Unusual bouts of fatigue

RedRules5

I am just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and can put a name to it. I know this is not a medical forum so I am not looking for a diagnosis. And it doesn't bother me enough to go see a doctor, I am just curious about it.

About 4 years ago I starting having these spells of severe fatigue. Between 5pm and 7pm I would be overcome with exhaustion and just have to lie down and close my eyes and would then instantly fall asleep (on a normal night this would take at least half an hour). I would wake up 1 1/2 to 2 hours later and after the initial grogginess I would be wide awake at 11pm so much so that I would not be able to sleep until the early hours.

This would continue for 4 or 5 consecutive evenings and then just stop as suddenly as it started only to begin again about 4 weeks later. Always the same time of day, same lenght of sleep and subsequent alertness when I should be winding down.

When I attempt to fight the exhaustion by going for a walk or just not having a lie down it would last no longer than 20 minutes and in the same way as if I had slept I will be wide awake at midnight.

It can happen any day of the week and regardless of how I have been sleeping in the weeks between. I have not noticed any triggers that would bring it on.

Has anyone had anything similar?

jimmycrackcorm

l have a similar problem but it is due to a lack of a proper sleeping routine that builds up. I find in particular that the period 5-7 pm is a when it is easiest to fall asleep and then I'm most alert between 12 and 3 a.m.

In fact if I'm driving any distance around 5-7 I am at the most risk of falling asleep at the wheel.

Santa Claus

It also depends on what kind of sleep you are getting. Is it good quality sleep (i.e. not restless, unbroken sleep) and how many hours do you get ?

Other factors could include it something is preying on your mind, diet (i.e. caffeine intake etc)

Fysh

I get a similar thing sometimes; I find it's due to a combination of not getting enough rest and not eating properly. Addressing one or both of these for a couple of days has been enough to sort it out for me.

DawnMc

Quite possibly glandular fever.

LundiMardi

Insomnia?

Gordon

A few months ago I had this and when I started drinking a few litres of water it went away, many people have ailments such as headaches and fatigue that can be attributed to dehydration.

I really think you should see a doctor though.

dub1dude

Ok here's a few things. It could be sleep apena. That's where you stop breathing at night for a few seconds you wake up without knowing it and fall asleep again. Resulting in an broken sleep. To combat it, drink a cup of hot lime juice before you go to bed, blow out your nose and sleep away. If that doesn't help I have a funny story.

My friend had the exact same problem. He had a bout of fatigue, sleeping 16 hours a day. He went to the doctor and tests blah blah blah!!! Eventually they had diagnosed that two of his glands were malfunctioning. So they had to be taken out. In order to get to them he had to have his nipples removed, glands removed and nipples sowed back on.

Brand new now, actually he doesn't tire much at all any more. He's bionacle to me.

shellby

dub1dude wrote:

My friend had the exact same problem. He had a bout of fatigue, sleeping 16 hours a day. He went to the doctor and tests blah blah blah!!! Eventually they had diagnosed that two of his glands were malfunctioning. So they had to be taken out. In order to get to them he had to have his nipples removed, glands removed and nipples sowed back on.

why is that funny? it sounds really serious.
similar thing was happening to me still does from time to time i went to the doc and it turs out my body has priblems taking in certain vitimans so i have to get injections to get em directly into my blood stream it does work
you probaly should see a doc

Beruthiel

I would also suggest the doctor

Eoin Madsen

I had something similar when I had depression. If you're generally unhappy on top of your sleeping problems, it mightn't hurt to consult a doctor.

First thing I'd try, though, would be a caffeine detox.

holly_johnson

I had something very similar to this last year.
Absolutely wrecked tired (to the point that driving the car home was not a safe thing to do) and started getting spots and stuff on my torso. Went to the doctor, had a load of tests and it turned out I was Vitamin B12 deficient. Got a course of injections and have been taking a multivitamin every day since and am feeling grand!

Zapho

holly_johnson wrote:

I had something very similar to this last year.
Absolutely wrecked tired (to the point that driving the car home was not a safe thing to do) and started getting spots and stuff on my torso. Went to the doctor, had a load of tests and it turned out I was Vitamin B12 deficient. Got a course of injections and have been taking a multivitamin every day since and am feeling grand!

