ALWAYS tired in the morning, not matter how much sleep I get - HELP - Sleep Disorders Message Board

pinkmeg · 05-23-2005, 11:45 AM

My problem is pretty embarassing to me. It's hard to even write about it to the general public because in my eyes, if I were just "adult" enough, I would get up when my alarm went off and go and start my day. But that's not how it is with me. I am a 24 year old female and ever since college (could have been the start of it all) I do not/cannot wake up when my alarm goes off for work. I don't understand what is wrong with me or why I can't just be like everyone else who wakes up in the morning and starts their day. I dont have insomnia and I dont have trouble actually falling asleep.

So here are the details: If I have to wake up to an alarm I DO NOT want to and will hit the snooze as many times as I can before I know i'll be late to work, and I get up; I'm still dead tired no matter how many times the snooze is hit. If it's the weekend and I can sleep just until I naturally wake up, everything is fine, however if it's the weekend and I have to set an alarm for something specific, I do not want to wake up. And no matter how many actual hours of sleep I get, it's the same story everytime.

If I go to bed on a weeknight at 9pm and have to wake up at 8am, I am still trying to stay in bed, and that is 11 hours of sleep! I am wondering if there is something deficient in my diet, or if I just need to not be such a baby about sleep. I feel really stupid coming in to work really tired looking when I've had ample sleep.

Does anyone have any ideas or know anyone simliar to me? Be honest, and if you think I just need to grow up, tell me. This is getting old really fast!!!

hry33 · 05-23-2005, 12:33 PM

being depressed can cause this reluctance to get out of bed and face the new day
some extra vitamins and minerals may help

if you have sleep apnea or similar you will snore heavily and toss and turn a lot in your sleep

analog2000 · 05-23-2005, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkmeg

if I were just "adult" enough, I would get up when my alarm went off and go and start my day.

I don't know what your problem might be, but it does sound like it might be a sleep disorder. And if it is bothering you this much, you should see a doctor.

I could have written your post, as I had the exact same problem for years! No matter how much sleep I got, I never felt rested. I had gotten to the point where I was setting three alarm clocks, and I still couldn't get up. The worst part was that I felt terrible about myself! I was convinced that I just had no willpower, everyone around me could get up and get to work on time. Everyone else could stay awake in meetings, or classes, or at the movies. Why not me? It was very depressing and frustrating, because I desperately wanted to be normal.

It wasn't until I was 24 (!) that I FINALLY sought help from a doctor for this. Well, it turned out that I have severe sleep apnea. For the past three years, my apnea has been adequately treated, and it is a whole new world! Looking back, I don't know how I made it so long.

I say all this because it was (partly) my own fault that I suffered for so long. My belief that sleep was a matter of will (it isn't), and my own stubborn pride and embarassment kept me from getting treatment for what is a serious (and even potentially fatal) medical problem. It is depressing to look back and think of all the time I wasted by not getting help sooner.

It is possible that you do need to "just grow up." But you really need a doctor to evaluate that. You could just as easily have an actual medical problem. Don't waste any more time - get to a doctor! And if it does turn out to be a matter of willpower, then you will know for sure, and you can work on it from there.

Good luck.

p.s. - It is not true that everyone with sleep apnea snores or tosses and turns. I don't!

blondie79 · 05-24-2005, 07:46 AM

Wow, I have the exact same problem. I'm a 25 year old female and I've had the problem since I was a teenager. I feel the same way as you, that I'm just lazy or lack willpower- but I'm a successful person and I know this isn't true. I do not snore, toss, or turn. But perhaps we should still be tested for sleep apnea?

I thought the problem was linked to depression and recently went on anti-depressants, and the problem has persisted.

Please keep us updated if you decide to get tested for sleep apnea or find anything that works for you.

Blueelectric · 07-31-2005, 09:13 PM

I don't know if this will help or not but I've just been diagnosed with Adrenal fatigue and one of it's main symptoms is persistent fatigue. I could sleep 15 hours a day if I let myself but I've got to pay the bills so I force myself to do the things that need doing instead of crawling into bed like my body really wants to. Even though he acts sympathetic, I still think my boyfriend thinks I'm just lazy...as though it's a choice to be exhausted. He asks me if I feel as though I'm missing out on life because I sleep so much...to which I can only reply "Of course I do but it's not like I'm tired on purpose".

Anti-depressants helped me for a few years but recently the fatigue and other problems like inability to handle stress, have slowly been returning. I've just started a protocol of supplements that my doctor has recommended and I don't know if it will work or not. Supposedly the adrenal glands regulate a multitude of hormones whose imbalance can contribute to a number of different recognized diseases...but hypoadrenia isn't a mainstream diagnosis yet...so I'm a little sceptical at the moment.

If you want to check out the symptoms of adrenal fatigue or hypoadrenia you can go to Adrenal Fatigue .com

Good luck