# Very tired in afternoon, evening...why?



## Victor (Jun 26, 2016)

For the past 1-2 years I have become more and more tired in the afternoon and evening and my coffee does not fully
pick me up. Do you feel this way? I arise by 6 or 6:30 am because that is when I am ready--no good reason
and fall asleep by 9 or 930--again only because I am too sleepy to stay awake--and too bored to read or watch TV. I think it is all mental.

Last I checked my thyroid is okay--maybe it is lack of stimulation--no one to talk to and I leave the computer off in the evening.

I am a morning person. When I was young, I slept through the mornings and stayed up late.


Time for a nap.


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## AprilSun (Jun 26, 2016)

Are you allergic to pollen, dust, etc.? I ask because when I was reading your post, it reminded me of myself. I am allergic to all of that and if I'm not taking anything for them, when I get up each morning, I'm tired and as the day goes on, I get worse. By the end of the day, it is a struggle to stay awake. But, when I take something for my allergies that works, I feel fine and wide awake. This may not be your problem but I thought I would share this with you just in case.


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## jujube (Jun 26, 2016)

Do you have sleep apnea?  That can lead to extreme sleepiness during the day.


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## Butterfly (Jun 26, 2016)

AprilSun, unfortunately I have the opposite problem with allergy meds -- when I take them I become a zombie.  My doc prescribed something for me a few years ago that went to the other extreme so much it scared me -- heart pounding, raised blood pressure, panicky feeling.  I didn't take that one again.  I guess I just have to live with sniffles, sneezing, coughing, etc.


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## AprilSun (Jun 26, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> AprilSun, unfortunately I have the opposite problem with allergy meds -- when I take them I become a zombie.  My doc prescribed something for me a few years ago that went to the other extreme so much it scared me -- heart pounding, raised blood pressure, panicky feeling.  I didn't take that one again.  I guess I just have to live with sniffles, sneezing, coughing, etc.



I know exactly what you mean. That's why I said "when I take something for my allergies that works". I can't take prescription or over the counter allergy medications because of that same problem. I am a walking zombie if I do. I finally found some herbs that help with my allergies without all of the side effects including the zombie feeling. I just did some searching online and found these and I thought, "What do I have to loose by trying" I didn't think it could be much worse if any than what I was taking so I ordered it and it works.


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## Victor (Jun 26, 2016)

No I dont have allergies  but I have asthma, shortness of breath and I am in my upper 60's.
I worry a lot about issues maybe that is part of it. My doc wanted to test me for sleep apnea
but I refused.


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## Underock1 (Jun 26, 2016)

Not making light of it, but I wish.  I had your problem. I only sleep in two or three hour segments at best, around the clock. My nights are interminable.
I do feel for you though. I wouldn't be concerned if it was me. Old age does strange things to all  of us. I'm 83.


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## Shalimar (Jun 26, 2016)

Victor, if I worry I don't sleep.   Meditation works for me--unless I am too stressed.


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## Phoenix (Jun 26, 2016)

I often can't sleep, regardless of the meditation.  There are physical issues that can keep a person from sleeping.  Chemical triggers in our brains control it all.  Some of us don't have the right chemicals to help us sleep and some of us have more than enough.  Over time those chemicals change.  Then if we are ill and if we take medications, that stuff disrupts our regular chemical synaptic connections and we are askew.


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## d0ug (Jun 28, 2016)

Get a way to check your blood sugar when this tired feeling happens, it might be narcolepsy also known a low sugar. To some people after eating they just fall asleep for no apparent reason.


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## exwisehe (Jun 28, 2016)

Better get that sleep apnea test!  I was diagnosed at age 63, and I've been using a bipap (different pressures for exhale and inhale) ever since.  I also found that if I use a dental oral device (must be done by an Orthodontist), my numbers are even better.  My AHI number has been averaging 1.1 for the past few years. (anything under 5 is considered good).  Unless you are getting REM sleep (that's when you dream), you are going to feel bummed out, no energy, lackadaisical, like a zombie.  That's the way I was getting before the test.  And you can't get REMS is you have sleep apnea!!!

