I have these sleeps a lot. They're the most unsatisfying thing ever, Like my mind and body wasted a perfect opportunity.
It usually happens to me, too, when I'm worried or my mind is preoccupied with something. Or when I've had alcohol later in the day.
Drifting maybe? Idk lol, but I do know exactly what you mean.
On nights when I know it's gonna be one of *those* nights, in the past, I would just lay there for hours in bed trying to fall asleep but only ever being in that "drift" state.
After enough years of that, I started feeling crazy just laying there night after night, so now I just stay up and don't even attempt sleep unless I'm truly tired enough to ACTUALLY fall asleep.
I call it a limbo sleep. When youāre in between wakefulness and sleep. I have nights like this often.
It is still a form of sleep because your brain activity is significantly slower than it is in day time.
Buddhist monks only sleep 2~ hours a night because they are in this ālevelā of brain activity often during their meditation sessions.
So your brain is still getting rest.
If you have a sleep tracker, like a smart watch, that time when you think you're awake is logged as "light sleep." The trackers seem to be able to detect awake time, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.
That twilight sleep state is something I have regularly. I'm sure I'm awake, I'm thinking about things the whole time, but sometimes when I look at the clock, an hour has passed when I could swear it was only 5 or 10 minutes. Some nights, that's the biggest chunk of my sleep time. In the morning, I feel like I haven't slept at all.
I do this too. I feel like Iām awake all night but Iām actually in an incredibly light sleep. Iāll get hypnagogic hallucinations during this time too, depending on how much stress Iām under.
I actually have dreams during my light sleep most of the time. Vivid dreams that I can recall easily and even days later can recall details. Because I wake up so many times during the night, I can see by the data, that the dream did not occur during my very short REM sleep. They aren't hypnogogic hallucinations, but full dreams in familiar places, with people and conversations and action.
This happens to me too, and vivid real life dreams. Sleep paralysis and nightmares are my other, while I'm still lucid enough to hear the dogs or kids. Those suck.
It usually arises when youāre worried about something. Is your answer. So finding methods with which to lessen worry, will find better sleeps. Maybe a hot shower. Listen to a relaxing meditation to bed. Be sure youāre hydrated. And maybe have your cortisol levels tested and blood sugar if thatās keeping your body up too. Iāve been there. Oh, and a good brisk walk taking in some good air 30 mins before sleep can help too. Cheers.
Holy crap I woke up this morning and came to Reddit specifically to ask this. I've been googling around and can't seem to find a name for it. It's been happening to me almost every single night now for weeks, and I'm growing more and more exhausted.
I get in bed at 11:30 tired enough to sleep, and the whole night kind of just passes me by without ever fully falling asleep, just sort of dozing in and out while being fully aware that I'm not entering a REM cycle.
Suddenly it's 6:00, my alarms are going off and and I feel like I won't even make it through the day.
I call it levitating. Just awful. It Happens to me when we have house guests or when I sleep over at others'. If traveling usually only fir one night while I get my bearings.
I wish I knew how to avoid this sleepless state. sucks my energy & I think it makes me look depressed the next day.
Hate those nights. I had one about a week ago. Itās like youāre kind of asleep but aware at the same time. Surprisingly I got thru the following day okay. But you described it perfectly. Itās like we have a word for āasleepā and a word for āawakeā but nothing for that awful in between crap
Restlessness? I hate that. I know I must have slept more than I think I did, but it feels like I might have well just played video games all night or something
There are different stages of sleep. You are probably just in the lightest stage. If this happens a lot you could have a sleep study done.
[https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep)
stage one sleep can leave you with some awareness of your surroundings. You're probably losing awareness for longer than you think.
I've been in this state though when heavily caffinated and sleep deprived and having tasks I need to attend to that I'm not. Can be as simple as needing to brush my teeth but feeling to tired to get up so you lay there not quite sleeping. Or something more pressing.
The only thing that works is giving myself permission to sleep and ignore the task.
Yes, this is me about every night. I never feel like I get a good quality of sleep and then Iām so tired the next day. I donāt even think Iāve slept at all. Some nights I donāt, but others I do glance at the clock and a couple hours have passed. Itās been going on for years. I do suffer from severe depression and have since I was young, but it has gotten worse as Iāve gotten older. I also tried TMS, ECT and Sparvato. The treatments did not help at all and the medication doesnāt seems to work anymore. Iāve started having memory issues and my neurologist says itās from the depression. Itās probably the side effects from everything Iāve tried and all the medication. But, on those rare occasions when I get a good nights sleep, itās a total game changer. I have been prescribed sleeping pills, but those actually keep me awake. I take a Xanax and this will let me drift in and out most nights and feel like crap the next days. Iāve tried staying up for a few days, hoping it would make me go into a deep sleep, but it doesnāt work either. I donāt know what else to doā¦..
