school bus driver
I have a chemical imbalance and am currently taking Paxil 20mg. I cannot function without it. I get up each morning around 5:30 a.m. Since I started taking the drug I find that around 7:30 a.m. I am unable to stay awake. This has created a lot of problems for me, as I am a […]
inappropriate sleep
I can’t remember the last time I slept for more than a couple of hours at a time, but I can remember all of my dreams…most of them very unpleasant. I was recently sent to a sleep clinic for an overnight stay; the results were inconclusive. The respirologist said; “Well, these tests confirm that you […]
he sleeps anywhere!
My question pertains to my boyfriend, who, one second is wide awake, the next sound asleep. He can be talking and holding a conversation, and within seconds be sound asleep. When he goes to bed at night, the instant his head hits the pillow, he is asleep. I try to wake him up on occasion, […]
could i have narcolepsy
Hi Natalie— I think you’re learning at an early age that, when it comes to medical problems, you often have to fend for yourself in this world. The tiredness you describe at your age is definitely abnormal, and all your symptoms are indeed consistent with narcolepsy, a debilitating illness that usually makes its first appearance […]
always dreaming
Hi Anonymous— Statistically, you either are one of those rare people who has extraordinary recall for dreams, or you may be suffering from a type of sleep disorder. Let’s consider memory for dreams first, and the fact that you occasionally find the recall process stressful. Most people, like your family members, find recall for dreams […]
paralyzed!!! and, tired…
Hi Tiffany— Thanks for writing in and including so much background. Believe me, you are not the only one who is curious, and disturbed, by these strange occasions of paralysis during sleep. The symptoms you describe are consistent with what we know about a sleep disorder called “narcolepsy.” Narcolepsy is characterized primarily as a disorder […]
waking dreams!
Hi Anonymous— You’re not going nuts! All you need to do is go to a sleep disorder center in your area to get your symptoms diagnosed—and to receive treatment. In the meantime, though, I will try to give you some food for thought—which I hope will encourage you in both regards. Your symptoms sound very […]
school bus driver
Hi Jean— You need to schedule a follow-up appointment with your physician and tell her or him that you are falling asleep driving and that you are not sure what the cause is. It may be the medication or it may be a sleep disorder. You must impress on your physician the seriousness of your […]
inappropriate sleep
Hi Jana-Lynne— I am glad to hear that you are scheduled for a second round of tests. You are following a standard progression of exams for discovering why someone is pathologically sleepy—which is what you are when you fall asleep at the wheel of an automobile. This next series of tests—which will measure your sleep […]
he sleeps anywhere!
Hi Linda— I’m glad you wrote in, because in a few weeks you are going to have a new boyfriend on your hands! In fact, I wish more people were aware of how simply and effectively most sleep disorders are treated. All that is required is to get yourself—and your man—to a sleep specialist. Your […]
cure for insomnia?
The National Sleep Foundation estimates that half the US population experiences occasional difficulty either falling or staying asleep at night. Persistant difficulties (more than 1 night per week) are estimated to affect about 20% of the population. Broadly speaking, three are three types of insomnia. The first is difficulty falling asleep, which occurs when we […]
insomnia & circadian rhythms
Insomnia is a Circadian Rhythm Disorder! Believe it or not, the trend in sleep disorders medicine increasingly is to view insomnia—historically one of the most vexing of all sleep (or lack thereof) complaints—as a circadian rhythm disorder. What’s the cure? 1.) Same wake-up time every day of the week. “Sleeping in” to make up for […]