If you don't get the test, you'll never know if you have it.  Why not?  Medicare pays for it and also buys the machine for you!

During my sleep test, I found out that I stopped breathing 12 times hour (My longest time without breathing was 50 seconds).  I didn't know!!!

Also, you're placing a tremendous strain on your heart if you have it, not to mention that driving in a sleepy state is dangerous.

Also, you need to exercise! (I don't know if you do or don't).  Its easy to find something that is not very expensive.  I ride my bike regularly at 77.

Hope this is just taken in the spirit in which it was given.  Just trying to offer suggestions.


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## Falcon (Jun 28, 2016)

People who get sleep apnea are almost ALWAYS sleeping on their BACK !  

Try sleeping on your side...........see if that helps.


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## d0ug (Jun 28, 2016)

All animals have sleep apnea. All animals stop breathing when the CO2 is low in the blood.


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## exwisehe (Jun 28, 2016)

Only humans can use machines to cure it.
I thank God for the ability of humans and the advancement of medicine which can treat these maladies.


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## Phoenix (Jun 28, 2016)

I always thought that sleep apnea was just a snoring issue, where when one is sleeping there is a pause in breathing.  I didn't realize that snoring issues could stop one from driving.  A person in another thread, can't remember who right now, said they lost their driver's license because of it.  So there must be a lot more to it than I thought.

So many times those who create treatments create them that do more harm than good.


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## tnthomas (Jun 28, 2016)

Victor said:


> For the past 1-2 years I have become more and more tired in the afternoon and evening and my coffee does not fully
> pick me up. Do you feel this way? I arise by 6 or 6:30 am because that is when I am ready--no good reason
> and fall asleep by 9 or 930--again only because I am too sleepy to stay awake--and too bored to read or watch TV. I think it is all mental.
> 
> ...



it's good that your DR checked your thyroid(any other labs?).   Barring any abnormalities, your tiring later in the day....may be......A-G-E related.   Sorry, I get miffed a little when my doctor has the audacity to suggest that my host of discomforts are age related.

:shrug:


I'm tired right now, wishing I was a youngster(50ish) again.


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## Phoenix (Jun 28, 2016)

My problem with going to the doctor about any problem I may have is that he doesn't know squat.  It's hard to find one who won't end up giving a person medication that makes them worse not better.  If my foot's about to fall off, I'll go, otherwise I'll do the best I can to take care of it myself.


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## Butterfly (Jun 28, 2016)

AprilSun said:


> I know exactly what you mean. That's why I said "when I take something for my allergies that works". I can't take prescription or over the counter allergy medications because of that same problem. I am a walking zombie if I do. I finally found some herbs that help with my allergies without all of the side effects including the zombie feeling. I just did some searching online and found these and I thought, "What do I have to loose by trying" I didn't think it could be much worse if any than what I was taking so I ordered it and it works.



AprilSun, what herbs are you taking?  I'd like to give the herbs a try.


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## Manatee (Jul 24, 2016)

Afternoon is siesta time.

I found that some meds will put me right to sleep.  I last drank coffee in 1970.  The doctor told me it was irritating my gizzard, so I stopped it.


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## AprilSun (Jul 25, 2016)

Butterfly said:


> AprilSun, what herbs are you taking?  I'd like to give the herbs a try.



Butterfly, I apologize for being late with my response. I didn't get a notification until today. Okay, I take 1 cayenne 40,000 H.U. pill and I take a ginger pill with it to help with the burning, etc. that cayenne can cause. I also take a Turmeric pill and with all of them together, they seem to be helping. I hope this helps you like it has me.


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## Phoenix (Jul 25, 2016)

My dad told me that coffee would make hair grow on my chest, so I never learned to like it.  Grin.


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## Lon (Jul 25, 2016)

What Meds do you take daily Victor-----That could well be the cause of your sleep problems.


