Sleepy

HI...You really need to see a doctor about this. I do the same thing although I'm much older, grandma. I have a sleep disorder and have gone to sleep while driving. Since my husband is retired he does most of the driving. I now can sleep 6 hrs a night which is an improvement over the 3 to 4 hrs I used to sleep.

Hi S.,

Have you seen a doctor yet? You may be anemic. Are you on a good multivitamin?

Activities: When you're at the park, do you read, write letters, write a novel, do crossword puzzles, or crochet/knit/draw? If not, consider taking up a portable hobby. Join a playgroup, or start one.

Do you have any family or friends that can help? Is the father doing his share? I wish you good luck in getting the help you need.

In Amazon sisterhood,
B.

Go to the doctor immediately. You could be suffering from sleep apnea or have a thyroid disorder. You usually don't discover that you have those conditions until later in life.

Hey S.

Juggling several jobs sounds like you may not be on a schedule in terms of eating and resting. I myself juggle a couple of and if I don't take a nap during the day sometime I can't function. Although we are trying to be more availale to our family with a work from home situation. My little stay home jobs actually take me away more because work is just a down the hall and into our office in which we juggle 3 jobs. So its a matter of getting into a routine so that we can have a set time to rest and family time.

b-12 is a wonderful thing. it naturally gives you energy. plus the time change doesn't help! lol! i've take the stuff and have been behind since sunday!!! anyway, its not expensive and really is a good investment. the company that i work with has really good b-12 vitamin for cheap!! i would love to tell you more about it!!!

have a great day!

D. Mattern-Muck
The MOM Team
www.formyrugrats.com
"The only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6

Because I don't have all of your back ground I can't say for sure but it sounds like you may have allergies. I had, what sounds like, a similar problem a few years ago and was suspicious when someone suggested that I might have allergies. I was suspicious because I had lived in Texas pretty much my whole life and never had any problems with allergies before. Well I tried an otc medication for allergies and sure enough my sleepiness and foggy feeling disappeared. Like I said before, I could be way off the mark but it won't hurt to give it a try. Of course seeing your Dr. is never a bad idea.

Hi S.,
When this happened to me, it was my thyroid. You need to have some blood work done because it could be any number of things. Talk to your doctor.

You should check first if you are pregnant, if not vitamins would be a plus and if that doesn't work you should check with your doctor. I think you might be having to much stress and your body is telling you to stop. You can try to have a home business that way you don't have to go out. That's what I did.
Best Wishes

Check your Thyroid and hormone levels! Ask your doctor to run some blood tests.

It sounds like you are "running on empty". Moms often neglect their own health when keeping up with children plus working several jobs!

Finding the time to get the nutrition moms need is often difficult. About two years ago, I found a way to get in the nutrition from 17 fruits, veggies, and whole grains without having to eat all that food. Go to my website and check it out. www.juiceplus+.com/+bb17257. I have had more energy since starting on it.

Hope you will visit the site and read what the doctors and the research says.

Beryl

Have you talked to a doctor? It could be you have sleep apnea, or just need a break. Call your doctor and ask them about this.

Hi S.,

I had the same issue last summer. I would fall asleep sitting up. Someone suggested getting my thyroid checked. I ended up at the Hotze clinic (http://www.hotzehwc.com) and found out the my thyroid had quit working. I now take thyroid meds and feel so much better.

Other symptoms I had were that my hair was falling out, taking longer to grow. I could go longer w/o shaving my legs, etc. I also began gaining weight in my stomach. I later found out that this is the #1 sign of a thyroid problem. Go to the website and take the thyroid test.

I hope you get this resolved soon.

B.

That happend to me 3 times, for about 3 months. I was pregnant. Could you be?

