Heavy sleeper

[Kitty.]

I'm a really heavy sleeper and it is almost impossible for people to wake me up sometimes. Also, if someone asks me a question, I'll reply in my sleep! Also, people say that I will even open my eyes.

1. Am I really talking/opening my eyes in my sleep or I am waking up and just not remembering it?

2. Is anyone else like this?

3. How do I stop being such a heavy sleeper?

[BDF]

Lol... I get episodes like that every now and then. In fact, something similar has happened to most people I know in their life at some point. Usually as a result of not getting enough sleep, or going to bed late.

It's happened to me a few times that someone calls me on my phone when I'm sleeping and I answer it but remember absolutely nothing when I wake up in the morning, or remember very vaguely, like it was a dream.

It's to do with something called phases of sleep, but to keep it simple, it's hard to fully wake someone from their deep sleep, you might partially "wake them up" but they will not even know it... and they'l respond to speach and all, sometimes might respond with very strange answers lol, but they probably won't remember it because they'l be dreaming at the same time. Dreams happen when you're in your deep sleep.

What to do about it? Just go to bed earlier lol, get the sleep you need, because if you're still in your phase of deep sleep in the morning at 8am when someone's trying to wake you up, then it gives me the impression that you're probably going to bed 3am - 4am? (I'm just guessing)

Also it's possible that if your sleeping pattern is scattered (ie you sleep maybe 4 hours at night, 4 hours during day when you get back from school) then you'll enter into deep sleep much easier. Like when I don't get enough sleep sometimes, I'll collapse on my desk for a short rest and spontaneously fall asleep & start dreaming. I wake up and only 20 minutes have passed.

Usually the more scattered your sleep pattern is the less efficient the sleep you get. If you sleep twice for 4 hours during the day it's nothing like getting 8 hours sleep at night. You might also simply need more sleep than others. It depends how fast your body is developing and on your activities during the day.

[Kitty.]

That makes a lot of sense. I figured that I need more sleep since I always go to bed around 3 in the morning and sometimes try to compensate with naps in the days.
Thanks.

[MattiLikesToHelp]

My brother is like this. He talks in his sleep soo much. But as for having conversations with him i have to wake him up then talk to him but at this point he is most likely just talking to me in his sleep. Quite the odd experience I wish i had lots of advice for you but as long as heavy sleeping doesnt make you late for school or work then ill think your going to be okay.

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

The same happens with me. My parents say they asked me something after waking me up and I gave an answer but don't even recall doing so. I think it's because I wasn't fully awake to recall. It'd be akin to sleep-walking in that you can talk with someone who is sleep-walking but they'll only give very simple answers. For example, if they're in the kitchen, you could ask what are they doing or tell them to get back to bed, and they'll obey. However, if you ask them a more complex question or something they haven't mentally rehersed, you won't get that question answered. That has happened to me: my parents asked me a complex question and I apparently gave some basic answer not related to the topic.

For being less of a deep sleeper, perhaps sleep earlier. However, some are a deep sleeper no matter what.

Don't take naps during the day because it throws off your "sleep clock". It's not called a sleep clock but I'm too tired to give the full explanation and the full explanation isn't necessary unless you have a desire to know it. If you are that curious, part of the answer can be googled by googling: delayed sleep phase syndrome.

[Kitty.]

Thanks so much. That makes sense.