According to an article on the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's website, a person with MS is up to three times more likely to experience sleep disturbances than the general population, and nearly twice as likely to get a reduced quality of sleep. In a section titled, Are You Sleep Deprived?, it says if I answer "yes" to even one of the four questions, I might have a problem. My answers would be one "yeah, maybe a little", and a "Yes! Yes! Yes!" for each of the questions.
"Are you, sleepy, grumpy or 'down' much of the day?" I am often sleepy, but not often grumpy - in my opinion, anyway - or down. Maybe I'm wrong - I am once in a while - but when I have those feelings during the day, I'm quick to attribute them to boredom. Then I think about it and wonder why it is so difficult for me to read or write for more than a half-hour at a time. Could be my writing bores me, but the writing of others seldom did in the past.
"Do you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow?" Yes, absolutely! And I love it. Sleep never came quickly. I went to bed, shut my eyes, and my mind got busy. It overflowed with thoughts on a myriad of subjects: things that happened that day; things I had read; something I had heard; a television show; the news; the Pirates, Steelers or Penguins; the weather; wild sex; how to be a better person. With very, very, very few exceptions, I was still awake an hour after my head hit the pillow.
Now, I get in bed, get comfy, and get to sleep within minutes. The MS diagnosis came in 2006, and within three or four years, getting into bed put me on the express to Dreamland. The article says that could be a result of having to work harder and struggle more as a result of MS. Even so, I enjoy it when sleep arrives promptly.
"Do you sleep less than 7 hours most nights?" Time was when seven or eight hours sleep was the norm. Back when I was gainfully employed, I relied on the alarm clock to rouse me in a timely manner. These days, I seldom need to get up early, but I'm often awake in the wee, wee hours of the morning. Many nights, I'll get in bed at 10:30 or 11 and wake up at 1a.m. Sometimes I can get back to sleep. But most nights I can't and give up trying by 3 or 4.
"Do you still feel tired even after getting 8 or more hours of sleep?" You bet your sweet bippy I do. This body ain't easy to move, and it seldom moves at all once sleep comes. So, on those nights when I get the recommended hours of sleep, every muscle in my legs is beyond stiff and approaching rigid; my balance is questionable; my sinuses ache and I'm so tired, if my wasn't bladder clamoring for attention, I'd sleep for another two or three hours.
Until this morning, dealing with sleep and/or the lack of it hadn't caused any problems. But, it sure did Tuesday, when I had an 8:55a.m. appointment for blood work at the Columbus Clinic. I was to be in the Covenant Woods' lobby at 8a.m. to get on the bus that would take me there. I hit the sack at 11 Monday night, woke up at 1:30 Tuesday morning, tried without success to get back to sleep and quit trying at 3:30. After getting dressed and tending to my urinary needs, I had a glass of water, fired up Mr. Coffee, and reminded myself that the banana on the counter was out of the question. "This,' the person who called to remind me of the appointment said, "is a fasting lab. Nothing but water and black coffee after midnight."
While the coffee brewed, I checked my email, took a look at Facebook, and started to work on a crossword puzzle. When Mr. Coffee was done making all those funny noises, I filled my cup, set on the table, and fell asleep. I fell directly to sleep, did not pass go, and did not regain even a sliver of consciousness until Amy's voice came through the intercom.
"Tom, are you going to the doctor today?"
"No. That was yesterday."
"OK."
Why did I say, "That was yesterday"? I have no idea. I remember saying it, but I wasn't trying to make excuses for not being in the appointed place at the appointed time. It was 15 or 20 minutes later when my mental fog lifted just a bit. I realized it was Tuesday, I had an appointment, and Dennis was already on the road, taking residents to their appointments. Then, still in the wheelchair, I fell asleep again and remained asleep or occasionally half asleep until 3:30 this afternoon.
It is nearly midnight now, and I'm not tired. With all the sleeping I did today, that's not a surprise. But, I'm not hungry, and all I've eaten was a banana and a bagel. My liquid intake for the day has consisted of two small glasses of water and three cups of coffee. I should be hungry and thirsty. But I'm not.
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