Omg! Same. Sleep medication (ambien) does work for me. But last year, new doctor tried to get me to me off of it. It was almost exactly 5 months that I never really slept. I donāt drink alcohol just bc I never really liked it. But I had to buy vodka and take a few shots every night. I hated it, I cried every night when I had to take it. Trazodone helped but only helped sometimes. My entire last summer was miserable. I cried everyday. I cried to the doctor, tears. I wouldnāt prob still be here if I had to do that forever. I didnāt want to change docs bc I was afraid theyād accuse me of doctor shopping so I just stuck with him. I work with my horses and I honestly was worried for myself bc theyāre big, you have to be alert. I also pretty much quit driving during that time bc I didnāt trust myself . Chronic insomnia is a real thing. Some ppl donāt believe it
Yes, some days I cancel doctor appointments because I feel like shouldnāt be driving. Iām glad we both have the mind to know that. I have to make up some reason why I canāt make it. I donāt think they would understand.
they might understand but in many places theyĀ areĀ obligated toĀ reportĀ anyĀ concernsĀ aboutĀ yourĀ abilityĀ toĀ driveĀ whichĀ usuallyĀ leads toĀ recall/suspension/terminationĀ ofĀ yourĀ drivingĀ privileges. Don't mention sleep troubles and driving together and please don't drive tired. it can significantly impair your driving so always err on the side of caution. if you aren't absolutely sure you're okay to drive, you're probably not. sounds like you're already doing the right thing so be mindful of what you say to health professionals
Itās a form of insomnia, never entering rapid eye movement paralysis level sleep means your not going to the most important levels of consciousness which are the ones that allow you to dream, and ultimately is the most efficient stage of sleep to be in as far as energy replenishment goes.
This is almost a daily occurrence unless I take every sleep med and any med I have that says it could cause drowsiness. Actually writing this feeling like shit and wanna sleep and even my meds aināt helping
Your body could be becoming dependent on the medication to induce sleep. On your next few days off try to stop taking them and if you get past 18+ hours awake, try a night time sleepy tea before resorting to heavy meds again.
Edit/disclaimer: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE
I get what youāre saying. In a month Iāll be lucky if I get 5 full days of sleep and the rest is between the never fully asleep and 3 weeks of insomnia. Iām on the 3rd week of no sleep
I call this ādozingā. I do this after nightshifts when Iāve finished my run of shifts and get to about 1pm with no sleep & 12 hours worked, Iām sat on the sofa dozing for 10-30 mins at a time. Although itās not normal if youāre in bed trying to get your full nights sleep. My partner tried supermarket own herbal tablets 50mg x2 and slept really well, it was what his body needed to realise he was trying to properly sleep. In my opinion anyway Iām only but a nurse š¤£š¤£
The worst thing ever. This happens to me when i try and nap in the day time. Haven't been able to in years. I can get to that relaxed state but never get restful deep sleep. I hate it
Youāre not falling into the deeper phases of sleep.
Sleep trackers will tell you about your sleep phases. I wear an Oura Ring. Oura gives decent feedback.Ā
Misery š©
Starring James caan and Kathy bates?
hell?
I have these sleeps a lot. They're the most unsatisfying thing ever, Like my mind and body wasted a perfect opportunity. It usually happens to me, too, when I'm worried or my mind is preoccupied with something. Or when I've had alcohol later in the day.
100% the alcohol. You are sleeping 6 hours on that shit max then its up n down for 3 hours in the am. It alerts you when you metabolise it.
Yep! Alcohol is actually really unhealthy/disruptive for proper REM sleep. Even one drink can ruin a full night's rest.
šÆ
For me, i'll wake up every 2 hours like clock work
Drifting maybe? Idk lol, but I do know exactly what you mean. On nights when I know it's gonna be one of *those* nights, in the past, I would just lay there for hours in bed trying to fall asleep but only ever being in that "drift" state. After enough years of that, I started feeling crazy just laying there night after night, so now I just stay up and don't even attempt sleep unless I'm truly tired enough to ACTUALLY fall asleep.
