Falling asleep all the time

[diane 962]

My sister is a diabetic. She is constantly falling asleep. She sleeps all day and all night. If you are talking to her, her head will drop and she will fall asleep. Its not a deep sleep because if you say her name loudly she will wake up. But 2 minutes later it will happen again. When she is home by herself she says all she does is sleep. She has had the sleep test but they say they can't help her. They don't know why this is happening. Could the insulin she is taking possibly be the cause of this? Her life is horrible and she is very unhappy. Please someone help!!

 

[clairelv]

My sister is a diabetic. She is constantly falling asleep. She sleeps all day and all night. If you are talking to her, her head will drop and she will fall asleep. Its not a deep sleep because if you say her name loudly she will wake up. But 2 minutes later it will happen again. When she is home by herself she says all she does is sleep. She has had the sleep test but they say they can't help her. They don't know why this is happening. Could the insulin she is taking possibly be the cause of this? Her life is horrible and she is very unhappy. Please someone help!!

as i know it is not a good sign . you need to test your blood sugar more often

 

[DeejayR]

Hello. I'm sorry to hear about your sister's sleep problem and it's obviously more serious than just occasional periods of sleep after eating. I will give your post a bump to see what others can advise.

 

[IanD]

Can you tell us more about her condition - HbA1c, fasting BG, measurements of BG during the day?
How old is she? How long diabetic? What does she eat?

I had serious problems with what I called "somnia" to the extent that driving was hazardous - I was always looking for the next service area. I radical change of diet, giving improved control & elimination of high BGs improved that condition greatly.

 

[vintageutopia]

I am sorry for your sister. What a terrible feeling.

It could be her insulin and BS levels, but is she also taking other medications? Low and high blood sugars come and go, so she should have periods of time that she is lucid or mentally active, even if she is sitting in a chair. Since you say this is happening daily and "constantly", my guess is that she is either 1) taking medication(s) with a sedating effect 2) taking more than one medication with similar properties 3) too high of a dosage 4) her medications are adversely interacting with one another.

I am not sure how things work in the UK, but I would recommend that she review her medication lists with her physician, nurse practitioner, or pharmacist. Whether it be her BS/insulin levels or other medication, she does not have quality of life. She needs to be seen and treated.

Best of luck to you both.

 

[stephanie_jane]

Thats one thing i am batteling myself at the minute constantly tired and sleepy forgetting what im doing forgetting what i am saying as im saying it its a nightmare with work all i want to do is sleep all day and night its got to the point where iv said i would be happy to just take a tablet and sleep for a few months lol i feel seriously drained. Just had a nee blood test and its come up that i have underactive thyroid so this may be something to look at for your sister xx

 

[jillspittles]

My sister is a diabetic. She is constantly falling asleep. She sleeps all day and all night. If you are talking to her, her head will drop and she will fall asleep. Its not a deep sleep because if you say her name loudly she will wake up. But 2 minutes later it will happen again. When she is home by herself she says all she does is sleep. She has had the sleep test but they say they can't help her. They don't know why this is happening. Could the insulin she is taking possibly be the cause of this? Her life is horrible and she is very unhappy. Please someone help!!

My 14 year old son is type 1 and is having the same problem. He has been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Tell your sister to see her GP about it maybe antidepressants may help. X

 

[Dino45]

Hi Diane. I'm having the same problem as your sister. I'm 45 & had diabetes for over 15 years. On a lot of different meds. As I also have epilepsy too. Two weeks ago I found myself in hospital having an angina attack. Since then I've no energy, sleeping anywhere and everywhere. Please get your sister to her gp. It might be a different scenario for her. But something in her meds/diet needs an overall. Depression does spring to my mind too. But I'm not a gp/specialist. Hope she starts to feel better soon.

 

[john5605]

Like another mentioned it may be a thyroid issue; or maybe see should see a neurologist to r/o: not seizures but maybe something like narcolepsy. A neurologist would be a great benefit for her; no matter what her age is---do a CAT/MRI scans of head to make sure there's no increased pressure somewhere there shouldn't be. One ??-- suspect if happens so often, her blood sugar isn't always low = thyroid abnormal or a neurologist is my recommendation. Hope you find answers for you both & she starts feeling better!

 

[diane 962]

Thats one thing i am batteling myself at the minute constantly tired and sleepy forgetting what im doing forgetting what i am saying as im saying it its a nightmare with work all i want to do is sleep all day and night its got to the point where iv said i would be happy to just take a tablet and sleep for a few months lol i feel seriously drained. Just had a nee blood test and its come up that i have underactive thyroid so this may be something to look at for your sister xx

Thanks Steph for your information. She is going to the doctors tomorrow so I will let her know to ask. I really feel for you. It's hard enough trying to stay awake at home, I don't know how you work!!! Does your company have FMLA? Hopefully finding out you have an interactive thyroid will enable your doctor to prescribe something that will help. Wishing you all the best......

 

[giddy_kipper]

Has she been tested for anaemia Diane? I have frequent bouts and cannot stay awake. I call it 'bone tired' because that's how it feels. Sometimes I just have to stop what I'm doing and just go to sleep, although it's usually a deep sleep. It's definitely not fun when sugars are running high too, but treatment usually sorts me out fairly quickly. I hope she feels better soon.