Sacked because I can’t stop sleeping

[desperateexhausted]

Posting here for traffic and NC because I’m ashamed and furious with myself.

So I haven’t been sacked but if I don’t get a handle on the problem I’m heading that way. I have a job with regular daytime hours (no horrible shift patterns, no very early starts or late finishes) and I can’t manage it.

A week of regular 9-6 work absolutely exhausts me to the point that I have in the past fallen asleep in my clothes the moment I got home, not eaten any dinner and slept through til the next morning several times a week. Some weekends I sleep for almost the entire 48 hours, emerging only to use the toilet or microwave a ready meal. I’ve had countless sick days (probably over 20) in the last year because I’m sometimes so tired that I can’t see straight, I feel nauseous and dizzy when I sit up and the fatigue is so overwhelming I feel like I’m being crushed.

I also sometimes (often) sleep through the morning and simply don’t turn up at work. I have two alarm clocks going off right next to my head and they don’t wake me, particularly if I’ve had a night of insomnia (which I also, somewhat ironically) suffer from. This has been going on since my teenage years (I’m now in my 30s) and affected every single job I’ve had - I’ve had probations extended, been sacked from freelance contracts, and now I’m on very thin ice at work. I’m outwardly a professional and successful person but I can barely hold down a job because I cannot stop sleeping and I’m at my wits end. Chronic fatigue has been mentioned by a previous doctor but wasn’t followed up for reasons beyond my control.

I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to live like this. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s ruining my life and will ruin it even more if I lose my job (which, frankly, I deserve to). I don’t want special treatment from work, I know how ridiculous it sounds as a grown adult to say ‘sorry I slept through my alarm) 20 odd times a year. I would chop off a limb for an official diagnosis but every blood test I’ve had for the obvious possible reasons comes back completely clear (and I’ve had a lot of blood tests for this over the years).

Has anyone experienced similar and found a solution? It’s getting to the point that I’m terrified every time I go to bed on a weeknight that I won’t wake up when I need to, which in turn keeps me awake worrying, which then disrupts my sleep even further. Any advice would be very, very gratefully received.

Sleep apnoea? A colleague of mine started falling asleep at her desk. When she went to the doctor, she ended up signed off work for four months! It's a serious thing and needs investigating.

It's either low iron or thyroid problems or something even worse.
You need to see a GP. This doesn't sound right at all.

I felt constantly tired and almost fell asleep in the ball pit with my toddler at soft play. No amount of sleep would help. I snore badly so I suspected sleep apnea. It took years to convince my dr to look into it, but they eventually referred me to a online sleep clinic who in turn referred me back to the gp to do a sleep study. My apnea was mild too like pp but it was debilitating.

I sleep with a cpap machine and its changed my life.

There has be a answer to why. You need to really push the NHS sometimes. I was going to see a private gp if my gp wouldnt listen

You’ve had some really good advice here OP. Please speak to your doctor again, someone must be able to listen. 💗

@SnackSizeRaisin

Insist on referral. You need a diagnosis that will hopefully enable you to get some adjustments at work. Either that or you need to get signed off sick. Would part time hours be better in the short term?

Part time hours probably would be better but I can’t afford to work part time and cover my expenses. I’m already working from home 5 days a week so I don’t know what else work can realistically do - like I said, I don’t expect special treatment or sympathy as I know it’s unacceptable that it impacts on work so much.

Diet wise - I think it’s alright in terms of what I’m eating. I eat fruit or veg with every meal and I don’t cut out any food groups (except meat as I’m veggie but when I ate meat it was the same with added IBS/digestive issues), I’m a healthy weight. I could definitely drink more water and do more regular exercise. The sleeping does affect the regularity of me eating (if I sleep all weekend and don’t eat enough etc) so eating small snacks more often could be something to try.

Have you been tested for diabetes and has the Dr mentioned chronic fatigue syndrome /. ME? I'd go private or change DRs if I were you because your regular GP isn't taking it seriously.

Sleep apnoea?
You could ask for a referral to be monitored as all your blood tests are okay.

You definitely have an illness. It may seem like just an extended sort of the sleep that we have everyday but it becomes a disorder when it's impacting your life which it clearly is. You need to talk to your doctor, they Will probably do blood tests first and if nothing comes from that they'll look at other causes but don't give up with the process, it can be long whatever the condition is, but you need to find out what's causing this. It could either be something like a deficiency/hormone issue that they can amend with medication or some sort of neurological disorder and they can help with those too. There may be other things besides those but they will rule them out one by one. Good luck and take care of yourself.