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## kaemicha (Nov 4, 2016)

Phoenix said:


> I often can't sleep, regardless of the meditation.  There are physical issues that can keep a person from sleeping.  Chemical triggers in our brains control it all.  Some of us don't have the right chemicals to help us sleep and some of us have more than enough.  Over time those chemicals change.  Then if we are ill and if we take medications, that stuff disrupts our regular chemical synaptic connections and we are askew.



I am months away from seeing this but I had to reply and say the same is going on with me and I can't snap out of it. I get less than 5 hours..not in a row in about 9 hours of trying. Five hours isn't enough and I'm muddled during the day. 

I don't know what to do. I do have a medical marijuana card, in Oregon, and that helps..but it doesn't keep me asleep. 

I see that you, Phoenix, are in Oregon, too. We can stay up together! Boo!! 

Just wanted to vent. 

Thanks all!


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## DaveA (Nov 5, 2016)

I'm just reading this thread and fail to see anything unusual about tiring later in the day?  I sleep well at night (for the  most part) and regardless of whether my night is good or bad, I like to take a doze in the early afternoon. Never thought of it as unusual or harmful?  I don't sleep long because I usually pick up  our grand-daughter from the high school in mid-afternoon.  Picking up a book to read will put me to sleep faster than any medicine, (sad to say) whether the book is good or bad.

I didn't always feel the need for naps but since passing into my 80's, it's "my" way of life.


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## bluebreezes (Nov 5, 2016)

I agree, nothing wrong with an afternoon snooze. How's your vitamin D intake?


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## Aunt Bea (Nov 5, 2016)

For me the only two cures for afternoon _"droop_"  are a nap or a brisk walk.


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## Phoenix (Nov 5, 2016)

kaemicha said:


> I am months away from seeing this but I had to reply and say the same is going on with me and I can't snap out of it. I get less than 5 hours..not in a row in about 9 hours of trying. Five hours isn't enough and I'm muddled during the day.
> 
> I don't know what to do. I do have a medical marijuana card, in Oregon, and that helps..but it doesn't keep me asleep.
> 
> ...



I've had the problem since peri-menopause.  I also couldn't sleep good as I entered puberty.  So those were hormone issues.  I took HRT at the beginning of the peri-menopause, and it helped me go from sleeping 2 hours of disrupted sleep a night to 5.  Then my sister got breast cancer from her HRT.  So I stopped taking mine.  The problem returned full force.  The other issue I have is related to blood sugar.  I'm hypoglycemic - low blood sugar.  So if I eat too much sugar in any form it makes me jittery and/or makes me very alert, but exhausted.  To ward off that issue I eat a high protein diet, and it helps some with the sleeping.  An hour or so before I go to bed I drink protein powder blended into  milk, and that helps some.  Now, to keep the innards moving along, I eat prunes.   They work best, but they make me jittery because of the high sugar.  So I'd better not take them after dinner or my sleep is a lot worse.  It's been over twenty years since my last period, but I still get hormone surges that keep me awake.  I exercise, I try to eat right.  Pot can mellow me out, but it does not help me sleep.  The drugs the doc gave me were bogus.  Grrr.

So you are in Oregon too.  I'm in the Coast Range.  kaemicha, I see you are also a writer.  Cool. Do you write the great American novel while you can't sleep?


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## kaemicha (Nov 5, 2016)

When I posted, last night, I was exhausted and guess I forgot to say that I'm not sleeping at night. I too, average about 2-3 hours then up then maybe back to sleep for 5 total.

How do you cope during the day, Phoenix? That's just not enough for me and now I'm not even able to nap.

I have been writing a novel but my thinking process isn't the best.

I usually sleep so much more and now I'm having trouble filling my days.

I understand that others don't need as much sleep but I do..uninterrupted sleep, please!