Hi S.,
I would so recommend that you go to your doctor for help. There could be a bigger underlying problem or maybe just a small one. It could be many things and I'm sure the time change hasn't helped either..... Have you thought about sleep apnea?
Good Luck

There are so many possibilities for why you are tired. Many of them have already been mentioned. You are probably too young to have Heart Disease or problems with your heart. That's what was wrong with my dad when he was having trouble staying awake during daylight hours. They found a tear in one of his heart valves, which was making it leak. I hope it isn't anything that bad. I agree with most everyone else on here. You need to go to the doctor. If I were feeling that sleepy, I would want to know what was going on right away, so that I could take care of my children and husband. Most of us on here are not doctors, and even if we were we would have to get some bloodwork and other screenings done on you before we could tell you what's wrong. Go to the doctor.

S.,
It could be your throid, when mine started messing up I was tired all the time, has some mental confusion, like I couldn't stay focused. If you are having some of this go see your Dr. and he/she will do blood work. I am on meds for mine and it is under control now. Good luck.

S. - maybe the sleep that you're getting is not good sleep. Try taking a warm bath before going to bed. Read something positive until sleepy. Sleep with the TV off. If you're never getting into REM sleep, then you're not getting the rest you need.

If it continues, you can easily be tested for sleep apnea. There's a great website called apneadocs.com that can give you some information about sleep apnea. You can find a dentist - yes dentist - who can easily test you without having to do the whole sleep lab thing. There are several in the DFW area.

It could be hormones, stress, your mattress, husband who snores, post-partum (sp?) depression, slight depression, or a host of other things. I know that you're active with 3 little ones, but do you do any type of aerobic exercise during the day? Yoga and Tai Chi are also great for your body and to calm your mind.

If it continues, I would definitely talk to your doctor. Good luck!

Hi S.,

No idea if this might help or not, but I went through a VERY sleepy period and started taking vitamin B complex (got some great stuff that you can drop under your tongue), and it really helped. Just a thought...

M.

Is there a possibility that you might be pregnant? If not, are you taking vitamins daily? That might help. If neither of those sound like the issue then I would check with your doctor.

I don't have any suggestions but am wondering if you are on medication or depressed? My medication makes me feel sleepy all day. If it becomes a problem, I would advise seeing your doctor. You don't want to fall asleep behind the wheel.

Hello S.,
I work in the medical field and am in school to be a nurse. When I read your question a couple of things came to mind. First, to me, it's completely understandable to be tired with three children and a husband. I think we under estimate the amount of energy that it takes to keep up with a family. Another thought, have you had a recent physical at your doctor's office? You should always try to have an annual physical with a doctor, whether it be your primary care physician or OB/GYN. At your next visit you should inform your doctor about how you've been feeling. He/She might do some blood work to check maybe your thyroid (thyroid imbalance sometimes might cause you to be hyper if it's too high or sluggish if it's too low) and maybe check you for anemia. Any of these can be fixed with medications.
Just thought I'd share this little bit of info with you. I'm not a doctor, nor am I a nurse..yet, but I just thought that with the symptoms you described, you may want to see your doctor for a quick check up.
Hope this info helps!

Have you had a blood test for thyroid issues. Hypothyroidism may be to blame. If your thyroid isn't working as it should be, it can cause extreme fatigue, wight gain, moodiness . . . we went through this with my husband for quite some time because they thought he had high blood pressure, but this simple blood test told us that his thyroid was not working and now he is on a med for that, it has been two years and I can't even begin to describe the difference it has made in him. But if they do find it to be an issue, take your meds, he thought that he could stop after a month and the symptoms came back ten times worse than before. It is a miantenance drug, i.e. the rest of your life. It does run in his family on his father's side. Check it out on webmd and see if the symptons match. You could always just be tired, being a mom is nonstop. Good luck!

Are you pregnant?
Are you exercising? I always feel invigorated after a short exercise session.
Are you hydrated? Drink plenty of water.
Do you need some new things to do? Go outside with the kids, go to the park...

Go to the doctor and see if there is anything wrong. It is not worth trying to figure out other things if there is a medical reason ... it could be easy as taking a vitamin and mineral supplement...

You might want to have your thyroid checked. I know several women who have had thyroid problems and had the constant fatigue like what you are describing.