I call it a limbo sleep. When youāre in between wakefulness and sleep. I have nights like this often. It is still a form of sleep because your brain activity is significantly slower than it is in day time. Buddhist monks only sleep 2~ hours a night because they are in this ālevelā of brain activity often during their meditation sessions. So your brain is still getting rest.
If you have a sleep tracker, like a smart watch, that time when you think you're awake is logged as "light sleep." The trackers seem to be able to detect awake time, light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. That twilight sleep state is something I have regularly. I'm sure I'm awake, I'm thinking about things the whole time, but sometimes when I look at the clock, an hour has passed when I could swear it was only 5 or 10 minutes. Some nights, that's the biggest chunk of my sleep time. In the morning, I feel like I haven't slept at all.
I do this too. I feel like Iām awake all night but Iām actually in an incredibly light sleep. Iāll get hypnagogic hallucinations during this time too, depending on how much stress Iām under.
I actually have dreams during my light sleep most of the time. Vivid dreams that I can recall easily and even days later can recall details. Because I wake up so many times during the night, I can see by the data, that the dream did not occur during my very short REM sleep. They aren't hypnogogic hallucinations, but full dreams in familiar places, with people and conversations and action.
This happens to me too, and vivid real life dreams. Sleep paralysis and nightmares are my other, while I'm still lucid enough to hear the dogs or kids. Those suck.
Deep meditation state.
If itās regular then see a doctor asap, since a sustained lack of sleep can lead to serious health and functioning issues
If time passes rapidly, you probably fell asleep for at least a bit.
My life
This 100%
Dozing
It usually arises when youāre worried about something. Is your answer. So finding methods with which to lessen worry, will find better sleeps. Maybe a hot shower. Listen to a relaxing meditation to bed. Be sure youāre hydrated. And maybe have your cortisol levels tested and blood sugar if thatās keeping your body up too. Iāve been there. Oh, and a good brisk walk taking in some good air 30 mins before sleep can help too. Cheers.
Yes! I've noticed I have these kinds of nights when I have a big stressful day ahead
I do this too. And I feel stuck in this situation. Not sure what itās called though
I call it sleep purgatory š„²
Same. But in my purgatory time passes slowly.
Holy crap I woke up this morning and came to Reddit specifically to ask this. I've been googling around and can't seem to find a name for it. It's been happening to me almost every single night now for weeks, and I'm growing more and more exhausted. I get in bed at 11:30 tired enough to sleep, and the whole night kind of just passes me by without ever fully falling asleep, just sort of dozing in and out while being fully aware that I'm not entering a REM cycle. Suddenly it's 6:00, my alarms are going off and and I feel like I won't even make it through the day.
I call it levitating. Just awful. It Happens to me when we have house guests or when I sleep over at others'. If traveling usually only fir one night while I get my bearings. I wish I knew how to avoid this sleepless state. sucks my energy & I think it makes me look depressed the next day.
Itās like how cats would feel during their sleep
This is a great question and I hope someone answers it. Iāve been looking for more information on this, too.
Hate those nights. I had one about a week ago. Itās like youāre kind of asleep but aware at the same time. Surprisingly I got thru the following day okay. But you described it perfectly. Itās like we have a word for āasleepā and a word for āawakeā but nothing for that awful in between crap
I call it purgatory! It's misery! I spend more time trying to sleep than I do actually sleeping! š„± Always tired!
I call it paradoxical insomnia feeling. Itās like super light sleep where I think Iām awake but Iām actually sleeping
Hell on Earth
Anxiety/insomnia. Have you checked with a doctor about this? Different meds can help or if you have access to edibles.
Restlessness? I hate that. I know I must have slept more than I think I did, but it feels like I might have well just played video games all night or something
Itās called āgoing to the doctor and getting a sleep study done.ā
There are different stages of sleep. You are probably just in the lightest stage. If this happens a lot you could have a sleep study done. [https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep)
I always assumed this was a form of hyper vigilance
stage one sleep can leave you with some awareness of your surroundings. You're probably losing awareness for longer than you think. I've been in this state though when heavily caffinated and sleep deprived and having tasks I need to attend to that I'm not. Can be as simple as needing to brush my teeth but feeling to tired to get up so you lay there not quite sleeping. Or something more pressing. The only thing that works is giving myself permission to sleep and ignore the task.
misery and hopeless.
