Feel free to share your stories about Sleep Disorders

[SunsetRunner]

I have read that sleep occurs in cycles but what if your cycles don't always occur in the proper order? For example last night I went from being wide awake to being in a deep sleep. I don't think this is just a Fitbit reading issue and here is why

I was being tested some years ago for Epilepsy (which I didn't end up having) and I had to wear an EKG around with me as well as an EEG (at one point I wore an EEG for 5 strait days). The tests showed that I was asleep when I was awake/along with other wonky sleeping patterns and my heart rate dropped very low at times (not sure what my bpm was but low enough that I have been tested for Bradycardia more than once). No heart defects were found so it was assumed my Bradycardia was a result of exercise. MMRIs always normal. Once after giving birth I fell asleep hooked up to the blood pressure monitor and they rushed in with crash carts because my values were so low they thought I was dead but I could hold a conversation (they were startled to say the least). Sometimes when I exercise even intensely my heart rate is just chill and even throughout. I have literally hammered out an hour long kickboxing workout with BPM of 55, covered in sweat. As I get older my BPM seems to be more normal but I still seem to have something going on. I wanted to get my sleep professionally analyzed but the wait for that was over a year and my neurologist never put me on the list and now that I am no longer being investigated for Epilepsy I no longer have a neurologist and cannot request a sleep analysis (I don't live in the USA). Does this sound like a sleep disorder? Faulty wiring?

Btw I get loads of REM sleep but not much Deep Sleep for my age and I always wake up feeling tired. Sometimes my dreams are so intense and drawn out I wake up more exhausted than when I went to sleep in the first place! I go to bed at 9:43 pm and wake up 5:50 am most days sometimes I attempt to sleep in on the weekends but I struggle sleeping in and it leads to sleep paralysis. I can't stay awake later because I start to literally nod off and if I don't get enough sleep I hallucinate/become unstable so I really don't even bother trying to stay up late if I can help it. I have been diagnosed with severe ADD but what if it wasn't an attention issue, what if I was nodding off? I know I can partially sleep when doing reptitive things like eliptical, I don't really need to be full on so I can doze and keep moving. My mom seems to have problems too with insomnia, she goes to bed really early and then wakes super early.

Does anyone else have a similar issue and has been given a medical explanation? Or is also looking for answers? Or does this just seem like a variant of the norm? Is it just a low, rhytymic heart rate confusing sensors? Does anyone else have sleep disorders please share your story!

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[SunsetRunner]

Hi This is my first Fitbit charge 3 and I was wondering if I could ask you a simple question now yesterday I got my charge 3 set it up and as usual I only got about 2 hours sleep then I was awake, got up and went back to bed at 2am Friday morning now my question is will my charge 3 automatically detect and carry on tracking my sleep throughout the night as I’m a poor sleeper......all I need is a couple of hours at a time..

‘Also I installed Fitbit software on iPhone 11 but it won’t give me any reading on my iPad Pro (2015 model)   any tips.....Thankyou so much

[RowingMan]

I am reading a book titled "Why We Sleep" which was recommended by my Doctor.  I think you may benefit from reading it as well.  It is already helping me.  Back during the Cold was I served in Submarines as a young Naval Officer.  During cold war missions, the watch section is called 3 section which means you spend 6 hours on watch and get 12 off to do your regular job and some sleep.  That is not a 24-hour cycle but your circadian rhythm is roughly 24 hours.  I left the Navy in 1979 and thought my sleep cycle was screwed up for life.  The book seems to be helping me.  If you decide to get the book, I hope it helps you as well.  **ahem** luck.

[RowingMan]

There is a validation study of the Fitbit charge 2 sleep tracker in the 

The Journal of Biological and Medical Rhythm Research

Here is part of the abstract:

In the main group, Fitbit Charge 2™ showed 0.96 sensitivity (accuracy to detect sleep), 0.61 specificity (accuracy to detect wake), 0.81 accuracy in detecting N1+N2 sleep (“light sleep”), 0.49 accuracy in detecting N3 sleep (“deep sleep”), and 0.74 accuracy in detecting rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Fitbit Charge 2™ significantly (p < 0.05) overestimated PSG TST by 9 min, N1+N2 sleep by 34 min, and underestimated PSG SOL by 4 min and N3 sleep by 24 min. PSG and Fitbit Charge 2™ outcomes did not differ for WASO and time spent in REM sleep. No more than two participants fell outside the Bland–Altman agreement limits for all sleep measures. Fitbit Charge 2™ correctly identified 82% of PSG-defined non-REM–REM sleep cycles across the night. Similar outcomes were found for the PLMS group. Here is a link:

Validation Study Fitbit Charge 2 

At least it gives you an idea that you can compare to from day-to-day.

[Maryalicecotter]

Thanks
Missy Cotter

Sent from my iPad

[SunsetRunner]

GOOD JODBBB!!

[GeneralB]

What about PTSD? Is that a possibility? 

[DanOstin]

Unfortunately, I had problems with sleep for some last years because there appeared 2 small kids in our family and I forgot what it is to sleep well. More than all, I always continued to work on the night on my PC and as a result, I got nervous stress and insomnia. To tell the truth, I spent almost a year for the body to recover and I also consulted a neuropathologist so that he prescribed me a course of treatment for the rehabilitation of the nervous system. My husband even ordered a new memory foam mattress for me and a cool pillow for couples from matchinggear so we could be always closed one to another while sleeping. It was so nice.

[Maryalicecotter]

Luckily, my husband who finally accepted the fact that he has sleep apnea found a CPAP machine that fits him. He no longer has sleep problems.
I find that I always get a better night of sleep if I complete a daily 7500 - 10,000 step walk. Most weeks I get 3-4 days of 5.5 mi of brisk walking- about 11,000 - 12,000 steps fir each walk.

Missy Cotter


Sent from my iPad

[robertfoleyjr]

I actually saw issues with my sleeping patterns and it was confirmed by a medical doctor. I wasn't getting restful sleep and after taking a sleep study in my home it was reported that I was walking up almost 53 times an hour because of my neurological sleep apnea. It came to a head three months ago when I was rushed to the hospital for congestive heart failure. Luckily I survived and the prescriptions have helped a lot to improving my sleep duration and REM sleep especially. I wouldn't have known nor know now how much it has improved my sleep without the detailed analysis. I just (finally) got my CPAP machine this week and sure enough both the machine's logging and the fitbit reporting provide a full view of the 2000% improvement in my sleep and health. 

Prior to the prescriptions my heart rate and blood pressure was crazy high. When I would go to work out routinely the heart rate was in the 160s and 180s.. and my heart was skipping/doubling beats! Now it is back in the to "normal" range at 90 to 120 during running or weight lifting. My goal is to continue weight reduction and improve my muscles in addition to my internal cardio and blood pressure system so that eventually I might get to go off the prescription.

So if you can please get checked out it could lead to an emergency room visit if you don't.

[Maryalicecotter]

Thanks for your help.
Mary Cttes

Sent from my iPad