So tired, what is this?

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I keep feeling so tired, physically. I don't know if it's because of the cold weather or not, but since about October I have been feeling so tired. I can't stay focused on much, I can't relax for too long in the day and watch a film or anything, otherwise I will have the urge to go to sleep.

I only do a part-time cleaning job, which is 3 days a week, but I even get tired on my days off. I was going to bed at about 11.30pm and going to sleep at about 12.30-ish (am) and waking up anywhere between 7.30am and 10.00am. I found that wasn't enough for me, so now I've took to going to bed around 9.30pm-10.00pm, and giving myself more time to wind down by reading or watching a DVD then going to sleep at about 11.00pm and waking up around 8.00am (earlier if I have to go to work). But I've found that whatever I do with my sleep routine I still feel incredibly tired.

I've even drank lucozade (energy drink) in the day and still slept well all night. Most nights I sleep like a log, and I often sleep solid for 8-10 hours without waking up or even having light sleeps. Some days I have a 30-minute nap, other days I don't, but it still doesn't affect how tired I feel that night. It usually takes me less than 2 minutes to fall asleep, and that isn't exaggerating. When I was younger, it used to take me up to 2 hours to fall asleep.

For an anxious, stressy person, I am pretty good at sleeping. I could sleep all day if I had to, and all night. I am reluctant to go on any meds because it might make me the opposite, and I suppose I'd rather be sleepy than having sleepless nights. I was just wondering if anyone else has this or if you know anyone that has this, and what could be causing it. I think it might be due to the cold weather, but I can't be sure.

I wonder if it could partly be Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Hopefully, it isn't sleep apnea. If you sleep very soundly it doesn't seem like it would be.

When does the fatigue set in? Do you sleep long but still feel tired as soon as you wake up? Or do you feel tired later?

Otherwise, I would suggest trying Coffee to help. I'm not sure the sugar load in an energy drink will help in the long run. In fact falling sugar levels can make people tired and hungry.

Also, avoid alcohol. If you have a night cap of some Liquor try stopping for a while.

Great answer from videodrome.... and I do hope sleep apnea is not the problem, as it can be a bummer to live with. You really want to have this checked out, as you are a young person and this low energy seems unusual. Low oxygen levels would cause this, for certain. You may have a low-level infection that is not manifesting (yet) in symptoms and is giving causing your immune system to work O/T. You need an (ugh! ouch!) blood workup. Yes, you can call me a chicken, but this is one of the necessary evils.

You might have low levels of a vitamin... an easy one to solve. You may have an allergy that has developed to something in your work or home environment (allergies will cause us to feel worn out, because our immune system is -- once again -- fighting a battle on a constant basis and we're not quite aware that anything is going on).

You don't mention any new emotional stress or anything that has caused you to feel depressed (like finding your job dull and uninspiring or getting a new Manager From Hell or a co-worker who's bullying you or having your best friend move 1,000 miles away), so I'm guessing whatever "this" is has a physical basis. You ARE oversleeping. Oversleeping will actually create a sort of depression. Are you living way up north where light levels are low and possibly suffering from a seasonal affective disorder?

Ignoring all else, PLEASE see a Medical Doctor and have a blood workup. Mention a few of the possibilities mentioned by the rest of us wrong planeteers which may seem to make a grain of sense to you. Consider any chemicals, pets, plants, perfumes, foods -- in others words, new STUFF you've introduced into your world or body recently that may be bothering you. Also check your living area for MOLD of any sort...check bathrooms, ceilings (roof leaks can be insidious), closets...if you're on the ground floor, check corners or cracks in flooring. Also: how do you cook and heat your residence? Natural Gas? Propane? Wood? Please be aware that all these are potentially hazardous in their own special ways. Please keep us posted, because we worry! XO!

I don't drink any alcohol at all, nor do I smoke or take any drugs. I am not on any medication, except the contraceptive pill, but I've been on that for over 4 years and hasn't had any side effects with me (no, I'm not doing sexual intercourse, I'm it because of painful periods I used to get).

