Why I am so tired all the time?

[MAlibdem]

I get 8 hours of sleep a night, and I'm constantly exhausted.

I had a blood workup and apparently my blood is normal.

I'm thinking maybe I have messed up sleeping patterns.

And on the weekends I wake up no later than 9 b/c my room faces the rising sun.

Thoughts?

Is there a doctor in the house?

[MissMillie]

1. Sleep disorders?

Ask your doc about a sleep study.

I have 3 sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs, and sleep bruxism). Getting treatment was the best thing I ever did.

[kalian]

2. Do you exercise at all?

Its amazing the many bennies of good exercise. One of which is that
you will feel LESS tired. When I used to work out extensively, I
NEVER felt tired. Now, do to work related activities and other
duties, I don't get to work out as much I as I used too and I feel
more tired than before.

How are your eating habits? Do you stay away from sugars or do you
consume too much sugar that might cause your body to "crash" every
so often?

It could be many factors really.


BTW...I'm not a doc... ;)

[MAlibdem]

3. I play lacrosse...

in the spring (now).

I run track in the winter.

I work at a summer camp (actually, I sleep normallyish there)

[kalian]

5. Could be psychological....

there might be some underlying stress. Maybe work related, maybe
personal... Don't know.
Could be sleep-related issues as well. Experts recommend keeping
the same sleep pattern day-in and day-out.
I usually make it a habit of going to sleep at 2200-2215 and waking
around 0630...every day and even on weekends. That way the body
knows when its time to "shut down" and recover.

[glarius]

4. Not a doctor but could you be depressed or extremely worried about

something?....:shrug:

[MAlibdem]

6. i think i'm good...

of course, im a high school student, and we're all depressed, lol.

Well, that college stress was a bitch, but i've been way sleepy since long b4 it.

[Bertha Venation]

7. suggestions:

I second MissMillie: ask about a sleep study. If you don't sleep alone, ask your partner if you snore.

Regular exercise can help you to rest better but more importantly can increase your stamina and it wipes out chronic fatigue in a lot of people.

Do you know if the doc checked for Hepatitis? Chronic fatigue is one of the symptoms of Hep C, as I learned when I got that diagnosis.

Good luck. :)

[FlaGranny]

8. Yes, sleep disorders may be your problem.

Get it checked out. Do you have anyone who can watch you sleep? Sleep disorders are usually pretty obvious to an observer - periods of holding your breath, periodically kicking your legs around, loud snoring, etc.

I met a woman one time who was so tired, she sat down and before she could put her head back, she started to snore. I actually went up to her, introduced myself and asked her if she'd been checked for sleep apnea. She was in the process.

I have sleep apnea diagnosed two years ago and getting treatment is the best thing that has happened to me. I used to wake up in the mornings feeling so bad that I thought I might die. Come to find out, it was something like altitude sickness from low oxygen levels in my blood, all because of the sleep apnea. It consisted of headache, nausea, and a feeling of impending doom, which cleared up after I'd been awake for a couple of hours, but still left me very sleepy so that sometimes I took 3 or 4 naps a day. NO MORE! Now I feel great.

Edit: Bottom line - keep after your doctor until you get to the bottom of it. It's dangerous to drive when you're tired.

Edit: I see you're quite young. Sleep apnea is more rare in young people. Do you have allergies? My young grandson is allergic and his adenoids were so huge he had obstructive sleep apnea and even had seizures from it. He's had surgery and is fine now.

[Raven]

9. May be a vitamin B-12 deficiency...

They don't usually run the blood test for that unless you specifically ask for it. Check back with your Doc because if you have that and let it go it can be deadly. I don't want to panick you though, I had it and it is very easily treated once you determine that you have it. Good luck! :-)

[MissMillie]

13. Wouldn't they run that test

if his complaint was fatigue?

[Dark]

10. I've heard that some studies suggest that

some people need more than eight hours of sleep to feel rested. Maybe try to sleep for nine hours a couple of nights and see if you feel better.