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## Phoenix (Nov 5, 2016)

kaemicha said:


> When I posted, last night, I was exhausted and guess I forgot to say that I'm not sleeping at night. I too, average about 2-3 hours then up then maybe back to sleep for 5 total.
> 
> How do you cope during the day, Phoenix? That's just not enough for me and now I'm not even able to nap.
> 
> ...



By watching my diet and when I eat at certain times of the month I now can get 6 hours of sleep, once in a while 7. Then the next day I can be back to 2 hours.  Some days are extremely  difficult.  The lack of sleep makes every little thing seem a lot  worse.  Sometimes I wake up every hour and a half to pee.  So that doesn't help.  Too much salt makes me sweat, like menopause did, and then I can't sleep because of that.  Sometimes I eat too many potato chips which have too much salt.  I can't nap during the day unless I'm ill.  I don't get up during the night if I'm not sleeping. That just delays the sleeping that much longer.

I cope with great difficulty.  I've learned to ignore it as best I can.  I subscribe to a newsletter called Daily Dharma.  It helps my mind let go of itself, so to speak. I practice being in the moment.  It's called mindfulness.  Yes, the mind is befuddled at times.  My coping varies from day to day.  Sometimes I'm extremely grouchy.  Some days I don't give a rats behind.  Some days I think all is wonderful, and that I've learned so much from all I've been through.  And some days I want to flip the bird at everyone and everything.  Lack of sleep is dehabilitating. I learned that it's apparently hereditary in my case.  My paternal grandmother, paternal aunt, Dad's nephew and my sister had similar sleeping problems.

With the writing I go over and over and over and over things.  The key  to good writing is in the rewrite, ad infinitum, so that's what I do.  With my writing I treat it like a job.  Muddling along I've written ten and 3/4ths books.  Right now I'm getting one ready to upload to Smashwords - making sure all the techincal issues are handled, so their system will accept it.

Some days it's one minute, one hour, at a time.  I'm training myself to see the good moments, despite everything else.  It's a work in progress.  But I am determined to overcome this.


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## kaemicha (Nov 5, 2016)

You are the very first person I've talked to in months who is going through exactly what I am going through and I'm sorry but I'm so relieved not to be alone.

I used to sleep late and my day wasn't long now it is now and I'm not comfortable going out much so I'm stuck here, in my head..it's not good.

I will check out the website you posted. Anything to help me through this! I'm having trouble eating, too..a real mess but I will come out of this. I have to!!

I have pains in my abdomen but no doctor is taking it seriously so now I'm wondering if it's just the tension or if it's real. 

I don't like this, at all, but Phoenix, you made me feel better.

Oh, and on the book..I'm trying but my patience..you know. I'm so impatient that it's hard to concentrate.

Thank you so much for your honest input!

Michelle


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## Phoenix (Nov 5, 2016)

Glad to be of comfort.  It's always nice to know that someone else understands because of personal experience.  I've been through a lot of hard times and have learned that I don't want anything but honesty.  Everything else wastes my time.  On the Internet, one has to be careful, but....

Here's a link to the website where you can sign up for their newsletter, Daily Dharma.  It's a Buddhist site and I'm not Buddhist.  But they have some helpful insights. http://tricycle.org/magazine/

I force myself to do things, even when I feel impatient.  I force myself to concentrate too.  Sometimes my writing is like I'm in the third grade and just learning to put words to the page.  I do it anyway.  The creativity can suck, but in the long haul, the stories come together.  I work out my own issues in my stories.


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## kaemicha (Nov 5, 2016)

I am following your advice. I've signed up for the newsletter, got on the treadmill and read the first part of my book that I've printed out and am trying to push myself to do more.

Thank you for all of your advice and support. It helps me more than you know. I may contact you again, if you don't mind. This is so very new for me and I need some guidance. 

Thank you!
Michelle


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## Phoenix (Nov 5, 2016)

kaemicha said:


> I am following your advice. I've signed up for the newsletter, got on the treadmill and read the first part of my book that I've printed out and am trying to push myself to do more.
> 
> Thank you for all of your advice and support. It helps me more than you know. I may contact you again, if you don't mind. This is so very new for me and I need some guidance.
> 
> ...



