I can't stop sleeping all day

[Scruffalo]

I don't know why but I don't seem to be able to stop it. Once I take DC to school in the morning, I then sleep through until it is time to pick them up again. Once they go to bed at night I'm straight back to sleep until morning. I am just doing the bare minimum, making sure the DC are happy, have enough food and clean clothes etc. I am worried one day I will sleep too long and miss drop off/pick up time because then someone will notice how abnormal my life is.

Has anyone else had this happen to them? How do I make it stop?

[itsallinmyhead]

I think you should have a chat with your gp.

Are you depressed? It might also point to an under active thyroid. Only a couple of reasons why you might be sleeping so much but worth checking.

[Scruffalo]

I had blood tests last year for thyroid and other things and was told they are all ok. That was before I started the stupid sleeping though. I have just worked out in the last week I have on average only spent 8 hours a day awake. The rest of the time I was asleep, so the actually the opposite of what a normal person does.

[amillionyears]

Have you ever done it before
How long has it been going on for
Are there any emptional upheavals going on in your life
What is your general mood like
Have you changed medication
Have you been overworked lately
Have you, for instance, done a year long project and now have chance to stop
Have you any other symptoms?

I am not a medical person btw.
And yes, you may need to see a GP.

[ThatVikRinA22]

fatigue can be a symptom of depression (as i found and am still struggling with getting up on a morning)

but i reckon you really need to stress to your GP how debilitating fatigue is for you - you need more blood tests to rule anything else out, are you diagnosed with depression? on meds for it?

[CanIHaveAPetGiraffePlease]

Do see a gp and let them know how much you are asleep for. I have had ME cfs very badly and was similar but there are lots of reasons for fatigue that need checking out. Hopefully it is something simple like a mineral efficiency that can be easily sorted.

[AlteredState]

I suffer with depression and have slept like you when very ill. I've never completely missed a pick-up but have been late on a couple of occasions and have been frequently late to drop-off. I agree with above posters suggesting you see your gp. Depending at what point last year you had blood tests etc it may be worth having them repeated. I have mine done at least once a year to rule out any physical causes such as anaemia.

[Scruffalo]

I don't actually feel tired and I'm not choosing to sleep. It just happens that I'll be sitting down and just go to sleep for hours and not really realise until I wake up. I don't think I've slept in my bed since before new year.Thats what worries me about not waking in time for pick up and I never hear my alarms in the morning anymore only wake up when DC wake me for their breakfasts.

I've seen GP before and got told I have depression. i've taken medication they prescribed but it didn't really change how I felt. Most recently I took citalopram but I stopped them about 2 months ago as I found the side effects (not being able to think or concentrate and constant teeth grinding) were causing me more problems than I already had. I haven't been back to GP since then.

Personally I wouldn't say that I am depressed despite the GP saying I meet all the criteria and i had a thread on here last year (different NN)that everyone agreed I was so I have to concede that I probably am. But I don't feel sad or cry all the time or anything like that. I'm definitely not suicidal. I do find life very stressful though (I'm a single parent and full time student) and often feel like I can't cope with anything more than just the basics of living.

Anyway I'm going to try hard tonight to break this bad sleeping thing as I really need it to stop so I can catch up on everything I've missed this week. I'm making sure I don't sit down for more than 15 minutes at a time and if I do I drink a cup of strong coffee so I stay awake. There is plenty that needs doing round the house so it shouldn't be too hard. Then I have a full day of lectures tomorrow so I won't sleep then just go to bed normally at night and go out with the DC all day saturday. Hopefully that will break the cycle and I won't sleep all through next week too.

[Hangingbellyofbabylon]

The only thing I can do to not fall asleep is to not go home after the school run - I go straight to the shops or for a brisk walk. I am always tired - regularly fall asleep on the loo and have had a couple of awful times when I have fallen asleep for a second or so whilst driving. I've been tested and don't have any health issues adding to it, other than depression. It might be worth going back to the GP and trying a different medication. But for me the best thing of all is keeping out of the house and trying to get a little bit of fresh air. I don't feel like it and sometimes it backfires and I end up sleeping as soon as I get home.

[amillionyears]

I would say that I personally dont think you would be to crack this by yourself.
I would go back and see a different GP and see what they have to say.
I also think you should do it soon.

It is possible to be depressed, and for it to be more chemical in origin.

You do have a lot on your plate. And it does sound like your body and perhaps your mind need a long rest.

[Scruffalo]

Yes that is what I am going to try to do. I won't be able to fall asleep if I keep moving around and doing stuff. only I can't go walking around outside as it is not safe for me in the area i live but there is plenty to do inside. Only thing that worries me is I do need to sit down to complete my assignments at the computer sometime this weekend as I've already fallen behind due to not doing anything this last week.

Maybe I can't crack this by myself but I am at least going to try before admitting defeat. I will book another GP appointment but the system at the surgery I'm registered with means that won't be for another 3 weeks at least and I can't afford to just wait it out until then as I have some important stuff coming up. Yes I do have a lot on my plate but no more than many other people do and they manage it ok.

