Sudden tiredness between 2 and 3PM

[ozze_dollar]

There seems to be no doubt that I have insomnia and OSA. Now that I have been using my VPAP for some 3 months I feel a lot better in the mornings. Even though I sleep better when I am asleep I rarely get better than 6 hours sleep. There is a lot of just lying there and listening to the breathing.

Even though I am using my VPAP and my AHI are one something I still get this sudden tiredness through the day. I can only asume its my insomnia and 6 hours is not enough for me.

We all seem to have similar problems here so I would be interested in any comments.

[Lizistired]

When I started APAP, I began to enjoy sleeping. So, when I got sleepy/tired I went and took a nap with my APAP. I think we sleep better when we want to sleep, so IF you have that luxury/flexibility, go take a nap! My body needed it, wanted it, I felt better for it. I think I needed to learn to sleep again.. Or at least learn that it was OK to sleep again. It's so much better now.
Don't nap without it! Give your brain time to just go to sleep.
I have wondered about periods of double vision for some time. The other day I noticed that it consistantly follows dozing off on the couch during the news..... without APAP.

[ozze_dollar]

When I started APAP, I began to enjoy sleeping. So, when I got sleepy/tired I went and took a nap with my APAP. I think we sleep better when we want to sleep, so IF you have that luxury/flexibility, go take a nap! My body needed it, wanted it, I felt better for it. I think I needed to learn to sleep again.. Or at least learn that it was OK to sleep again. It's so much better now.
Don't nap without it! Give your brain time to just go to sleep.
I have wondered about periods of double vision for some time. The other day I noticed that it consistantly follows dozing off on the couch during the news..... without APAP.

Thanks for those comments. I have read and been told by my doctors to resist the temptation to nap through the day. If i resist I will sleep better through the night. Who knows.

[archangle]

I'm definitely addicted to naps myself. I wish I could sleep normal hours. Every so often I force myself back into normal patterns, but it only takes a few nights of staying up too late and I'm back into my bad patterns.

Be sure that if you DO nap, you CPAP.

Also, remember, insomnia is nothing to lose sleep over. I think sometimes we get so concerned about insomnia that we can't sleep. Stressing out about it just makes it worse.

[Paper_Nanny]

Even though I am using my VPAP and my AHI are one something I still get this sudden tiredness through the day. I can only asume its my insomnia and 6 hours is not enough for me.

If the tiredness always hits around the same time of day, it could be related to what you eat (or don't eat) for breakfast.

Deborah

[ozze_dollar]

Even though I am using my VPAP and my AHI are one something I still get this sudden tiredness through the day. I can only asume its my insomnia and 6 hours is not enough for me.

If the tiredness always hits around the same time of day, it could be related to what you eat (or don't eat) for breakfast.

Deborah

Thats interesting. I must admit since it is winter in Australia I like to have something hot. Often an egg and some baked beans or spaghettie.I have been cutting out the toast and margarine to help with the weight.I sometimes suspect my blood pressure tablets. "Atacand'
I have not been able to prove it though.

[napstress]

I have read and been told by my doctors to resist the temptation to nap through the day. If i resist I will sleep better through the night. Who knows.

I have had middle-of-the-night insomnia for about 20 years, and average about 6 hours of sleep per 24-hour period. More than once I have done a study on myself to see whether napping (and other factors) aggravates the insomnia. I have found that the only way napping negatively affects my nighttime sleeping is if I nap too long and/or too late in the day. Unless I am on vacation and am playing catch-up, I limit my naps to 20-30 mins. On vacation, I allow myself to sleep for as long as I want. I generally fall asleep between 9:00-10:00pm, am awake for 2 hours, and wake up for the day at 4:30-5:30am. My best nap time is before I eat lunch, oftentimes between 10:30am-noon. Otherwise, napping seems unrelated to the insomnia. On vacations, I have experienced 2-hour naps and then sleeping for 8 hours without waking—for a couple of weeks!

Napping can also take the pressure off the worry about the insomnia. In the middle of the night I have often had the thought that "well, at least I got a nap in" or "well, I can nap tomorrow" (if I can).

