Falling Asleep While Eating Lunch!

Hello Susan: Yes this happens to me also. slight tiredness after eating breakfast, occasionally will nap after for 30 min/hr... Major tiredness after lunch, Daily nap usually stretches to 2 to 3 hours. NO IDEA why.... Have had PMR for 25 years most under control mostly until recent covid19, Now the PMR is roaring again especially the morning stiffness and malaise... 65 Years.. Real problem for me..

Have you ever had a sleep study done to check for sleep apnea or narcolepsy?

To SueEllen66: I have similar problems, sudden severe sleepiness related to eating lunch, and sometimes breakfast as well. I have CFS, celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, lupus, heart disease. Nutritionist at my doc's office says she thinks sleepiness (even the feeling of suddenly being drunk) is due to leaky gut, which sort of makes sense given my gut diseases, but supplements I've used to "heal" gut seem not to work. I am on gluten free diet (strict) because of the celiac sprue, and also have been put on AIP and Paleo diets; have noticed that limiting starches in particular sometimes helps to diminish the mealtime sleepiness problem, however nothing has eliminated it.

Do it SOON!!

You’re going to wake up in an intersection with cars coming from both directions.

Your sleep apnea is easily the equivalent of a 1.0 blood alcohol and yes, sleep apnea, Benadryl allergy meds, sleeping pills from the night before, anything can be ruled as having been a contributing factor in an accident.
Even if you’re sitting still at a red light, and someone plows into you, since fault in a MVA is not declared right away, blood may be drawn from anyone in the MVA, dead or alive and all or part of the responsibility can be pinned on you.

See you doctor ASAP, us Uber until then.

You sound like you’re in a very severe phase of your illness for some reason and right now it should be the number one thing of importance in your life.

No joke.

@SusanEllen66 good to hear you are getting a sleep study!

Here’s the thing with narcolepsy (if that’s what’s going on)- you can sleep a full night and still have excessive daytime sleepiness because the narcoleptic brain drops right into REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep without spending enough time in the other phases of sleep.

My younger sister has narcolepsy (since childhood at least or since infancy if you ask our mom!), and one of the clues to her diagnosis was when she described how she dreams immediately upon falling asleep.

Your description of falling asleep during the day reminded me of her- so it’s great you’re getting the sleep study as a start.

Oh! Your description of nearly accidentally buying things online sounds just like my sister too (the one with narcolepsy). When she’s sleepy- say early morning or getting towards bedtime- she can have a lot of “automatic behaviors”. Often related to eating for her (esp. in the morning)- you should see some of the bizarre/weird/strange food combinations she comes up with when she’s sleepy!

@drdinsmore I am aware of the urgency. My neurologist has contacted the sleep lab and I’m just waiting for their call.
Thank you for your help. I’m so frustrated that others don’t understand what I’m going through. It sounds like you really do.

@drdinsmore @liveitup @lasks I just had the sleep study over the last 24 hours. The overnight portion did not reveal sleep apnea.
They kept me for 4 naps the next day. That I believe is where the narcolepsy will be revealed. I went to sleep immediately for each nap and absolutely did not want to wake up. I also had a very hard time staying awake in between naps! Now I see my neurologist on the 30th.

I also have fibromyalgia and other autoimmune diseases. Severe fatigue is a symptom, and you can not expect to feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning, even after eight hours sleep. Your cells do not receive restorative energy as those for somebody without fibromyalgia. I am more exhausted when I wake up than when I go to bed. And that’s if it’s a night of being walking with pain or if I sleep straight through. I was referred to a pulmonologist since he would also be considered having a specialty in areas including sleep, which is the first thing that is looked at. Standard testing is a sleep study for sleep apnea which is done overnight while being monitored. Results showed that I do not have sleep apnea, but I do not reach a level of restorative sleep. My daytime, excessive sleepiness included taking three naps a day. Naps during the day were not helping me optimize my “good sleep habits” obviously. After another round of overnight testing, they continued into the morning to test for excessive daytime sleepiness. Between 7 AM and 11 AM after sleeping the full night, I slept “on command” four times. Which I call napping on command. My daytime condition was diagnosed as hypersomnolence, which falls under the umbrella of narcolepsy. And addition to building and strictly following my sleep management, I was prescribed various medications to address symptoms of hypersomnolance during the day. For me, and everybody’s experience with medication is individual, it was not extremely successful, although I guess I would have to say somewhat helpful. I find that by managing my sleep factors throughout the day and continually focus on how it affects my sleep habits has helped the most. The insurance companies make it very difficult to obtain the medication‘s. In addition, indivually I metabolize the medication in a way that minimizes the time and effectiveness effects, therefore, it out of the range of standard effectiveness. For instance, an eight hour medication may last two hours. I try to recognize the cycles in my day and plan around them. I no longer work for a corporation, but still have many responsibilities that require significant levels of functionality. We’re not supposed to be self critical, as it puts negativity around us, which creates more negativity, and less ability for a happy and successful days, but I do consider myself non-functional when it comes to managing, focusing, completing tasks that prior to being sick I had complete confidence in handling before. My mind and body is sluggish. The piles get bigger on the desk, in the house, and I do know that it is additional self management that I need to focus on. It’s self management items that only one at a time I can focus on, try to make a habit, then cement it into my day , that makes more of a difference than any medication.

I wish I had stronger and more reliant self discipline. Not being a strong part of my character, with conditions where “self management” is most effective Rx, I always feel that I only have myself to blame! (Ugh! There goes that negative talk again!!)
Taking pressure off yourself with your own routine can help. We don’t need to match the same schedule friends and family may be on. And find and build overtime little things that make it pleasant for you vs a punishment. It all takes time to feel it’s ok to take care of yourself this way. Self management is not easily respected by others. And we tend to feel it is selfish, especially with conditions that may not be easily visible.
Wishes for gentleness and quality of YOUR life!

@megankk thank you for your message. I’m experiencing most of the same issues as you.
Fibromyalgia, Vasculitis, peripheral neuropathy, and now hypersomnia. I just saw my neurologist 2 days ago for the follow up appointment with my sleep study. He has prescribed a medication but hasn’t sent it to the pharmacy yet.
I’m always dragging my bum around the house! I hardly ever go anywhere because I’m always too tired to drive.
An afternoon nap is a must even though I don’t feel any better afterwards.
Hopefully the medicine will help.
I was reading about the amino acid L-Tyrosine and how it helps daytime energy. I think I might try it.