Need energy

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I've brought this up before but have new info and didn't want to search for the old thread.

Often when I get up in the morning, I'm pretty awake and alert for the first couple of hours but after about 10ish, I start getting very drowsy and sleepy and feel like I could just take a nap wherever I happen to be. Like this morning, I was sitting on the sofa and Olivia was out in the kitchen playing (childproofed) and I nodded off for a minute. I've never fallen asleep in a sitting position before. I'm turning into my father. He does that a lot, always has ever since I was a little kid. I remember him taking sever naps throughout the day on the couch or sitting in a chair nodding off and I fear I'm turning into that.

Could someone be genetically predisposed to being sleepy?

I eat a pretty good breakfast most days but still I get sleepy. The breakfast most often consists of 2-3 pancakes, 2 links of sausage, a bowl of cereal and a breakfast sandwich. My doc thought I might be hypoglycemic. Guess not, huh? But, here's the thing; almost as soon as I metabolize sugar like take my first sip of soda for the day or something, that's when it'll start.


And another thing; if I'm busy like I have stuff to do and places to go during the day, I'm far less apt to feel drowsy at all. Most days though, I'm at home with Olivia making sure she's safe, healthy, entertained and fed.

Anyone happen to know if there are any meds available for sleepiness?

Oh, I should mention that energy drinks have ZERO effect on me. Red Bull, Bawls, Full Throttle. Nada. I'm almost to the point of wanting to try meth. Yeah, right...

About the energy drinks, caffeine and other 'energetic substances' have little effect on me. It can even increase the will to sleep. Probably some thing related to different brain chemistry.

To return to the issue. Usually I work 40 hours a week, and I feel fine. But when I take a week off, then my productiveness runs back and I need more sleep. Apparently having less to do, causes the body to go into the slow mode and get sleepy. Maybe you should find more activities for yourself to do?

Sadly for you, these guys have yet to open up a location in Disgusta. Then again if you can handle it, there's always the old Maine standby, chased with a Labadie's whoopie pie to give you a caffeine and sugar rush.

EDIT: Spelling

Last edited by Fogman on 10 Jun 2009, 11:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

I love Moxie!

Coffee doesn't work for me either.

anyway, it's interfering with my ability to be an effective parent. I even went to bed at a decent hour last night hoping that would help. It didn't. I became drowsy at 9:30 and slept on the sofa until 1PM waking ever so often if she was to make a loud crash playing or something.

Anyone here on Provigil?

Idiopathic hypersomnia

Before you google for rare diseases, what's your typical day?

Oh, and that breakfast is a f*****g mountain. 3 pancakes plus two sausages PLUS cereal PLUS a sammich?! No wonder your body begs for help to process all that.

Just the pancakes and a little butter or honey has all the calories you need.

BTW, if your overweight and your doc didn't tell you anything about it, he sucks.

not all at once. I should have mentioned that. I get those three pancakes and two links of sausage in a box thing. I'll sometimes have on other mornings a bowl of cereal, waffles, bacon, eggs and other stuff.

Yeah, I'm 100 lbs overweight.

My typical day goes like this:

I get up around 8

Change and feed Olivia and serve myself breakfast

we adjourn into the living room to watch Blue's Clues

I'll check my facebook and forums (about 20 minutes)

Do come household stuff - cleaning, dishes, upkeep.

come back in to check on Olivia and sit with her to entertain her. That's when the sleepiness hits. I'll need to lie down.

Ever been driving a long distance and all of a sudden your eyelids feel like lead? Yeah, like that.

I'll lie down, doze off. Today I dozed off until about 1PM. Got up, Gave Olivia her lunch. When she was through, changed her and put her down for her nap.

I did some putzing around myself like worked on a model or went on facebook or something.

3PM came around and I got sleepy again so I laid down on the bed and took another nap. Got up around 5. Been up since.

Goes a little something like that.

Wife usually gets home around 4PM.

Yeah that's a large breakfast, energy is diverted to the stomach to work on that kind of thing leaving the rest of you tired. Fatty foods are especially difficult to digest. Try some cereal and fruit for a few days see how you feel. Don't drink anything during or until 15 mins after a meal as you dilute the stomach acid.

Here's a recipe for energy bars good luck.

e2a: sorry posted at the same time as you

they're small pancakes...

"...in a box thing"... If it's stuff you buy and put in the microwave, how many calories does it have?
One needs about 2,500 calories per day if you're active, if not, much less.

"...on other mornings a bowl of cereal, waffles, bacon, eggs and other stuf."
All at once?

You didn't mention at what time do you go to sleep, and how many hours do you sleep per day.
And how big is your lunch (and your dinner).

the "not all at once" should be assumed for the "other stuff" too.

It's not like I'm a friggin' pig at breakfast people! I'm fat but that doesn't mean I belly up to the trough like some sow at slop time.

I'll just talk to my doctor.

besides, my basal metabolic rate is about 2,200 calories. That's how many calories I'd burn at assuming no activity during a 24 hour period.

Weeatabix, or some other wholegrain wheat cereal. Just that. Eat as much as you like if you're hungry.
Having fat in your breakfast can make anyone a little groggy. In addition to this, the amount you've stated takes a fair amount of energy to digest, and is so diverted from whatever else you're doing. As I don't usually eat breakfast, or destroy a full english with all the extras, I tried just eating weeatabix, and through lunch I felt more energised than binge drinking expressos.

It occurred to me last night that the last time I had this problem I slept in my clothes and I've been sleeping in my clothes lately. Maybe it has something to do with allowing my whole body to breathe, not just through my mouth and nose. I've been up since 6AM this morning. I just woke up and decided to get up when I woke up. I bought some One A Day Energy supplement vitamins yesterday hoping they'll help. It's almost 9:30. So far, so good. Though I'll admit to feeling a little sleepy.

Maybe the sleeping with/without clothes idea was erroneous because people sleep with pajamas but those are designed to fit more loosely than everyday street clothes.

And I've tried various cereals for breakfast.

*gasp*

Sudafed!

I remember this one time I didn't know that it was a stimulant and I was reaaaly congested and I took four one evening before I went to bed at around 11PM and my eyes sprung open around 2 or 3AM.

Don't want to be like Elvis though.