Submitted by Dean (not verified) on Fri, 03/28/2008 - 8:17am.
I hope that a lot of people the read this page or add their own comments to it actually take note of the other comments from people that are REALLY sleep deprived, as in long term.
I'm 40, and although my sleep patterns are perfect (as shown by 3 in-depth sleep studies and dozens of different doctors) I have never had a restful night of sleep. I can recall about 15 minutes a few years ago when I was still working at 7PM and suddenly I was wide awake. IT WAS AMAZING! I am a carpenter and we were just finishing up a large building, and i just stopping working and walked around, taking everything in from this wonderful new perspective, trying to enjoy every second of it assuming that it would end soon, and of course it did. I will never forget it as long as I live.
People who are truly sleep deprived have a unique challenge similar to people with severe mental or emotional problems, and that is living in a world where no one around them has a clue as to what they are going through and struggling to be like everyone else. I am apparently an Oscar-quality actor. I have been at this for so long that I have a well-established habit of keeping my game face (or whatever you would call it) on, but to a large extent I think it does more harm than good because people don't see the problem and thus are constantly judging me for being forgetful, irresponsible, etc. People see me as this happy guy, always smiling and positive. Them: "How are you?" Me: "Good! How about you?" This is the lie I tell every day, and the whole act burns up so much of the limited energy I have. I'm not good. I'm never good. I am a very ambitious person so I get to work every day, go through all the motions, and actually I can work a hundred hours a week because it doesn't really make much difference - I'm just as tired at the beginning and middle of the day as I am after working for 14 hours.
It has been getting worse over the years, with all of the common deprivation characteristics setting in with the main one being depression. Again, here people close to me figure that the there's something wrong with the meds so we need to adjust the meds. No one gets it. How am I not going to be depressed when I'm miserable every second of my existence and at the age of 40 what I have to look forward to is a couple of decades of equal or increased misery. I have to go to work and keep going every day because I have a family that I love. I LOVE my kids, I'm talking love on a Mrs. Doubtfire level, and I love being with them and they make me laugh all the time but it is still struggle struggle struggle to be able to do anything with them. After 8 years I am still really in love with my wife, but she doesn't get it. I did too good at covering up my flaws when we were dating and now she is burned out from dealing with it, how irresponsible and forgetful I am, why sometimes I think the way I do. Thus, I'm assuming that because of my tiredness at some point I will be losing my family.
Yes, I am constantly seeing Doctors and always using prescribed stimulants, but my body gets used to them so I have to keep switching around and the overall effectiveness is waning.
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I hope that a lot of people the read this page or add their own comments to it actually take note of the other comments from people that are REALLY sleep deprived, as in long term.
I'm 40, and although my sleep patterns are perfect (as shown by 3 in-depth sleep studies and dozens of different doctors) I have never had a restful night of sleep. I can recall about 15 minutes a few years ago when I was still working at 7PM and suddenly I was wide awake. IT WAS AMAZING! I am a carpenter and we were just finishing up a large building, and i just stopping working and walked around, taking everything in from this wonderful new perspective, trying to enjoy every second of it assuming that it would end soon, and of course it did. I will never forget it as long as I live.
People who are truly sleep deprived have a unique challenge similar to people with severe mental or emotional problems, and that is living in a world where no one around them has a clue as to what they are going through and struggling to be like everyone else. I am apparently an Oscar-quality actor. I have been at this for so long that I have a well-established habit of keeping my game face (or whatever you would call it) on, but to a large extent I think it does more harm than good because people don't see the problem and thus are constantly judging me for being forgetful, irresponsible, etc. People see me as this happy guy, always smiling and positive. Them: "How are you?" Me: "Good! How about you?" This is the lie I tell every day, and the whole act burns up so much of the limited energy I have. I'm not good. I'm never good. I am a very ambitious person so I get to work every day, go through all the motions, and actually I can work a hundred hours a week because it doesn't really make much difference - I'm just as tired at the beginning and middle of the day as I am after working for 14 hours.
It has been getting worse over the years, with all of the common deprivation characteristics setting in with the main one being depression. Again, here people close to me figure that the there's something wrong with the meds so we need to adjust the meds. No one gets it. How am I not going to be depressed when I'm miserable every second of my existence and at the age of 40 what I have to look forward to is a couple of decades of equal or increased misery. I have to go to work and keep going every day because I have a family that I love. I LOVE my kids, I'm talking love on a Mrs. Doubtfire level, and I love being with them and they make me laugh all the time but it is still struggle struggle struggle to be able to do anything with them. After 8 years I am still really in love with my wife, but she doesn't get it. I did too good at covering up my flaws when we were dating and now she is burned out from dealing with it, how irresponsible and forgetful I am, why sometimes I think the way I do. Thus, I'm assuming that because of my tiredness at some point I will be losing my family.
Yes, I am constantly seeing Doctors and always using prescribed stimulants, but my body gets used to them so I have to keep switching around and the overall effectiveness is waning.