I do wish I could sleep as well at 2:00am as I do at 2:00pm!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mary Z]

Some days I just have to take a nap, I just try not to sleep too long. My sleepy times are ater lunchtime (whether I eat or not), and 5 or 6 in the evening. I take Nuvigil some days which doesn't really seem to help with those particular times. I sleep 8 hour every night.

[eray]

I have a similiar problem except i sleep more hours & what happens to me at 2pm is much more then "tired." To me its like having all the blood drained out of me, or like falling off a cliff. Much worse then tired. i struggle to keep going at work & i eat to keep going causing a 90lb weight gain w/no relief. Anyway as i just responded to another member, i had my first appt w/a sleep doc BECAUSE this 2pm crash is killing me. I had good AHIs in the 5-10 range & after going through abt 7 different masks finally found some nasal pillows that were comfortable but still that 2pm crash. It really has been taking all my energy just to keep working through it. Then by 6pm i am awake again but not energetic, i just don't feel like naping. So i am exhausted but cannot sleep at 2pm then awake & struggle to sleep by 11pm. My first visit to sleep doc yesterday, for this 2pm thing, he is a neurologist & the number 2 guy in a big name hospital - said the following (maybe some of these things will help you): 1. I have insomnia.(i tht i had delay sleep phase) 2. i have periodic limb movements & he gave me a drug, miraplex, to help. 3. I am not getting the benefit of the cpap cause i am mouth breathing so i need to fix this. 4. Cognative Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia CBTI. He claims 80% see improvement w/treatment - google it you will find a ton of stuff or go to Wikepedia & at the bottom all the articles u can click on & read the actual studies. Of course some of it is stuff u k.now about re: coffee/cafiene/dark room/calm/no late large meals etc but there are other feedback treatments - anyway hope this helps

[davecpap]

I'm a year into CPAP treatment - MUCH better mornings, but I also get tired around 2-3PM. So I moved my exercise routine to 2PM - it gives me the energy to get through the rest of the day until its time to go to bed for the night.

[ozze_dollar]

I'm a year into CPAP treatment - MUCH better mornings, but I also get tired around 2-3PM. So I moved my exercise routine to 2PM - it gives me the energy to get through the rest of the day until its time to go to bed for the night.

Hi Dave,

Now thats interesting. I usually go for a half hour walk around 9am. I have always had the most energy in the morning. So have lunch first and then go for a walk. I tend to get tired in the evenings and find it hard to wait for 10.30pm to go to bed. Perhaps its the wine I drink making me tired.

[Paper_Nanny]

Thats interesting. I must admit since it is winter in Australia I like to have something hot. Often an egg and some baked beans or spaghettie.I have been cutting out the toast and margarine to help with the weight.I sometimes suspect my blood pressure tablets. "Atacand'
I have not been able to prove it though.

What do you eat for breakfast when It isn't winter in Australia?

Do you take the blood pressure medication in the morning? Do you have a way to check your blood pressure during the day? I wonder if there is a correlation between wanting to nap and blood pressure fluctuation.

I am thinking about a medication I took for awhile that had low blood pressure as a side effect. When it hit my system, my blood pressure dropped, and I couldn't hardly do anything but sleep. Changing around the times I took the medicine helped make it not such an inconvenient side effect.

Deborah

[ozze_dollar]

Thats interesting. I must admit since it is winter in Australia I like to have something hot. Often an egg and some baked beans or spaghettie.I have been cutting out the toast and margarine to help with the weight.I sometimes suspect my blood pressure tablets. "Atacand'
I have not been able to prove it though.

What do you eat for breakfast when It isn't winter in Australia?

Do you take the blood pressure medication in the morning? Do you have a way to check your blood pressure during the day? I wonder if there is a correlation between wanting to nap and blood pressure fluctuation.

I am thinking about a medication I took for awhile that had low blood pressure as a side effect. When it hit my system, my blood pressure dropped, and I couldn't hardly do anything but sleep. Changing around the times I took the medicine helped make it not such an inconvenient side effect.

Deborah

I have often suspected my BP medicine. "Atacand" Its just not co operating with my tests.

[bap40]

Guess I am a little different on this topic. I do not have to take a nap every day but some days I really need to. I have had no problems sleeping at night whether I nap or not.