Slept til 5pm today and so angry at myself

[Sleepingallthetime]

For the past year I’ve been really struggling with sleeping all the time. At one point it got really bad and I tried to get help from the doctor who said I could have sleep apnea but I haven’t got a machine.

I’m 28.

It did get better for a while where I could wake up by 10am, but it’s just getting worse.

Today I slept 11pm last night to 5pm today. I literally cannot be properly waked by my partner. I usually wake up briefly for 10 minutes, try to
stay up but end up sleeping. When I do manage to wake up early, I can fall asleep at my coffee and spill it all over myself!

I am so mortified and angry at myself for today. I’ve missed work (self employed) and the day is already gone. I’m so embarrassed about this but I think they think I’m overreacting.

Any advice? This is ruining my life :(

PLEASE go back to your GP. Pursue it. See another one if needs be.

I think you need to see your doctor. This isn’t normal. It’s not your fault though.

I agree. Go back to your GP. When you last saw them what did they say should be your next steps?

Definitely worth following up with your GP

It does sound like you need to see a Dr about this, you did nothing to be angry about I mean it must be frustrating sleeping an actual day away, but you need checked out .

Wow this is madness and clearly there must be something underlying. I may have done this once or twice when I’ve been very poorly throughout my life but never as regularly as you are doing.

This may sound silly but could you record yourself. I follow a lady on Instagram who has a cosleeping page and she records her nights with baby. When she creates content her videos are sped up. You could set up your video to have a time stamp and record a few weeks of your sleep pattern and go armed with that to your GP. It should show the sheer scale of how much sleep your body is requiring.
If you weren’t self employed you would have lost your job! You’re sleeping your life away and it isn’t normal, it needs investigating. You must be utterly frustrated! Are there any other symptoms/struggles you can pin point?

You need to get a second opinion, that is not normal sleep!

I knew someone with narcolepsy and it sounded very similar to this.

I was thinking this but couldn't remember what it was called.

Also, "falling asleep" and literally being unable to stay conscious can also be blacking out from a sudden major drop in blood pressure, I really would recommend speaking to a GP and doing a 24hr heart monitor trial if they offer you one (or at least trying some kind of fitbit!) if you fall asleep so abruptly and hard that you spill your drink etc.

My ex was exactly like this and it really impacted both his life and, eventually, our relationship. He didn't do enough to get help and I would urge you to pursue it. I don't know what the cause is but it isn't normal. He did have some improvement when he really disciplined himself around a routine, going to bed early, never drinking alcohol, and having regular bed and waking times. But there is definitely something underlying I am sure.

Mine was failed thyroid and my tiredness disappeared. I do struggle with insomnia as well.

go to the GP and run some tests insist

There's very obviously something physically wrong with you

Go back to GP and demand tests, no one sleeps like that and can't wake up

Do you have symptoms for an underactive thyroid? Weight gain, brain fog, taking a long time to heal, getting colds a lot?

I was like this and it was severe sleep apnea. Has your GP referred you for a sleep study?

"At one point it got really bad and I tried to get help from the doctor who said I could have sleep apnea but I haven’t got a machine. "

Sorry what?!? If they think you have sleep apnoea you should have her referred for a sleep study. They provide the machine for this. You aren't expected to sort it out yourself!

This could be lots of things though. I would keep going back to the GP until you get taken seriously and they start looking into it properly.

You may already be aware of this but I didn't understand this until I became chronically ill and stated to understand the system:

• if you go to the GP they will likely initially run some blood tests as a first step. If these are negative but you are still experiencing symptoms THE GP WILL LEAVE IT WITH YOU TO GO BACK if you are still expecting symptoms. They will then try the next thing. They will only CALL YOU BACK if the results are concerning. You have to take the initiative and keep going back in. If you don't the GP will assume you don't need further investigations. (So you need to keep going back until they've looked into everything. The NHS like to check for nothing at a time, which can take a while. (Not shouting, caps for emphasis)

• if you see one GP that fobs you off or you aren't happy with their responses. Go and see another. Find someone who listens to you, and doesn't fob you off.

• when you go in to see a GP be very clear about your symptoms and what you are experiencing. If it helps you, write it down. They then have to stick this on your file and it makes it harder for a GP so inclined to fob you off. It also means there can be fewer misunderstandings about what you are saying.

• If you have concerns about a specific condition, which you'd like to be ruled out, then say this. If you don't feel like you are getting anywhere and would like a referral to a specific specialty, then say this. Going in with a set of symptoms only doesn't always work, sometimes you need to direct things more.

So go back, and keep going back until you get some answers.

I have Sleep Apnoea and this doesn’t sound like my experience.

I find it strange your GP said you ‘could have sleep apnoea’ but you don’t mention them sending you to your local hospital Sleep Clinic for tests. GPs (in my experience) don’t prescribe C-PAP machines for Sleep Apnoea. Did the GP do any tests ?

My GP sent me to the Sleep Clinic and did full bloods and within a couple of weeks I was diagnosed with underactive Thyroid and Sleep Apnoea. Two for the price of one. 🙄

I think you need to see your GP again as other previous posters have said.

Go back to the gp - if they think sleep apnea still (doubt it) ask them for next steps - eg sleep clinic so that they can actually start ruling stuff out.

As others have said you need your thyroid and heart checked. Then also vitamin levels eg B12 and D but it's unusual they would cause sleepiness that drastic. Then if it's not that it's a parasomnia/sleep disorder without physical cause, so you need a sleep study. Again for which they should have done a proper referral

narcolepsy ??

I'd get thyroid checked. My only symptom at 26 was inability to stay awake. I'd sleep on the way to and from work and could not physically stay awake. It was a fight to make sure I got off at my stop. Only daily medication can fix it.

Thyroid and cortisol blood tests as a matter of urgency. Cortisol needs to be taken between 8-9am. If it’s not around 450 you need referring to an endocrinologist for further tests. Google adrenal insufficiency/ Addisons.

Another vote for going to back to the GP - a different one to last time if there is one in the practice.

I was having to be woken up several times in the morning, would eat breakfast and fall to sleep again. I put it down to being diagnosed with underactive thyroid about 2-3 months before and the dose still being worked out.

I went to the doctors about something else, which the doctor gave me medication for, but also commented that I looked very pale. She asked to look at my gums, and suggested that my iron levels be checked. Turns out my iron levels were very low. I was on iron tablets for a long time afterwards, but noticed the difference in my energy levels much sooner than that.

I don't think I had even seen that GP before, and tiredness wasn't linked to the reason I booked the appointment, so it was a good call on her behalf.

I know they say to only discuss one issue per appointment, but sometimes things you think are unrelated are linked. ( After the iron levels started to improve I noticed less hair loss when I washed my hair - didn't realised that was linked to iron levels either).

Before you go think if there are other issues - eg weight, food cravings, headaches, skin/hair issues etc GP may ask other questions, but it gives them a better picture as to what is going on and what tests need to be done.

Hope you feel better soon

Underactive thyroid, Iron Anemia & vitamin B12 deficiency are all linked, chances are if you have one, you will have the other 2 to some degree. You need to get all 3 checked, if they all come back normal, you need to ask to see a rheumatologist to be checked out for Fibromyalgia & ME/CFS.

There are quite a few things this could be tbh (thyroid, deficiencies, blood sugar, sleep apnoea etc) but one thing is for sure - you need to keep escalating with your GP surgery until you get properly tested.

Don't take no for an answer

And dump the anger, not doing you any good.