Biphasic Sleep.. normal or do I need to fix something?

[sydneyanaconda]

Hi all,

I've been working on improving my lifestyle over the past couple of months and things are mostly good but there is one thing that's bothering me.. my sleep pattern.

I've never been one for sleeping a long time but recently I seem to have got into a pattern of waking up in the middle of the night, say around 3am, completely calm and lucid (apart from being annoyed at being awake) and then getting back to sleep after around 30 mins untill 6 when I wake without an alarm. During the day, I'm pretty good apart from a bit of a slump late afternoon, although this might just be office-phobia.

My diet is pretty good, moderate carb paleo. I'm active most days, usually in the mornings before work. It's not always a hard workout, sometimes its a swim or a paddle, something fun. I live in sunny Sydney so I get plenty of vit D. I work 8 hrs in an office job, it's not particularly stressful and I don't have anything I'm anxious about. I usually start winding down in the evening around 8, no computer stuff close to bedtime and get into bed around 9:30 or 10. My room is mostly dark and quiet (not much I can do about this, I live in a city and my black out blinds don't fit 100%). I'm taking a sleep supplement (magnesium and valarium)

So I read this..

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/biphasic-sleep/#axzz1j1pkvpWY

Which says that this "sentinal" period might actually have been normal and useful for our ancestors. So, maybe this isn't such a bad sleep pattern, or at least stressing about it is counter-productive.

My other thought is, that I don't usually eat a huge dinner and that, on top of the insulin-resistance medicine I've been prescribed may make my blood sugar levels crash in the night.

Any thoughts?

[Sloth the Enduring]

Waking up without an alarm is one of life's little victories.

Once I got my insomnia in order (black out shades, Zinc, Magnesium, B complex, no caffeine, early bedtime, occasional ear plugs, regular exercise) I found I do this too. It doesn't seem related at all to what I eat or don't eat, so for me at least, it's not blood sugar related. As long as you can get back to sleep and get your eight hours, there doesn't seem to be anything to stress about. I kind of like it, it's a nice quiet respite from a hectic life.

[Lachy]

This seems so obvious to me that I'm sure you've considered it, but I'm going to check just to be sure. Are you having any caffeine in the afternoon/evenings? I know I can't let myself have a coffee after midday or it messes my sleep up.

[sydneyanaconda]

Nope, I have one coffee in the morning around ten, then that's it for the day.

[Lachy]

Yeah, I figured that wouldn't be it ...

Same time every night? Or does it vary? Could be noise that's rousing you, then when you wake it's gone. Are you drinking much water before bed? Could be your bladder waking you.

After this, I'm all outta ideas.

[161803398874989]

It's not really normal, but if you're feeling fine, I don't think it's bad in any way.

[Top Boss Ultra]

I remember reading an article on Cracked.com about this, but I couldn't find it. I did a Google search though.

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1109-bustin-the-8-hour-sleep-myth.html

Maybe that helps.

[ZenGwen]

I remember reading an article on Cracked.com about this, but I couldn't find it. I did a Google search though.

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1109-bustin-the-8-hour-sleep-myth.html

Maybe that helps.

Wow, interesting article.

[m00se]

I am sleeping like this at the moment, but then again I don't have a lot of choice. My three week old son wakes up in the middle of the night, and therefore so do I. It doesn't seem to be impacting my training.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I remember reading an article on Cracked.com about this, but I couldn't find it. I did a Google search though.

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1109-bustin-the-8-hour-sleep-myth.html

Maybe that helps.

My wife has been like this for years and as I get older, it starts happening more and more, it's gotten really pronounces in the last year that I wake up at some point between 2:30 and 4:00 every night. I fall right back asleep though.

[vttlj]

I remember reading an article on Cracked.com about this, but I couldn't find it. I did a Google search though.

http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/1109-bustin-the-8-hour-sleep-myth.html

Maybe that helps.

Interesting read,gotta try this sometimes.

Thanks for the link.