My husband says that it's unhealthy for me to sleep in day and stay up @ night. Is this correct?

Question

Growing up, I was always put to sleep in daytime; parents were drunks and it was easier on them to hollar @ me until I cried myself to sleep, my baysitter had 5 kids of her own, most of who were ill so she'd put us to sleep in front of tv for as long as we slept (6 or more hours). I feel like I am trained to sleep ALL day. Hubby says that I should just grow out of it, all of a sudden. We've been together over 15 yrs; he knew what I was like b4 he proposed.... Thanks for all clear understanding conversations on this matter, regardless of which way you think is best.

Answer 1

I'm sorry to hear about your lousy childhood and babysitter.

Nightime sleep is impt as we are meant to sleep at night. It's more conducive to sleep at night as the world is quiet. There are a lot of chores and school activities expected of a mom. And more importantly, the quality of sleep is better at night. The dangers of sleep deprivation at night will render one with daytime fatigue, difficulty with concentration, irritability and stress. It can also compromise the immune system.
Bright lights and sunlight exposure is not conducive to sleep. Our body's natural biological clock is scheduled to sleep at night. Daytime sleeping will interfere with regular exercise and thus encourage obesity.as well as other health problems such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, and hypertension .Normal sleep patterns of the four stages of REM is better achieved at night. Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy


Tips for better daytime habits
-Do not nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap during the day - you will throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and feel as if you absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.
-Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid drinking caffeinated or alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime. Although alcohol may initially act as a sedative, it can interrupt normal sleep patterns.
-Don't smoke. Nicotine is a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs disrupt sleep.
-Expose yourself to bright light/sunlight soon after awakening. This will help to regulate your body's natural biological clock. Likewise, try to keep your bedroom dark while you are sleeping so that the light will not interfere with your rest.
-Exercise early in the day. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
-Check your iron level. Iron deficient women tend to have more problems sleeping, so if your blood is iron poor, a supplement might help your health and your ability to sleep.


Tips for a better sleep environment
-Make sure your bed is large enough, and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a queen- or king-size bed. Test different types of mattresses. Try therapeutic shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck or extra pillows that help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
-Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It is not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place for rest or intimacy.
-Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is well ventilated and the temperature consistent. And try to keep it quiet. You could use a fan or a "white noise" machine to help block outside noises.
-Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can't see the time when you are in bed.

Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual
-Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep at the same time each day. Don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep – doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
-Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
-Relax for a while before going to bed.
-Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery programs.
-Don’t eat a large, heavy meal before bed.
-This can cause indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
-Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eating a slice of toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the warmth of the food may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
-Jot down all of your concerns and worries.
Anxiety excites the nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands, making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh.
-Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed.
-Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective. In some cases, there are safety concerns. -Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!


Tips for getting back to sleep
-Try visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
-Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Don’t lie in bed awake. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.
- Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake.
-Don't do anything stimulating. Don't read anything job-related or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to be alerting).
-Don't expose yourself to bright light. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
-Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note that L-tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless you eat it on an empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the refrigerator for 3am.
-Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.


Tips for keeping a sleep diary
Learn about your sleep patterns and habits by keeping a daily sleep diary.

-=Time you went to bed and woke up;
-Total sleep hours;
-Quality of sleep;
-Times that you were awake during the night and what you did (e.g. stayed in bed with eyes closed or got up, had a glass of milk and meditated);
-Amount of caffeine or alcohol you consumed and times of consumption;
-Types of food and drink and times of consumption;
-Feelings - happiness, sadness, stress, anxiety;
-Drugs or medications taken, amounts taken and times of consumption.

Maybe, your hubby is hinting that he needs your warmth to sleep better. Maybe he wants to make love. Daytime sex is not feasible sometimes if both of you or he's working.

But the real reason why night time sleep is more healthy is because the quality of the sleep is better.

Answer 2

I have worked nightshift for over 10 years, I am a night person and wouldnt work any other shift. I also have 2 small children that I have to be awake for on my days off and I find it hard to get into a "normal" sleep pattern, sleeping nights, when I'm not working. I have never suffered any adverse effects of sleeping during the day.

There are some medical conditions that can be exacerbated by a disturbed circadian rhythm. A few of my co-workers have been forced to switch to dayshift because of SVT, supraventricular tachycardia.

You can retrain yourself to sleep at night, similar to how shiftworkers retrain themselves to sleep during the day. Either that or your husband will just have to accept that you are a night person.

Answer 3

Sweet sister,
I think the first thing is to make sure you gets lots of support and counseling for what you went through as a child. None of that was your fault, and anything you do today as a result is not your fault. Be gentle with you.

To answer your question, it's true, staying up all night and sleeping into the day is not the best. We are meant to cycle with the sun. To bed at night, up when it's light.

In Chinese medicine, they assign certain hours to certain organs. Liver and kidney, I believe, rule the hours of the late night 1-3am, etc. Both liver and kidney are connected to sadness and anger. It is possible that by talking and healing some of these issues with your parents, you may balance these emotions and be able to re-set your clock.

Much healing to you, my friend.

Answer 4

most people sleep at night, and are busy during daylight hours... so if you want to do stuff, like doctors appointments, schooling ar have a job like a secratary or something... I'd say sleeping during the day is unhealthy. Naps lasting an hour or less at specific times are much better, and a full nights' sleep at night.

Also, if your husband has a day job, he may be feeling that you two are not getting enough time together, if you are up all night, and not in bed sleeping next to him.

Answer 5

Technically it isn't good for you because the sun helps regulate things in ur body. Shift workers often get more cancer and stuff because of this.

BUT, you can't change overnight. People with Circadian sleep disorder (sp?), reset their sleep schedule by 15 minutes a night. Which means it takes 4 nights to reset your clock an hour, at minimum.

So make sure your husband doesn't expect a change overnight, and yes you should try to attempt a change.

Answer 6

Well, not really because it's like if you had a job in the daytime, you would have to sleep durin' the night and if you had one during the night, you will have sleep durin' the day.. So, therefore, it doesn't matter because both are 12 hours but my opinion, it's better to rest durin' the night because there's alot to do durin' the day..

Answer 7

not really, i'm the same way i go to sleep in the early morning though, around 6 am. as long as it doesnt effect your job or life too much who cares. to me its just a preference i happen to prefer the night so i stay up. i've never noticed or heard of any side effects of it.