont take my word for it, I am no genius, nor am I an expert, I just know some biochem and animals other than  red meat, esp pork will have too high a PUFA content and affect thyroid function.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: TylerDurden on May 30, 2011, 09:01:27 am
All these anti-PUFA theories are nonsense. Such anti-PUFA advocates usually point to studies focusing on highly processed PUFAs, yet compare them to studies on relatively unprocessed saturated fats. Raw seafood is fine to eat and very healthy, therefore, as shown by multitudes of studies indicating that fish-eating nations are the longest-lived.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 30, 2011, 04:11:11 pm
The PUFA content in fish is high and if you follow any biochemistry, it will cause a switch over from glucose oxidation to fatty acid oxidation.

You mean when you eat PUFA, the body turns to utilizing the fat as energy source instead of glucose?
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: HIT_it_RAW on May 30, 2011, 04:22:53 pm
You mean when you eat PUFA, the body turns to utilizing the fat as energy source instead of glucose?
fat is broken down to ffa and released on the bloodstream almost all cells in the body can use fat for fuel. The mitochondria in the cell converts ffa to ATp through the beta-oxidation cycle. People adapting a high fat diet has shown adaptations to using fat more effeciently such as increased number of mitochrondia.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 30, 2011, 04:55:19 pm
Yes and I think that the argument to eat more saturated fat instead of unsaturated is because it doesn't need any work by the liver (can be used straight after being digested) and is more reactive (i.e. closer to glucose). Not because it turns on or off fat oxidation, I'd think that's unrelated to certain organs like the brain (and maybe thyroid too) which will always prefer glucose. I think the liver holds exactly enough glycogen to support specifically these organs for half a day (or maybe one day), like while you sleep for example.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: zbr5 on May 30, 2011, 08:58:00 pm
How much computer do you use a day Max?

Oversleeping has always been a huge problem for regardless a diet, but what helps me most is limiting computer use and restraining from it after 6 pm.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 31, 2011, 12:19:14 am
I don't think that would be a problem, I'm on the computer pretty much all day long and I don't really have such issues.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: zbr5 on May 31, 2011, 01:03:13 am
It also may depend on what you do on computer.

I sometimes play 10 tables of poker simultaneusly or 4v4 strategy game online and this fucks up my day/night patterns.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: Max on May 31, 2011, 03:49:50 am
I try and not be on the computer for a couple hours before I go to bed.  I have no trouble falling asleep usually, it is just getting up in the morning that is difficult.  I am going to try to condition myself to get up and out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off.  I will do this by practicing getting up when my alarm goes off in the daytime while I am awake.  If I do this enough I think that my body's conditioned response will be to get up as soon as my alarm goes off.
Title: Re: Sleeping 10-12 hours a night
Post by: p0wer on May 31, 2011, 04:07:24 am
Try getting up without an alarm whenever possible (but of course have a backup alarm when it's needed). Alarms disrupt sleep in an unnatural way, and over time they probably mess up your sleep pattern. I find it's best to get up without alarm, as soon as you become aware that you're awake. The body knows best when you've had enough rest.