I’ve had a terrible time, as of late, keeping my eyes open. Particularly while driving. This, as you might imagine, poses a problem.
It’s bad, people. I snapped back into reality this morning to discover I had dropped my speed from 60 to 40 without noticing it… because I was about 70% asleep.
I literally cannot keep my eyes open. It is such a terrible feeling, and it’s obviously extremely unsafe. But I’m not sure what to do about it. I don’t know what my deal is, but I really don’t think I could possibly get enough sleep to stop this from happening. I think it’s more than that… a chemical imbalance or something? I don’t know. I’ve started taking my vitamins again, and I’m hoping that will help.
This is pretty miserable, though. And I’d really rather not wrap my car around a tree.
I need your help! Any suggestions for what I can do to stay awake?
Well since Pinterest is the new Google, I suggest you search that first. Or, here’s a thought: you work on a college campus! I am sure SOMEONE could score you SOMETHING to get some help with that. Thirdly (or C, if you prefer), since your sister has narcolepsy, just convince a dr. that you have it also. I know you tried this once, but that was a long time ago, and you are more decrepit now and have more kids (and a dog) so I think that should qualify you for a diagnosis!
You’re welcome!
How much exercise are you getting? Maybe you need some endorphins to keep you awake. I know it doesn’t help when you are driving, but when I get tired I find that a set of jumping jacks will wake me up real quick.
In all seriousness though, if you are getting a good nights sleep and still having that problem, you should see a doctor. We don’t want you getting hurt!
Have your thyroid checked. If you are low on this hormone, you basically feel like your battery is slowing down even when you get enough sleep. It is something to consider. Women are affected more than men and it frequently shows up after you have children.
All of the above!
UP
CPAP did it for me. It is great.
Get one of those gizmos like Anna has.
I can summarize the above comments in one sentence: Go find a nice family doctor.
Drink lots of water and try and be more active where you can (walk over driving, go for a brisk walk in the morning, etc). Get out in the sun for a bit. I know all these things and find it hard to do them myself but I’m tryin- zzzzz.
I agree – walk when you can and grab some fresh air and sun. also — try to set a sleep schedule. I know it is hard but go to bed and wake up the same time – every day. R
pull over and sleep at a BP?
Man, I wrote this comment already that I lost when I accidentally closed the tab. Sigh. I was just saying, I recently experienced some ridiculously low energy levels – didn’t matter how much sleep I got. I didn’t go to the dr, but I was going to if some of my attempts to fix it didn’t work. Some of the things you or others mentioned I second – vitamins, exercise (even if you’d rather stab your eyes out), regular sleep. I also drank a crap ton of water. Limited my caffeine and to the morning.
Are you still drinking smoothies for breakfast? You might want to look into some “energizing” powder stuff you can put it in. I use this: http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Grass-Powder-60-SuperFood-Container/dp/B002BHSKAC, but the taste takes some getting used to (and by that I mean I hated it at first). I’m sure you could find something that has a little kick/nutrition to it and tastes like vanilla or something good.
I kinda have the same problem so when you figure it out be sure to let me know. Oh and I have tried the endorphin thing. Getting up extra early to bike 10 – 15 mile before work. I was only awake for about an hour after and my eyes wouldn’t stay open again.
Are you getting enough sleep at night? Perhaps a trip to your family doctor could shed some light on why you are having trouble staying awake. Some simple lab work could tell if things aren’t right and it would be faster & safer than trying to figure it out on your own. Being a night shift worker, I have a horrible time keeping my eyes open on the way home. Here are some of my tricks that help keep me awake: roll down your window, make sure you have good music to sing to, have someone you can talk on the phone to, and you can also try eating ice. Good luck!
Get a sleep study asap!