Whenever I try to explain cognitive fatigue to people, the most common question I get is, "Can't he just take a nap?" Don't we wish! His brain knows the difference between a nap and a night's sleep. In a period of twenty four hours, with a night's rest, a normal person goes to work for about 8 hours a day, 5 days per week. If they were to skip sleep and just keep working, maybe that would work for a few days. I'm sure that it's possible and that people in military do it for training or in combat. Many college kids pull "all-nighters" so that they can study. Eventually, however, that catches up with a person! You can't train your body to need less sleep in a 24 hour period. Your brain shuts down after so long and no amount of "practice" changes that.
It's the same with Cecil, but he only has 3-4 hours that he can work in a 24 hour period with a good night's rest. No matter how many energy drinks, or other stimulants he takes, he can't keep his brain from shutting down. He can be awake, but not productive in his work. Asking him to "just go take a nap" is like asking you to pull an all-nighter, and then going back to work after taking a nap. You could probably do it, but you would not be very productive, and it would not be healthy. After his 3-4 hours of work, he is mentally done for the day, just like you are after working your 8 hour shift at work. You don't come home and go to bed immediately. You have dinner, spend time with the family, watch a little TV and wind down. The difference for Cecil is that his work day is shorter. He still can stay awake to do normal things that don't require much thought. He's been very helpful around the house the past several months. All the things he didn't have time to do before since he was working a lot, he does now! He cuts our grass, a 3/4 acre lot with a HUGE hill, all with a push mower. He's in the process of building a ganoe (which is like a canoe, but wider) with our kids. He repaired the dock, pressure washed the porch and sidewalks, built a shelf in our room, and several other projects that needed completion. When he isn't working here, he volunteers at our church to help our Worship Pastor. He is also able to do some of the computer repair and website development that he did before he got his job last summer. It's not like he lays around the house all day sleeping.
Yesterday morning we had a breakfast "date" at the local family restaurant after we took the children to school. After our fight the night before, I expected him to wake up grouchy, but the opposite was true. Then I remembered he had not taken his medication the day before. Whenever Cecil does not take this particular medication (the one that he had to quit because it caused his blood pressure to skyrocket) he is grouchy every night. No matter what has gone on during the day, no matter how good the day has been or how many good things he has accomplished, he is physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by 3:00 in the afternoon. The medication he was taking boosted his energy level so that at least physically he could make it through the day without being worn out. Now that he's not on his medication for his energy level, I can expect him to be grouchy every night. If I just ignore it, usually by the next morning he feels better and we can at least get through the first part of the day pleasantly. Maybe a nap will help that! The doctor did tell him that he can have caffeine to perk him up a bit in the afternoon, so we will try that, too.