Well, it's impossible to catch up on sleep. That is the wrong way to go about it. The best way to get rested is to make sure you have 7 to 9 hours to devote to sleep each night. It may mean letting things go a little around the house, but it'll be worth it. Also, you may want to see your doctor. Have him check your thyroid and blood levels. You could be anemic or your metabolism could be off. It never hurts to be sure.

Go get your thyroid checked. Your symptoms sound like hypothyroidism. I've had it for 5 years and I spent an entire weekend thinking I had the flu or something because I was literally exhausted. I had 5 stairs in my house and just going up and down those made me feel as though I had run a marathon. No other symptoms for me, just exhaustion. Hypothyroidism is very common. I highly recommend you have yours checked.

Hi S.,

Have you gone to the dr. and had your bloodsugar checked? Sometimes if your bloodsugar is too high or even too low it could cause you to be real tired. I kinda went through the same thing. My mom made me check my bloodsugar and it was up alittle and after I got it under controll that helped. Do you take a viatimin make sure it has b-12 that helps too.

Have you had your thyroid checked lately? This happened to me after my first child and I have hypothyroid and now take Synthroid daily. Ask your doctor to do some blood work for the thyroid.

Jaime Nguyen, RN, BSN
Help For Hormones and Heart
____@____.com
www.HormoneHealthAmerica.com
www.HeartHealthAmerica.com

Hi,

Sounds like it could be your adrenal gland, perhaps even thyroid. You need to get it checked out right away so you can feel better soon. For yourself and your family.

When is the last time you have had a checkup with the doctor? The symptoms you describe could be caused by low thyroid.

Do you go to your Dr. for an annual physical? We should make it a point to do that. I'm guilty! I always say I'm going to make an appt., but never do. I have the same symptoms..sleepy, fatigue, always tired. After reading all the posted advice, I'm going to get in to see the Dr., I think you should also.

I have 3 children as well and found myself tired all the time. I started taking the B12 vitamin daily (1000mg) and that seemed to help. I also went to the doctor recently to get my thyroid checked and to check for anemia. My gyn dr told me that it's very common for women who have had more than 2 kids to develop anemia.
Good luck.

HEllo,

Are you always thirsty? go to the restroom alot? you might want to go and get your blood sugar checked and if that checks out ok, then I would reccommend going to the health food store (The Grainery in Lindale) and getting vitamins, they are called Whole Food Vitamins and they are great. Some quiet time for yourself helps too, I know it's hard but sometimes us moms just need that. I will be praying for you, have a blessed day.

S.,
Number one, see your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder like sleep apnea that is actually depriving you of restful sleep. If all OK with the checkup with your doctor, look into your nutrition. Lack of energy for me was solved by using Advocare products. I first tried their energy drink called Spark. It changed my life. No more afternoon naps for this girl! Now I am at my full potential, losing weight, feeling awake, vibrant energy for the whole day! Life is too short not to feel your best!
C.

Hi S.,
I read your story,and wanted to suggest a checkup by your MD,just to make sure nothing medical is going on.You mentioned several felexible jobs,look into how often you are doing those,and see if it's not a combination with the young children who can really drain you.I trust you will find the answer,I do trust you will get a physical,all the best to you.God bless.
J.

Hi S. O,
Something is going on with your body. Feeling sleepy the way you do is not normal! You need to get checked by your Doctor. I'm not saying that you are depressed but in some cases depression manifests like that. Seek help you don't want to fall asleep while driving and stuck in traffic.

Good luck,
Elisa M

Have you taken a pregnancy test? If that isn't the culprit, maybe you are low on iron? How is your diet? Eat foods high in protein and try taking vitamin B12.

Could you be pregnant? I know when I was in the early stages of my pregnancies I was very sleepy and would fall asleep all the time......just a thought.

Also, are you eating good and taking vitamins? Sometimes eating the wrong foods can cause you to be tired. Or your adrenal glands being out of whack. I go to a kinesiologist and he gives me something called DSF for my adrenals.

Hope this helps!

N.

Because you have a crazy work schedule, your sleep cycle may be thrown off. You might consider asking your doctor about Provigil. It is a medication for narcoleptics and shift workers (like the people who work at night). The medication keeps you alert. You can still take a nap or go to sleep when you need to. There are very few side effects and it is not addictive.