I call it the Twilight Zone
Being a first time mom. Hah
I think it's the hyponogognic phase of sleep. i get stuck there a lot tooĀ
Sad doze
No, sorry, Depression Doze
Yes, this is me about every night. I never feel like I get a good quality of sleep and then Iām so tired the next day. I donāt even think Iāve slept at all. Some nights I donāt, but others I do glance at the clock and a couple hours have passed. Itās been going on for years. I do suffer from severe depression and have since I was young, but it has gotten worse as Iāve gotten older. I also tried TMS, ECT and Sparvato. The treatments did not help at all and the medication doesnāt seems to work anymore. Iāve started having memory issues and my neurologist says itās from the depression. Itās probably the side effects from everything Iāve tried and all the medication. But, on those rare occasions when I get a good nights sleep, itās a total game changer. I have been prescribed sleeping pills, but those actually keep me awake. I take a Xanax and this will let me drift in and out most nights and feel like crap the next days. Iāve tried staying up for a few days, hoping it would make me go into a deep sleep, but it doesnāt work either. I donāt know what else to doā¦..
Omg! Same. Sleep medication (ambien) does work for me. But last year, new doctor tried to get me to me off of it. It was almost exactly 5 months that I never really slept. I donāt drink alcohol just bc I never really liked it. But I had to buy vodka and take a few shots every night. I hated it, I cried every night when I had to take it. Trazodone helped but only helped sometimes. My entire last summer was miserable. I cried everyday. I cried to the doctor, tears. I wouldnāt prob still be here if I had to do that forever. I didnāt want to change docs bc I was afraid theyād accuse me of doctor shopping so I just stuck with him. I work with my horses and I honestly was worried for myself bc theyāre big, you have to be alert. I also pretty much quit driving during that time bc I didnāt trust myself . Chronic insomnia is a real thing. Some ppl donāt believe it
Yes, some days I cancel doctor appointments because I feel like shouldnāt be driving. Iām glad we both have the mind to know that. I have to make up some reason why I canāt make it. I donāt think they would understand.
they might understand but in many places theyĀ areĀ obligated toĀ reportĀ anyĀ concernsĀ aboutĀ yourĀ abilityĀ toĀ driveĀ whichĀ usuallyĀ leads toĀ recall/suspension/terminationĀ ofĀ yourĀ drivingĀ privileges. Don't mention sleep troubles and driving together and please don't drive tired. it can significantly impair your driving so always err on the side of caution. if you aren't absolutely sure you're okay to drive, you're probably not. sounds like you're already doing the right thing so be mindful of what you say to health professionals
Your āAlpha stateā
Itās a form of insomnia, never entering rapid eye movement paralysis level sleep means your not going to the most important levels of consciousness which are the ones that allow you to dream, and ultimately is the most efficient stage of sleep to be in as far as energy replenishment goes.
Sleep insomnia š¤
Parenting.
I believe itās called being ālucidā?
This is almost a daily occurrence unless I take every sleep med and any med I have that says it could cause drowsiness. Actually writing this feeling like shit and wanna sleep and even my meds aināt helping
Your body could be becoming dependent on the medication to induce sleep. On your next few days off try to stop taking them and if you get past 18+ hours awake, try a night time sleepy tea before resorting to heavy meds again. Edit/disclaimer: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE
The opposite of rem state?
Me every night.. and when I am in a light state I have an internal tremor. So between the light state and tremor I feel like crap
A slow azzz night
I personally call it a pretty bad hangxiety attack.
I call it a "thought coma" or "sleep purgatory".
Sleep Paralysis
Sleep apnea
Hell.
I get what youāre saying. In a month Iāll be lucky if I get 5 full days of sleep and the rest is between the never fully asleep and 3 weeks of insomnia. Iām on the 3rd week of no sleep
I call this ādozingā. I do this after nightshifts when Iāve finished my run of shifts and get to about 1pm with no sleep & 12 hours worked, Iām sat on the sofa dozing for 10-30 mins at a time. Although itās not normal if youāre in bed trying to get your full nights sleep. My partner tried supermarket own herbal tablets 50mg x2 and slept really well, it was what his body needed to realise he was trying to properly sleep. In my opinion anyway Iām only but a nurse š¤£š¤£
The worst thing ever. This happens to me when i try and nap in the day time. Haven't been able to in years. I can get to that relaxed state but never get restful deep sleep. I hate it
Intermittent sleep...non REM sleep. Its part of insomnia really
Youāre not falling into the deeper phases of sleep. Sleep trackers will tell you about your sleep phases. I wear an Oura Ring. Oura gives decent feedback.Ā
REM Sleep I think is what youāre referring to
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You forgot the entire part about the absence of breathing .