I am actually going through a bit of an emotional crisis, as I forgot to mention. I am slowly losing my special interest, and as Aspies we all know that can be devastating for us, especially if it's beyond our control. The poster above this one mentioned something about having depressing thoughts because of a friend moving 1,000 miles away, and something similar to that is happening. I'm obsessed with bus-drivers, and the one who I talk to and am becoming very good friends with hasn't been on my bus for nearly 10 weeks, and I got so attached to her that I am feeling rather lost without her, since she did understand me and we got on well. I never got a chance to get her contact number or anything, and I am afraid to ask where she is because I might be told the awful truth, like she's left (because she has been threatening to leave her job for a long while). To save all the heartache, I'd rather not know, but another part of me wants to know, and I think it is all stressing me out a bit. Also, when I said about losing my special interest, I am also worried about the company going into administration and losing all those bus-drivers what I am obsessed with.

I suppose that doesn't sound much to be stressed about, and I'm not sure if it is that what is causing me to feel so tired all the time. I find it hard to get up in the morning, I could just turn over and go back to sleep. I suppose everybody feels like that, but for the last 4-5 years I've been finding it easy to get up, now I have gone back to what I was like as a teenager; finding it hard to get out of bed. I can wake up easily if I set my alarm, but I have to force myself to stay awake and I lay there plucking up the courage to lift myself out of bed. Then I am tired for the rest of the day, but still have normal energy, like I could walk for miles, but as soon as I sit or lay down, I want to go to sleep.

It's hard to say. I used to work a night shift so I have a lot of sleep challenges.

One time I got hit with crushing fatigue. I told a supervisor I did not feel right and took 2 days off leading into a long weekend. I slept a ton and seemed to shake off whatever it was.

Based on that experience, I wonder if some people just need to recharge even if not working a hard job. My job was easy it just had crazy hours. What I think I really needed was a real vacation.

Maybe the nights drawing in and a lack of natural light, as well as the other stresses you are under, and of course cleaning work is very physical and tiring.

I have SAD and the clocks going back affects me badly. I've found lightbox treatment really works well for me. As well as getting out in the daytime as often as I can. I know, it isn't tempting when the weather is this cold, is it!

I have idiopathic hypersomnia, which means excessive daytime sleepiness with no known cause. It has been suggested that depression may be the cause. I have had sleep tests done which led to my diagnosis but not given any tips on how to treat it. It's basically untreatable. Look up the symptoms of hypersomnia, what you have described sounds very similar to me.

Like yellowtamarin, I have idiopathic hypersomnia. And it is horrible. I am on Daytrana patches (transdermal methylphenidate patches), and the patches are literally the only reason I am able to stay awake during the day and hold down a job. On weekends, if I don't get up and put my patch on, I literally will sleep the entire day and waste my time off. I blame the start of my idiopathic hypersomnia on Zoloft and other SSRIs I was on as a teenager for my OCD. They didn't help my OCD, and after starting SSRIs, I went from my natural self (needing very little sleep) to this acursed hypersomnia.

Before panicking that you might have an illness or disorder, it might be worth trying a few steps that I have found useful for a similar problem. The first thing I did was completely cut out the caffiene. It sounds mad, yes that is what was keeping me awake during the day, but I was getting a massive loss of energy after the short 'buzz' it gave me. That includes Lucozade as it contains both Caffeine and glucose. Step two was to try and avoid 'afternoon naps'. I got into a bad habit of taking myself to bed in the afternoon which is when I notice my tiredness increase. Sometimes the afternoon naps could last for two to three hours and I would wake up still tired! One tip is to go for a walk or a cycle ride (get outside really) as soon as you start feeling that fatigue setting in. It sounds mad but it works! It is also possible that it could be to do with the short, dark days (SAD). I have suffered this every year since I was about 14. Luckily light boxes are no longer £200 plus and Argos do one for £40.00 which I have found very effective. It burns your eyes for the first few days (not literally, just feels sore!) but it has definitely made my energy levels better. If you try all this and are still getting problems, see your GP. When I was having these bad problems though my GP just told me to keep coming once a month to see if it was improving and he said it is rare for them to refer you straight to a sleep clinic. The only thing that might be useful from a GP is to check if your iron levels are high enough. I often get mild anaemia, especially after periods (I too am on the pill for the same reason!) but I cure this by eating lots of spinach and brocolli! It also comes in tablet form if veg is not your thing!

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

The best advice I have seen on here is to see a doctor. There are so many possible causes for this, from sleeping habits, to depression, to anaemia, to hypothyroidism, to name just a few. Someone who knows your history, can run any necessary tests and is medically qualified to assess your symptoms is best placed to diagnose you and recommend the best course of action.