Any chance that you are pregnant? have you recently been fighting or just got over any illness? you are chasing 3 young children and that alone might be enough to wipe you out. also, take a look at your nutrition? If none of this seems like the problem then I would consider having your adrenals checked! I have an adrenal disorder and one of the major symptoms is being so very tired that you cannot function sometime during the day. one of the easiest ways to check the adrenals is to do a simple blood pressure test. Here's how it goes... lay down for a good 5 minutes, while still lying down have your blood pressure taken (ask the Dr. to humor you). then as you stand up immediately take your pressure standing up, If your pressure was "higher laying down than it is standing up (particularly by 10 or more points) then you almost definitly have adrenal dysfunction. Are you a "caffiene junky? caffiene wreaks havoc on adrenals and you must give it up cold turkey if you have AD. There are supplements that you can take that will help a lot! Once diagnosed I would begin taking a B100 3-4 times a day, there are other things too, but I suggest you test and get info and stick to it The other thing you can do with or w/o testing is to use a B12 liquid spay under your tongue several times a day and you can take Ginseng but no other stimulants! get rid of the coffee,cokes,tea,and even Ibuprophen! eamil me if you want more info!

Go and have your thyroid checked. What is happening to you is what was happening to me 20 years ago and I went to the doctor for a regular check up and he found I had underactive thyroid.

Deborah

If you are getting in the neighborhood of 8 hours sleep at night, and you are not pregnant, RUN do not walk straight to your doctor's office. Your health is too important to ignore, as is your children's safety.

Please have yourself checked out ASAP.

I hate to sound harsh - you need to see a doctor, not asking for advise on community websites. There could be a number of causes - from minor to those that could truly jeapodize your health - not to mention the safety of your children. Your health has to be a top priority! As a new wife and mom, I know it is easy to put your self last - but this is a real need! Don't delay and good health to you!

i had the same symptoms - also weight gain and lthargy and brain fog - i have an underactive thyroid, so you could get that tested

Just a few questions that popped into my mind... Taking vitamins? It could be your iron, what about depression? Good luck!

Are you taking any vitamins? Some that have helped me are
Stresstabs or Women's One A Day. If you are drinking things
with caffeine like coffee, tea or cokes, it'll zap your energy as well. I'm finding that when I drink water and limit my green tea, I don't seem to get as sleepy.

Definitely talk to your doctor. Cause of sleepiness can range anywhere to a certain vitamin deficiency to chronic fatigue syndrome to leukemia (don't want to scare you!). My mother was also very tired all the time and they found out through a blood test that her hemoglobin levels were low.

So... bottom line... talk to your doctor!

Hi,

it could be the "several" jobs that you listed in your profile.

But you should also check the status of your health. Thyroid, especially underactive thyroids can cause extreme fatigue. Also, if your family has a history of Diabetes, you need to get that checked as well. Many doctors are unfamilar with a diagnosis of Insulin Resistence. Many people become Insulin Resistant before having full blown diabetes. The great thing is Insulin Resistence can be reversed.
Extreme fatigue is a symptom of insulin res. I was diagnosed at one time, when I couldn't even stay awake at work. I was on 4 cups of coffee (2 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon) just to function. I also started to gain weight rapidly, particulalry around my midsection. If you are having the weight gain as well, this may certainly be your diagnosis.

The great thing is that if you can catch it, y ou can reverse it. I reversed mine, and I have a strong famiy history of Diabetes. I used Holistic care though. There was a supplement program that I used in addition to altering my eating habits.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions.

S.

p.s. Chronic Fatigue can be a symptom of SEVERAL things, not just the things I mentioned above.

You may have a medical condition. Go have your doctor run blood work to rule out a thyroid condition, anemia. It could also be sleep apnea.

good luck

Hi S.,
I'm not a mom, but the issues you described sound just like what I was trying to ignore for over a year. I do have clinical depression and after MANY years of failures, a doctor finally found a successful medication: Effexor XR, which I have been on for 3 years now.

