dazed.1 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 I usually get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, I don't stay up late drinking or even have any drinks at all on a regular basis, I wake up every morning and work out (pretty rigorously), and I have a comfortable bed and would say I get "good" sleeps, but despite this I still feel exhausted by the afternoon and sometimes can barely stay awake. I feel like I have no energy and need like an hour power nap (which I tried once and I only felt worse afterward. I do watch TV before I go to bed (I sort of fall asleep to it & program it to shut off automatically) but I don't know if that is the problem. I just wonder if anyone has any suggestions of things I can try or foods I can eat or something in order to feel more energized during the day. I drink a mug of coffee every morning and I don't want to have any more caffine. Does anyone have any suggestions?? Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 When I felt like you did, I saw my family Dr, got some blood tests done. Turned out I had low B12 levels, so now I get monthly B12 shots. Could be you're anemic, either because of low B12 or low Iron in your blood - Or it could be something else, eitherway, talk to your DR, book an appt! Link to post Share on other sites
Author dazed.1 Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 Actually wwiu that is a really good point. I used to be deficient in B12 and used to take daily supplements (I mostly got really moody and paranoid),but since I started feeling better I slowly stopped taking them. Maybe I should try that again. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites
whichwayisup Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Do the shots, it's much better than the pills, especially if you have a B12 deficiency, with the shots you should feel better within the month after your first shot. Link to post Share on other sites
bobdole Posted August 19, 2008 Share Posted August 19, 2008 There are many things that can cause fatigue during the day: Sleep Apnea - You stop breathing while you're asleep, your brain "wakes up" out of deep sleep when your oxygen levels drop off and forces you to breath (You don't become conscious when this happens). This disturbs the amount of sleep you get in some specific sleep cycle and you don't feel rested. (wikipedia it for more info). I've read places that there are estimates that 30-40% of the population of the US has this problem and most go undiagnosed. Speak to your doctor about this, especially if you are overweight. He/She may order a sleep study performed on you. Some more serious conditions can cause fatigue - Fibromyalgia, MS, lupus, but these conditions are more much more rare than sleep apnea. Some further neat thoughts on sleep, but I'm not sure I would take them as advice or anything: there is no medical evidence to support all humans NEED 8 hours of sleep a night. Some run fine on more some on less. When you sleep more than what you physically need, then you feel more tired during the day (forget the reason I read for this). There is evidence that people who sleep 6-7 hours a night live longer lives than those who sleep more (wierd). I suppose that the 8 hours thing was metered back when people farmed and performed alot of physical work and their bodies needed that time to rest. With the often sedentary lives of today I can see that the time would be reduced. I'm rambling now, good luck. As with every post in this forum the best advice is to discuss this with your primary care physician. Link to post Share on other sites
Author dazed.1 Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 Yeah I never thought of sleep apnea, I will definately talk to my doctor about it. But the thing is I am not overweight by any means, and I am very physically active, my summer job is pretty physical (I am a civil engineering student so often on job sites etc. and I just noticed this during this summer). Well anyway, thanks for your advice! Link to post Share on other sites
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