How long before the multi vitamin started to get to work?

holly_johnson

I had one injection of the B12 a week for 3 weeks and was also taking the multivitamin. I reckon after about 2 weeks I started feeling a bit better, and after about a month I was back to my old self.
I still take the vitamins every day, I'm kind of afraid to stop in case it happens again! Although I must say I haven't had a cold or amything since!

The_Conductor

I often suffer from similar sympthoms, but for a medical reason, which I am not going into.

If it is a problem that persists do go to see your doctor and get it checked out. It could be something totally innocuous- or otherwise- but there is no way of telling.

There is little point in people telling you what it 'could' be here- there are such a multitude of possible causes.

Go see your doctor- put your mind to rest.

S.

Tar.Aldarion

possibly haemochromatosis which i got diagnosed with today...would explain tiredness ...but i suggest a doc.

Selik

Sometimes I find that sleeping alot can actually make you more tired. Most people need between 5-8hrs sleep a night max really.

Squirrel

Gordon wrote:

A few months ago I had this and when I started drinking a few litres of water it went away, many people have ailments such as headaches and fatigue that can be attributed to dehydration.

I really think you should see a doctor though.

Better yet get Mi-Wadi as the salt helps re-hydration

nedoo

Do you drink a lot of tea, coffee,coke or the likes. These give you artifical highs all day long and when the come down hits you go lower than normal thus resulting in wanting to sleep. Try eat and drink good things, get a lot of excersise and dont be affraid to go to bed early for the night, the more you think about sleep the more messed up it gets!

The_Conductor

Squirrel wrote:

Better yet get Mi-Wadi as the salt helps re-hydration

Mi-wadi for salts? Really?
I'd never have guessed.

Something to try along these lines would be Dioralyte- its electrolyte replacements. You can get lemon or blackcurrant flavour sachets that can be made up into a drink over the counter in the pharmacy for about 35 cent.

S.

dahamsta

I get this all the time, I find the problem is lack of routine, as jimmycrackcorm suggests. I tend not to worry about it any more, I just get up and do stuff if I can't sleep* and just try to get back into a routine as gently as possible -- I find resisting the temptation to pop into bed for a nap the best way to go about this, even though it can be extremely difficult. Lots of water can help too, as Gordon says.

(It has to be said water can cure a lot of ails, I wish I'd started drinking lots of it a long time ago. Has to be Volvic for me though. )

adam

* I waxed my car at 4am yesterday. In a basement car park, so not as stupid as it sounds.

Baldie

Ya I get this as well. I do shift work (7:30am - 3:30pm) and (10am to 6pm.) When I'm on 7:30am - 3:30pm, it hits me when I sit down for even a few minutes at home, between 5 - 7 as well. If Im kept busy till about 7, Im grand for the night. I usually go to bed for about 2 hours and then won't get back to sleep until about 12 or 1, and be back up again for work at 7:30. For me it's probably a fecked up routine, but it happens on Saturday as well. Get lazy at around 2 or 3.

RedRules5

Thanks for the advice.

Although I am not really worried about it I will consider getting a doctors opinion on the matter.

I was just asking out of curiosity. It's the cyclic nature of the symptoms that interests me. I am pretty much set in a rountine regards work and hence when I go to bed and get up and although I occasionally suffer insomina I am happy with the amount and quality of sleep I get so i don't think its that.

As for diet, I probably don't drink enough water because of the need to be near a toilet all day. Foodwise, I never really have much of an appetite and eat enough to keep the hunger at bay. But as I don't think I am eating any more or less now then I did before I started getting these symptoms I can't see the connection. And again, why the reoccurance for 4 days every 4 weeks for when I eat the same food stuffs every week? Then again this could be the answer.

Anyway I will try what has been suggested and have a chat with a doctor and see what comes up. Thanks

luckat

For goodness sake go to the doctor and don't be trying to solve it yourself. That kind of level of tiredness is not normal, and you should get it checked out.

Flashling

Wait wait wait, four days every four weeks...sounds familair...are you female? As it could just be at temperature thing, too hot to sleep?

bandraoi

what are your iron levels like?