But about a year and a half ago, I started struggling with more fatigue again and being tired and sleepy all the time. I tried everything to help: vitamins, exercise, nutrients (I've also been on a very nutritious food plan for 3+ years, lots of fresh veggies, fruit, no white flour, sugar, caffiene, etc...) but I was getting worse and worse. I would fall asleep at my desk at work, or in the morning while I was driving to work. Eventually I was cold all the time and noticed that I put on about 10 pounds without changing my eating habits much. I did notice that about a week before my period would start, all these sympoms seemed to get much worse.

Figuring it must be something hormonal, I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment to see a reproductive endocrinologist that came highly recommended (I hadn't been to an OB/GYN in over 2 years, shame on me!). Well, he had not even taken me into the exam room yet, we were just doing the meet-and-greet intake in his office, when he stopped me in mid-sentence and exclaimed that my thyroid was huge! I didn't even know where my thyroid was, I started feeling my salivary glands, lol! Long story short, after running some special blood tests, he discovered I have a thyroid autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's Disease (basically my body thinks my thyroid is a foriegn object and is slowly killing it) and then after doing an ultrasound and biopsy of a nodule on the left side of my thyroid, he discovered thyroid cancer!

Luckily thyroid cancer is one of the most treatable cancers known, and living in the Houston area means having the best cancer center at our doorstep: MD Anderson. I had to have my thyroid removed and a little radioactive iodine (it's one treatment and doesn't really have any side effects that I noticed) but that's it.

Now I'm definately not saying that you have thyroid cancer, but I wanted to re-enforce what a lot of the other posters said about it possibly being a thyroid problem. Until I went through all this, I had no idea so many women struggle with thyroid problems, especially hypothyroidism. And its easy to feel frustrated because I had so many doctors tell me it was in my head or I was working too hard or it was my meds or I wasn't getting enough exercise or whatever. I'm sorry, but at 27 or 28 years old, I should not feel like I'm 70! I would literally work until 6ish, come home and go straight to bed everyday. I just knew it couldn't be normal.

I didn't mean to write so much, but I want you to know that I can empathize with you. Just make sure you see a doctor who specializes in hormonal problems (if you live in the Houston area, I can give you my doctor's name and number. He's amazing!!) I hope this helps you out.

God bless! :o)

J. E.

Try taking a multi vitiamin. You may have low Iron.

Hi S., you may be anemic. I was anemic several years ago. There are a variety of symptoms but the only one I really noticed was being tired. I would be at work and close my eyes for just a second and doze off. I think taking iron and/or vitamin B(12?) may help but would recommend you do some research yourself or have your doctor do some bloodwork. Goodluck!

M. C

Hi
There is a good chance that it is a vitamin D deficiency. During the winter, most people stay indoors and don't get enough sunlight which can make you very fatigued. All of my girlfriends were having the same problem and they went to the doc and all of 'em had this. It was as simple as buying a higher dose of D. Good luck.

Hi, S.

You might want to consider seeing a doctor. I know being too sleepy is one of the signs of depression. Depression is not only about being sad, it is also about not being able to sleep or sleeping too much. Think about it!

I also agree with some of the ladies about taking vitamins Bs. Those help our brain to produce more of a chemical called Serotonin that causes depression when we lack of it.

Hello S.,
Have you thought about having your thyroid checked? After my first child I had the same problem and it turned out to be my thyroid. On the other hand you could just be exausted with three kids, a home to manage, several jobs, and a husband!!!!!
I like to see a guy do that!!
Good luck,
A..

Hello S., This is not normal. You need to get to your doc and find out if this is physical, connected to some of your meds, emotional or something. There are lots of reasons and a long talk with the doc and some lab tests should identify the problem so you can decide on the best treatment. Good Luck and keep us posted on your progress.
S.

About me: retired RN, mother, grandmother & great g/m

A good health book suggest eating cherries.They are a natural relaxant.For during the day you may try something like green tea.I take the caps and they seem to give me lots of energy.Just dont take them to late in the day.Good luck

Have to ask, could you be pregnant?

you could have your thyroid checked. also try eliminating caffiene from your diet.