Posted by KaraS on April 5, 2005, at 1:18:22
In reply to Re: Tabitha, ChrisO, KaraS and anyone else - question » KaraS, posted by Sarah T. on April 4, 2005, at 1:54:56
> Hi Sarah,
>
> So, if you wanted to find out about your cortisol levels when sleeping, would you go to the hospital for that? Would they wake you up periodically to draw blood or do salivary tests? How accurate are those salivary tests anyway? I don't feel well when I wake up either, but for me, it doesn't seem to matter whether I've overslept or not. I just wish I could carry over into the morning the way I feel the night before. May I ask how much sleep you get? I mean, how much sleep is enough for you?
I haven't done much research into cortisol tests since I don't have health insurance and can't afford them. If you read some of Elroy's posts (and/or ask him) you'll get a lot info on the various types of cortisol tests as he has done a lot of research on this topic.I've recently realized that 7 hours is ideal for me to sleep each night. If I have a lot more than that, I get extremely depressed (as opposed to my normal morning depression). Even 8 hours a night is too much. How about for you?
> I know that an inpatient sleep study would confirm a lot of what we already know clinically, but I would like to know whether I have apnea. I have often wondered whether my feeling so awful when I wake up might have something to do with oxygen deprivation. It seems that vigorous exercise is just about the only thing that makes me feel better. And, while endorphins and PEA probably have something to do with that, I can't help but think that getting my brain more oxygenated helps, too. If I just go for a walk, even a long walk, I don't feel the same benefits on my mood that I feel from a more vigorous workout.You're probably right - it can't hurt to find out more about how we sleep. It might tell us some other things that we haven't even considered.
I also feel better after exercising. (There was a time in the recent past when I didn't but fortunately now it's helping again.) Even long walks help me. I haven't been in good enough shape to exercise vigorously.
> Did you say that you used to live in a colder climate? If that was you, do you think the cold weather worsened your depression? I think cold temperatures actually affect me more adversely than lack of light.Yes, I did live in a colder climate - for most of my life. I've only lived in this warm climate for a few years. I also think that the cold affected my moods. I was hypothyroid in my last few years back east so that made it more difficult to tolerate the cold.
poster:KaraS
thread:478017
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050323/msgs/480029.html