Is it healthy to stay awake for 20 hours at a time?

[FlashGit]

I almost never leave my room and go outside, and i don't really need to exercise to maintain muscle. At the end ov the day i usually have allot ov energy left, this causes me to stay awake for about 20 hours at a time everyday. I think that this might be the reason I'm so depressed.
Is it healthy to stay awake this long everyday? Could this be causing my depression?

 

[psych]

It might not be the whole problem, but it could certainly be a huge step toward recovery.

Sleep Deprivation and Depression: What's the Link?

If you've been diagnosed with clinical depression, you may be having trouble getting to sleep. There's a reason for that. There is a definite link between lack of sleep and depression. In fact, one of the major signs of depression is insomnia or an inability to sleep.

That's not to say insomnia or other sleep problems are uncommon. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the United States, affecting nearly one out of every three adults at some point in life. More women suffer from insomnia than men, and as people get older, insomnia becomes more prevalent.

Most experts agree that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep a night. But even without depression, according to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American only gets about 6.9 hours. When you add depression to the mix, the problems with sleep are compounded.

 

[satstrn]

My guess is the staying awake would be a symptom of depression, not the cause of it. The fact that you are spending all that time in your room could be a major cause though. I would start exercising your ass off, that will help you feel more fatigued and help you get on a more regular sleep schedule. Anyone can do pushups and go running. Get out in the sun too. Just get yourself away from electronic devices, they will slowly kill you.

 

[Waybuloo]

Are you sure it's not insomnia? Are you ever tired and weak? Does your mind go foggy?

 

[Hellhound]

I'd suggest you to try going out more and exercise, find a hobbie, do something. It's not healthy to be in your room all day, it will make things a lot worse.

 

[FlashGit]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I am currently putting together a workout schedule, as exercise was recommended.
I had a nice hobby of painting Warhammer miniatures that i gave up for a while out ov sheer lack ov motivation, but ill take it up again.
It maight be insomnia, tired and weak is common, but no fogginess.
I will take all the sleep advice given, as my sleep schedule is pretty f*cked up right now.
Im going to bed at 5:00 AM tonight (thats an improvement).
I am certainly seeing someone about my depression.

 

[Gaucho]

I'm quite sure its not healthy

 

[Duzmiu]

its not that bad really, as long as your getting the right amount of sleep (8 hours i think it is)
you should be fine, its just your sleep pattern is mixxed up. i used to do it all the time, once you sort yourself a sleep pattern out you will be sleeping propally.

its when you stay awake for several days at once when you want to get worried, my record for staying awake without any caffine and things like that is 4 and half days, at the end of that i was seeing yellow and red dots and i collapsed in the end....untill you do something like just to see if you can do it, you know your fine

 

[Ignace]

8 Hours would be more than enough for an adult, try to change that 4 hours to 6. I read somewhere after a few days you can't sum up the alphabet. Must be so cool, not gonna try it though. ::

 

[Duzmiu]

8 Hours would be more than enough for an adult, try to change that 4 hours to 6. I read somewhere after a few days you can't sum up the alphabet. Must be so cool, not gonna try it though. ::

lol whoever said that is lieing, i havent had more then 6 hours sleep in the last 3-4 weeks and i function fine

 

[psych]

Have you tried melatonin? Even better is time release melatonin...
It's a hormone that your body already produces... The over the counter stuff can be used to help reset your circadian rhythm...
Circadian rhythm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Make sure you have eight uninterrupted hours stretched before you in which to sleep... Take your melatonin about 30 mins before bed. Sleep in as total of a darkness as you can get. Make sure you wake up and expose yourself to sunlight/electric light. This gets you into a morning wake up pattern. Only use melatonin until you get that rhythm back. Then as a sleep aid occasionally. You want your body to continue to produce that hormone for you. So, it's a bad idea to overdo it.

 

[FlashGit]

Would they sell melatonin to minors?

 

[psych]

Oh sh*t I'm sorry, I see it's been banned in Canada... :: It's an over the counter sleep aid in the US.
That's too bad, if used correctly, it can really help. ::
Well, good luck to you, I think exercising is a great idea ... Not too close to bedtime though.

Just popped into my head, but one thing that helped me get back on track was using my bed strictly for sleeping. No laying around watching television on it, or using a laptop while in bed. It helps your brain get the message that it's time for sleep when you finally lay down at the end of the day.

 

[LazyHermitCrab]

you might be eating at the wrong times? like i have a habit of not eating all day and at night like 10pm i eat dinner and stay up, sleep in, and it goes on. you should have breakfast, lunch, and dinner early in the day and then fall asleep about 11pm. so you only get 4 hours of sleep i see. no it's probably not healthy. i think if you double it then yes.

 

[jonas89]

I just got home from a 20 hour work shift !!
but yeah in a long term I think it's not good to be awake for so long at once tho..

 

[gustavofring]

I don't think so. I believe well restedness is the key to clear thinking and feeling well.

About 3 years ago, I used to work on saturdays after going out all night and I felt terrible and made lots of mistakes. Working felt like agony. Your mind and body just longs for rest, but you try to artificially prolong it, sometimes with drugs like caffeine. It's very detrimental to health in general.

I tried melatonin too, but it made me feel so terribly drowsy the next day. If you take that stuff, make sure its a low dosis, and not 3 mg or higher.

 

[chibiXphantom]

well the healthy amount of sleep time is 8-9 hrs. its also healthy to rest throughout the day. lack of sleep exhausts the body and your brain, lowering functionality

 

[Ignace]

lol whoever said that is lieing, i havent had more then 6 hours sleep in the last 3-4 weeks and i function fine

So you're saying in the last 3-4 weeks you only had 6 hours of sleep in total ? Yeah, I guess you'd be dead then. ::

 

[HumanZ]

I was once awake almost 80 hours. With caffeine pills.

I've always had sleeping disorders. I've tried everything to fix my sleeping rhythm. I've taken Mirtazapine a couple of times and never again. I did fall asleep in 30min but slept like 18 hours. My alarm clock never woke me up.

 

[shakethelight]

I almost never leave my room and go outside, and i don't really need to exercise to maintain muscle. At the end ov the day i usually have allot ov energy left, this causes me to stay awake for about 20 hours at a time everyday. I think that this might be the reason I'm so depressed.
Is it healthy to stay awake this long everyday? Could this be causing my depression?

Maybe you suffer from insomia because of your depression. I know when my depression was at its worse I would hibernate in my room for weeks. I was completely trapped in my own hell. It helps me to recognize what I am doing- and to plan ahead ways so I dont isolate myself. Try making a small "to-do" list with reasonible goals for the day that you won't get overwhelmed with.
Make it a point to get out of the house even for a ten min. walk. Maybe join a support group?

It's really not healthy to stay in your room all day, the longer you isolate the harder it will be to break the habit. Isolation is both a symptom and a trigger of depression. When we change the pattern, it can help us get away from depressive thoughts that are easier to think when we are alone.

As for the insomina, you should really try "Sleepinal" You can order it on Amazon. I swear by it. It's the ONLY pill that's ever made me sleep through the entire night. It's non habit forming. And doesn't make you feel drugged the next morning. You can also get it at Rite aid ( if you have one near you)

I hope everything works out for you. <3