[Boomerwang]

Is it possible that you could have a sleep disorder or ME or something different to depression that is causing this problem?

Are you like this in the Summer too? You might be suffering from seasonal affective disorder... it could be anything so I guess you'll have to make that trip to the doc.

In the meantime try to get some exercise. It usually helps to stimulate you. Next time you feel drowsy and if it's appropriate to do so, stand up and do 10 star jumps. Also, breathe in and out deeply 10 times. See if it changes anything.

[Scruffalo]

I on't feel drowsy, I just fall asleep, but if I ever do I will try star jumps out.

I wasn't like this in the summer or any other time up until recently. I thought i could change it over the weekend just gone, but this week I've gone right back to the crazy sleeping thing again. Also I now have an aching pain in my arm and it hurts when I move it but its probably unrelated.

I am getting really fed up of having a life that I have no control over because I have no say in when I'm awake. I can't make plans or even keep those I already made and I have fallen behind with my work. I can't even keep my house clean, its already starting to look a real mess now.

This is ruining my life and I can't stop it, I have no control. I have no life.

[amillionyears]

For goodness sake, go and see your GP.
A different one if necessary.
Try a different three, I dont care.

I dont know if you drive for instance, but that could now be very dangerous for you and anyone around you.

And go ASAP. While you are still awake.

[amillionyears]

And you cant wait another 3 weeks for the appointment.
Go to your GPs and sit there until you are seen.
If you dont like that idea, go to A&E.
imo, you really need to be seen and listened to and heard.

[DoingItForMyself]

I would go back to your GP and ask for details on the tests they have done and do a bit of research yourself. Sleeping that much isn't normal and could definitely be a symptom of an imbalance, whether anemia, thyroid or something else. What they consider to be 'normal' can be at the low end of normal or at the high end of normal and can make a big difference to how you feel.

Please ask for the numbers and insist that they run further tests. You can't carry on like this.

[WithanAnotE]

Agree with other posters. I also have sleeping issues but your description doesn't really sound like what happens with me.

Have a look at below link, is this of any interest?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcolepsy

[Scruffalo]

Well I definitely don't fall asleep because someone tells me a joke or I'm just happy/sad. Its not usually in random places either and like I said it has only been happening for a few weeks. Never had sleep paralysis either.

It is usually without warning, although in safe and acceptable times/places (just about), so I must have some kind of control. When I wake up one thing I have noticed is I don't remember anything about what happened just before I slept but I can work it out e.g. I wake up sitting on sofa holding a pack of biscuits, but don't remember getting them or going into the living room.

Thinking about that a bit more I do have times where I don't remember doing stuff but can work out that I have, that are not related to sleep. For example I remember once walking into tescos to do the shopping, the next thing I know I am walking home with carrier bags. i was worried as i couldn't remember paying but checked in the bag I had receipts so I must of done. Stuff like that happens all the time to me and has done for years. I is mostly when I am stressed though so I put it down to my brain being busy thinking about other stuff.

Also if REM sleep is the bit where you dream then I always do that first when I go to sleep. I have been told before that it isn't normal to dream straight away but even if I fall asleep for 5 minutes on the train then get woken up, I will have had a dream that I can remember. This has never caused me any trouble before though.

[Boomerwang]

Two things: You can dream right away. If I sleep in the daytime, particularly if I'm not in my bed, I can get extremely vivid dreams where I can see the room I'm in even with my eyes shut. There's a name for it, but it escapes me at the moment.

The supermarket thing sounds to me to be about tiredness. You were awake, but you were on auto pilot. Many drivers will tell you that they have no idea how they got from A to B, changed gears, checked mirrors, slowed down and sped up without remembering it at all.

You really need to tell all this to a doctor. And make him listen. I add that part because I've been let down by doctors who don't listen and think you're wasting their time.

[Boomerwang]

'Lucid Dreams' that's what I was thinking of. They're quite different to normal night time dreams.

[amillionyears]

Are you frightened to go to the doctor?

[Scruffalo]

no my dreams are the same whatever time they happen or where I am.

I got a doctors appointment today anyway. I had to go through the ordeal of explaining my whole life to the receptionist to try to justify why I wanted an appointment and she eventually agreed to fit me in. She said I'm only allowed 5 minutes for this so i'm trying to work out what I need to say and maybe write it down in case I forget something.

[amillionyears]

So glad you have got an appointment.
Yes, writing it down before you go is a very good idea.
And maybe getting there early.
So if you fall asleep, at least you will be already there.

[Scruffalo]

According to the doctor I sleep all the time because I don't have enough things to do. Even when I said I have too much to do and even when I didn't sleep all the time I couldn't do it all which made me very stressed. He said I need to keep taking the citalopram (I didn't say I had stopped taking them) for another 6 weeks then go back and he will increase the dose.

[Boomerwang]

Well if you stopped taking citalopram and didn't tell your doctor, you know you can't be unhappy with his advice.

[amillionyears]

Boomerang, I dont understand.
Are you say a GP absolutely always gives the right advice?