Sounds like you need a sleep study. Look up the sleepiness scale and fill it in and take it to your gp. If you score high then insist on being referred for a sleep study. I had one in january , they'll start with you taking an oximeter home and sleeping with it on your finger and then they will go from there.

Go to another GP if the one you have isn't listening.

Op - what you are going through sounds awful. There is nothing worse than knowing there is something really wrong and getting absolutely nowhere with your gp. Could you afford to get some private opinions? My family have been to see Dr Alan Stewart over the years when the nhs has drawn a blank. He’s a private DR WHO specialises in nutritional deficiencies and has always been really helpful. He’s based in London and Sussex but might be able to suggest someone local to you? This is his website; www.stewartnutrition.co.uk/company/contact_us.html
Good luck! Let us know how you get on. Xx

Thanks so much, it’s so helpful to hear everyone’s advice. It’s funny that sleep apnoea has been mentioned as I have on occasion woken up gasping for breath with a really dry mouth as if I stopped breathing momentarily in my sleep but it wasn’t often enough for me to consider it might impact me this much. I think I assumed it was more of an issue for overweight people (I don’t mean that in a judgemental or derogatory way, I just didn’t consider that I could be affected).

Hormones is actually something they’ve never tested despite early menopause running in my family and my mum and grandma being very ill from it (although fatigue wasn’t part of their problems?

GP asap.
the list of thing it could be is as long as my arm depending of what other symptoms you have.
Thyroid, sleep apnea, aenemia, vit B12 deiciency etc...

it could also be ME in which case all your symptoms will come up clear....

@glasgowLil

Op - what you are going through sounds awful. There is nothing worse than knowing there is something really wrong and getting absolutely nowhere with your gp. Could you afford to get some private opinions? My family have been to see Dr Alan Stewart over the years when the nhs has drawn a blank. He’s a private DR WHO specialises in nutritional deficiencies and has always been really helpful. He’s based in London and Sussex but might be able to suggest someone local to you? This is his website; www.stewartnutrition.co.uk/company/contact_us.html Good luck! Let us know how you get on. Xx

A private Dr Who?

The Tories will privatise anything these days.

I know you say your bloods came back normal but this isn’t right. The only bit of info is I had a friend who was going home and just nodding off after work and she needed the vitamin B12 injections. She says she can feel when one is due as she starts sleeping after work again she has her jab and boom it’s literally like flicking a switch.
Can you request a second opinion or can you afford a private consultation?

Have you been assessed for narcolepsy?

A private Dr Who 😂😂 thanks for that, raised a much needed smile. I think I am going to go private. It’s worth it to sort this once and for all, hopefully.

Am I the only insomniac reading this with ?

100% pay to go private. You won't believe the difference.

I can’t believe that the very first words in the very first response are, ’Have you spoken to your GP?‘

And then the thread is littered with ‘see your GP’.

I know people mean well, I really do. But it’s quite clear from the OP that the OP has both seen her GP, and had many, many blood tests over the years.

I think at this point you need to get a bit bolshy.

Insist on your GP taking your issue seriously. If they’re not prepared to take it seriously, can they pass your care over to someone who will?

The many blood tests haven’t revealed anything, so what are the next steps? What else can s/he suggest and try?

Don’t leave with a game plan.

I've only skimmed the responses here, so sorry if this has already been mentioned, but another condition you could be tested for is narcolepsy.

You are sick OP. You’re right this isn’t a normal life at all. Do not let them fob you off. Tell them you sleep 48 hrs in a row at the weekends, you get home from work and sleep 6pm-8am nearly every day without being able to make yourself dinner. I’m so sorry you’ve been going through this alone OP. Stick up for yourself and get a diagnosis as soon as you can.

It’s pretty extraordinary, given how long this has been going on, that you have never been referred for further testing.

There’s only so much GP’s can actually test for.

You need to go to your GP and demand to be referred to a CFS unit. If necessary take a friend if you are not assertive. It may not be CFS but if not they can signpost you to other services. If the GP refuses, see another GP in your practice, if they refuse, change your GP practice.

Sleep apnoea can be part of CFS. Or it could be a problem on its own.

I think you need to be absolutely clear about the degree to which your sleepiness is impacting upon your life.

Do you keep a sleep diary? SNappD app is good.

I would ask for all routine bloods to be repeated again and a referral to your local nhs sleep clinic.

Don’t waste time on nutritional issues for the moment, you need proper medical testing.