You're welcome.  Writing is a discipline.  It's 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.  I've found that when I write I can get myself out of whatever funk I'm in.  That doesn't work every time, but over time it helps me tremendously.  It functions as my therapist.

Life is a lot harder if we don't help each other.  Feel free to send me a private message.  I can send you my email address if you like.


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## kaemicha (Nov 5, 2016)

I would love to exchange email addresses. I'm really new to this forum so let me see if I can find where to message you.

You are a Godsend!!


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## deesierra (Nov 5, 2016)

Victor said:


> For the past 1-2 years I have become more and more tired in the afternoon and evening and my coffee does not fully
> pick me up. Do you feel this way? I arise by 6 or 6:30 am because that is when I am ready--no good reason
> and fall asleep by 9 or 930--again only because I am too sleepy to stay awake--and too bored to read or watch TV. I think it is all mental.
> 
> ...



Victor I can relate, although I've never in my life been a morning person. I have no health problems that can cause fatigue, so I think my sleepiness may be due to depression.....although I have nothing to be depressed about. Just feel at loose ends much of the time........


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## tnthomas (Nov 5, 2016)

Victor said:


> For the past 1-2 years I have become more and more tired in the afternoon and evening and my coffee does not fully
> pick me up. Do you feel this way? I arise by 6 or 6:30 am because that is when I am ready--no good reason
> and fall asleep by 9 or 930--again only because I am too sleepy to stay awake--and too bored to read or watch TV. I think it is all mental.
> 
> ...



Well Victor,

What you describes sounds kind of normal, to me.    I'm 64,  have energy for getting things done in the morning.  By late afternoon I feel fatigued. I am working a full time job, and have 1+ hours commute each way, so perhaps in that respect our situations differ.  

I often fall asleep after we have dinner, around 6:30~7PM.   I wake up a few minutes before it's time to go to bed at 9PM.


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## Phoenix (Nov 6, 2016)

I remember Joseph Campbell, the myth guy, talking about how his body never seemed like him anymore.  He was in his 80s at the time, I think, and his body was doing things that he did not consider to be him.  I think that's what happens.   When we are young, our bodies seem to be us, part of us.  But as we are older they seem to betray us on a regular basis.  So it's like we are two - one the physical and one the essence (the spirit within) of us.  It can be hard for the essence to reconcile what the physical is doing to us.  It feels like betrayal.  We need true rest to be feeling one hundred percent.  But we don't get it.  The body often isolates us.  We no longer have the energy to fully engage. And sometimes the social part of us needs that engagement.  I think that's way many of us are here.  To find others who can understand and relate to without having to expend energy we no longer have.  That's why it's good when we can be kind and understanding to each other.  Nothing else really matters.


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## BlondieBoomer (Nov 6, 2016)

tnthomas said:


> Well Victor,
> 
> What you describes sounds kind of normal, to me.    I'm 64,  have energy for getting things done in the morning.  By late afternoon I feel fatigued. I am working a full time job, and have 1+ hours commute each way, so perhaps in that respect our situations differ.
> 
> I often fall asleep after we have dinner, around 6:30~7PM.   I wake up a few minutes before it's time to go to bed at 9PM.


 

I agree. I think everyone has their own inner clock and it seems to me like it changes over the years. I'm a night owl now, but I never used to be. I often get sleepy around 9:00, fall asleep on the sofa, and then wake up at 11:00, ready to go again. Some of it seems to have to do with eating. Eating a big meal or one high in simple carbs makes me sleepy after the initial sugar rush. Eating more complex carbs doesn't have that effect. 

I remember the days days when I could stay out til midnight several nights a week, then get up for work at 6:00 AM and feel perfectly fine as long as I slept in on the weekends and caught up. Those days are gone. And that's ok with me.


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