[Deja Q]

11. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

I was diagnosed with it ~6 years ago.

It's a contested syndrome, but the 'net's got a lot of info on it.

Please click this for more: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Chronic+Fatigue+Syndrome&btnG=Google+Search

[Lorien]

22. Me too, plus fibromyalgia

supplements and exercise (weights in particular) can help. Stop by your local health food store and get their suggestions for the latest treatments if you don't have access to a reasonable physician.

[BiggJawn]

12. Current Events is wearing you down.

I have the same problem. I can only sleep about 6 hours a night, and I'm tired all day. Got this crazy idea that I'm not getting any younger, and I don't want to "waste" my life sleeping...

Do things seem pretty pointless and hopeless to you also, or is it just the sleep problem?

[rainy]

14. you must read " Dying to get well"

An outstanding book about how the pharmacutical industrial complex et al keeps the simple truth from us about disease and healing. It is a Raw Food diet book with lots of facts. For instance we were not meant to eat meat. It explains why and it makes perfect sence. READ IT. The diet boosts your energy greatly.

[seventhson]

15. Do you live near a nuclear plant or facility?

within 20-50 miles downwind?

If so I have some advice.

Let me know.

[MAlibdem]

16. Thanks for all the suggestions...

Hopefully I can figure this out...

And hopefully my room wont face the sun next year at college...

[otohara]

17. CFS

might want to change your diet to include only whole foods, no toxic crap processed junk, no sodas, and start taking vitamins.

[seventhson]

18. If you live in Mass as your handle suggests

You have both the Pilgrim Plant and Seabrook nearby as well as the plants in Vermont.


Your camp might be near one of these -- but even still --

It was operating when you were younger if you lived there then.

I suggest you check the following:

1. thyroid tests

2. Subclinical metabolic tests are simple: take your temperature in the armpit when you first awake. For ten minutes (with a mercury thermometer)

If you have a basal body temp (before you get out of bed - and shake the thermometer down the night before - activity raises your temperature) UNDER 97.8 then you probably have a hypothroid or hypometabolism problem (which is caused ny radiation exposure)

This will cause chronic fatigue and depression as well as other problems.

Do a google search on hypometabolism and hypothyroidism plus "subclinical" plus "body temperature"

My family had this problem which was greatly relieved by natural thyroid prescription (armour thyroid) where the blood tests showed no real abnormality in thyroid hormones. Most doctors are not familiar with the basal tempoerature tests or think it is too simple to be correct.

I also suggest you get info from the Broda Barnes Foundation (google them)which can recommend a doctor who can treat you .

Body temperature regulates hormones and your immune system. Radioactive iodine damages the thyroid and causes the problems in many cases/

There are more studies at radiation.org (see article links - they do not deal much with thyroid, but they deal with some of the effects of exposure).

I am not a doctor by any means but I had to deal with this issue.

Finding a doctor who does natural as well as traditional medicine is the key -- but I suspect this is what you need.

Let me know how it works out.


I will try to find some links for you.

[seventhson]

19. I strongly recommend this for anyone with chronic fatigue and/or infection

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/testsforthyroid/a/isityourthyroid.htm

sore throats, rashes, chronicly cold hands and feet and depression all accompany chronic fatigue (as well as other emotional and concentration or memory problems)

If you have this environmentally produced problem then there are solutions if you can find a decent doctor to help you.

The self test for body temperature is described by this MD at the link with many good links for help.

Good luck.

This info saved my life

[Dookus]

20. I think it's very simple

you need more than 8 hours a night. This is VERY common among younger folk, and you said you're in High School.

Really, it could be that simple. Try to get 9 or 10 hours of sleep a night and see what happens.

[loftycity]

21. Yep..Dookus is right..You need about 10 hours..get some naps in.

High School..Check Med Books-they will tell you the same thing. You have skeletal growth still going on and it is going to sap you out.

[m-jean03]

23. Try to stop eating sugar/drinking coffee & tea

Made a huge difference for me. Good luck! Long time CFSer here.