Since I have been out of work on temporary disability (since Thanksgiving), I have noticed that I am sleeping a lot more, about 9 or more hours a night, and I have a lot of trouble getting up. I am also going to bed later because of the increased pain (can't really try to go to sleep until I have it under control).
Now I always had some trouble getting up, but when I was working I typically only got 5-6 hours of sleep a night during the week, and I would catch up on the weekends (I know you're not supposed to do that). But even when I slept late on the weekends, I wouldn't have this much trouble getting up.
What I am wondering is whether the increased pain I am having, along with the regular RA/fibro fatigue, is causing the increased sleep/sleepiness, or whether this might be a sign that I am more depressed than I think I am, or whether I am sleepier because I am not as active. Or maybe there is another cause.
Thoughts?
Flairs overwork your body and can drain you. Have you been checked for anemia? Many medications like prednisone can cause iron problems. I know when mine is low cuz i can't get out of bed.
I've always been very slightly anemic, but never enough for them to do anything about it. However, I'm not sure I've been checked in a long while. I'm having bloodwork done next week, but I don't think it has any tests that covers anemia (basic metabolic panel, hepatic function panel, sed rate, crp). I'll talk to my doctor when I see him the week after.I've been having the same problem myself, Suzanne. I think it's because I'm flaring though. (?) Getting out of bed in the mornings has become increasingly difficult. I ran out of Ambien and have not been able to refill the prescription. I haven't taken Pred since April. The only thing I'm taking at night is Flexeril and it's a very low dose. I'll be asking my RD about it tomorrow.
Have a superfantastic and extra comfortable day.
Jamie, I'm like you too. If I sleep too long I feel drugged and heavy. I dont tend to stay in bed longer than 8 hours. When I'm not flaring, by the time I hit 8 hours in bed my joints hurt and I need to get up to move about to ease things. Hubby says that he sometimes feels like he's on a trampoline.
I found it important to stick with a schedule..go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Make sure you are allowing yourself plenty of sleep time. Most normal human beings need 7-9 hours per day and with RA you can easily add a couple of hours to that
Thanks for all the replies. Last night I tried to get to bed at a decent hour, but hubby got all conversational and that took another 45 minutes. Then we went to bed and he got all romantic, and that took an hour and a half, and that shot my whole getting to bed on time thing, but I'm not complaining.
Mel, I hope you're feeling better soon. Definitely talk to the doc about your meds today.
CountryGirl, I have been feeling stiffer when I get up, and that is often what sends me back to bed after I wake up for my first pain pill. In the last couple of days, I've had the numb hands again, which I haven't had in quite a few months.
Sarah, I usually find myself forced out of bed by my low back, but for some reason that hasn't been bothering me when I'm in bed lately (but out of bed it's killing me). I hadn't noticed that until your post reminded me.
buckeye, I've been trying to avoid naps because I almost always feel out of it for the rest of the day when that happens. Unfortunately, in addition to the RA I have fibro, which also causes fatigue, so I don't know how much the cumulative effect is. Then add in all my makes-me-sleepy meds and somehow it's a miracle I get up at all. I'm going to work on getting myself back on schedule...I was on a schedule for the first week or two and I think I need to get back there.
SnowOwl, heat actually makes it difficult for me to sleep, so I find in the morning when the thermostat heats the room back up, I keep waking up, but then I keep going back to sleep. The heat is probably the one thing that finally gets me out of bed.
I LOVE to sleep. I mean I can sleep 14 hours straight and still feel like I can go back to sleep. I do the same thing when I get 8 hours of sleep and even 2 hours of sleep. I just need sleep all the time.
When I was a baby... my mom use to have to wake me up to feed me because I would sleep and sleep and sleep. I will still sleep and sleep and sleep, if people would leave me alone. I could probably sleep my life away.
Hope you get a schedule going and find a happy medium.
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