Hi...I was wondering if anyone could tell me what it could mean when my mother who is 67 years old and active she still works waitressing at a job she has had for over 30 years suddenly falls asleep while visiting a friend they were in the middle of a conversation and she fell sound asleep. It is so out of character for her to do this and she wasnt even aware she had fallen asleep. SHe has been under stress lately my father has been fighting lung cancer for nearly a year now, but she has always been sharp as a tack and has never fallen asleep like that before...is it something we should be concerned about? :confused:

Yes, you should be concerned. It could be that your mother is physically and mentally exhausted. Would be a good idea to check for diabetes. Getting a good checkup would be wise, many things could contribute to the problem.

How is she sleeping? I can't imagine she is sleeping well and long enough while having to work and take care of the sick hubby. Has she been checked for sleep apnea?

My husband has done this for some time .. he is 53 at the moment. He insists he is just tired when it happens ... but I don't accept that. If I am tired ... if I am sitting in a chair listening to someone else talk or watching TV ... my head does not fall forward and out like a light. He seems to have no control over it ... but wakes immediately if there is the slightest sound. Then he pretends he was just looking down or whatever. I know that's cos he doesn't want me to worry. But as I say he has done it for years ... he was diagnosed a couple of years back with insulin resistance and I feel there has been an improvement now he is on tablets and watching his diet more. Best ur mom gets herself checked up .. could be something fairly simply to treat like diet change or whatever. But should not just be left :)

The first thing I'd think of was sleep apnea. But insomnia could be a culprit. She has so much to do physycally and then fills in all the mental and emotional blanks at night. Bless her heart. She might have to have someone step in and insist that she get checked out.

She sounds like she's always been very efficient, bright and on top of things. If she's worn out, she may not know. I know from experience, if we don't listen to our body tell us, then next will be her mind and emotions. They're all thinking, "She has to listen to one of us!" :nono:

We can't escape stress, but learning to be kind and compassionate to ourselves is mandatory to keeping heads above water. Women are such caregivers. We just do that. Only we often leave ourselves out because we think that's selfish. I sure hope your mom hears you and if it's just for your concern, has it checked out or talk to someone about it. Chessy

http://en.****pedia.org/****/Narcolepsy

Oh for goodness sakes....I guess this board doesnt allow sharing other site info at all...so look up narcolepsy in a search engine because it sounds like that is what she may have.

While narcolepsy is certainly a possibilty, I would have to say it's unlikely. Cmarie's mother has too many other variables that could make her suddenly fall asleep. If she works and her husband has cancer, that's more than most 40 year-olds can handle. However, I think it would be wise to get a doctor's opinion.