11 replies to this topic

[wisher]

I'm wondering if anyone else can relate to this. =/

Back in school, I used to be the queen of napping in class. I could and did fall asleep on my desk in several classes throughout the day. In some classes, I was actually able to lay down on the floor in the corner of the classroom and nap. Even as recently as a year ago, I could easily fall asleep on my desk at work.

But now, it's like my symptoms are getting worse. Whenever a sleep attack is coming on, my body goes into this weird mid-range mode. I lose *some* muscle control and my whole body feels flimsy and weak, like when cataplexy happens, but not as severe. Along with this comes the droopy eyes and slurred speech. The problem is that I am unable to fall completely asleep unless I am lying down. Because of my muscle weakness, I find that I have to concentrate on holding myself upright enough to lay on the desk or table or whatever so that I don't just collapse onto the floor. But since I have to concentrate on not falling down, that is enough to keep my mind partially awake. It is so frustrating to be 95% asleep but not fully.

Does this happen to anyone else? Do you have any remedies I could try? When possible, I will sit on the floor in the corner of a room and lean my head back against the wall and this is enough support to let me pass out. But if I'm at work or somewhere public, I just have to sit there and look like some kind of drunk person flopping around but not sleeping.

What tricks do you have for getting in naps in weird places? Should I try to go out to my car and sleep in the back seat or something? Do you guys just find a place to actually lie down?

[Asleeper]

[size="7"][/size]Taking a nap in the car is good if you lay down in the back seat, or recline the seat. Remember to set a timer. It is really embarrassing to oversleep and go back to work when everyone else is going home. A library is good if you sit in the reading area in a comfortable chair with a newspaper that appears to have fallen over your face. When I worked in a factory I would eat a quick lunch and put a piece of cardboard on the floor to sleep on. The back to work buzzer would wake me up. I used to sleep at the side of the hot tub at the YMCA, there was a wall at the side I could lean back against. For many years I had vans that were equiped for camping with a bed in the back. It was always nearby if I needed a nap. I had a down comforter in the van that was good down to about ten degrees. When I am around people who know me and they are understanding of my problems, I just lean back in my chair and close my eyes for a few minutes or if they see I am falling asleep they will suggest a bed I could use. (this sometime worked out great when I was young and dating).

[wisher]

Hmm, thanks for the tips. Yeah, I guess the best thing to do is just find a place where I can lay down or recline as much as possible. It will help once I get an official diagnosis and can petition my boss for scheduled naps at work.

[tdmom]

I completely understand what you mean by being 95% asleep but you can't. I discovered today that instead of laying down to nap, i prefer a comfortable chair that i usually lay across with my head or upper back resting on one arm, and my legs either being bent or leaning off the edge. It's mostly because when i go to take a nap on a bed, i find it a lot harder to get myself up because i just want to keep sleeping. But sleeping like this i get that 'refreshed' feeling that people mention with narcolepsy. It's a funny feeling if you haven't experienced it, like you woke up from a comma, your head feels like heavy but relieved, its cool. Since on my meds i have barely fallen asleep in school, but now im just like tired all the time, but not at the point where i fall asleep which is sorta annoying. I'm supposed to go down to the nurse around 11 and take a nap but i never have. And sometimes if my mom insists i take a nap when i get home, that's the longest i ever lay awake in bed.

[Asleeper]

I've always thought that a quick nap was a lot like rebooting your computer. It is like it shuts off that signal that keeps telling me "I must fall asleep". I find if I can have even just one dream I can then wake up refreshed no matter how short the nap was.
I used to like to nap on the floor. It is just uncomfortable enough that I won't sleep too long. It's best if you live alone because it does tend to freak people out when they walk in on you and find you sprawled out on the floor.

[wisher]

Argh, my problems are just getting worse. This is so annoying.

Several times throughout the day I basically get a "sleep attack" where I can feel my body shutting down. I get flimsy and weak, slurred speech, droopy eyes, can barely function. I go to lie down to take a nap, but I won't fall asleep! It drives me crazy, because I basically can't function during this, but I can't fall asleep either.

This is exactly what happened to me during my MSLT a couple weeks ago. It's like, if I consciously go *take a nap* then for some reason I can't do it, no matter how asleep my body is. But if I just let it happen naturally, then I pass out left and right. During my MSLT, between every single nap, I was ready to pass out but I kept myself awake like they told me to. Then when it was nap time, I got in the bed and it took me much longer to fall asleep. The same thing happens at home or work. I'll be 95% asleep but once I recognize this, my brain won't let me go that last 5% off into dreamland. If I just let it happen and don't take notice of it, I can fall asleep like nothing.

Does this happen to anyone else? It's killing me, and just leaves me feeling like a zombie all day long.

[Asleeper]

Yes, this has occasionally happened to me. I lay down get comfortable and can't fall asleep. I think sometimes it is the retilin keeping me awake like it is supposed to. I do have to believe that just closing my eyes and relaxing has some positive effects. It just feels so much better not having to fight to stay awake and up right. Then I get relaxed and after a while feel rested.

When I nap I usual set a timer so that I don't sleep too long. It is suprising how often I think I haven't fallen asleep but then am awakened by the alarm.

I also keep my I-pod with me and have some very soothing music selections that will often put me asleep.

[TiredAgain]

This happens to me a lot. I will be struggling to stay awake driving home from work, then I'll get home let my dogs out etc.. lay down and I can't fall asleep but I'm to tired to do anything. My son will ask me to do something and I'll always have to ask him to wait, but I'm laying there awake. Then when I finally fall asleep it is just a few minutes here and there and I feel worse when I have to get up. Not that I know what it feels like to feel refreshed I never wake up feeling refreshed even if I sleep all night.

[angeline]

What meds are you taking? Do you take them early enough in the day? Are there any foods that make you more sleepy than others? Just a thought...

I haven't gotten a med that helps me stay awake yet. Still working on that. I take choline w/inositol tablets and that helps but not as well as I would like so I'm trying to get provigil; if it's too expensive then I'll have to try something else. Naps help me but I only feel refreshed for an hour or two then I feel drowsy again until I finally have to go to sleep.

Naps irritate me emotionally because I feel I have to spend too much time taking care of this stupid disease; I want to get more done but I'm no good at anything when I'm fighting severe sleep attacks.

As for foods that make me sleepy: too much potatoes, cereal with milk or too much bread. If I don't eat too much of these, I have the usual amount of sleepiness but it's worse if I overdo with these foods. Boy I love bread! And some cereal brands are more drowsy makers than others, such as Malt-o-meal.

[TiredAgain]

What meds are you taking? Do you take them early enough in the day? Are there any foods that make you more sleepy than others? Just a thought...

I haven't gotten a med that helps me stay awake yet. Still working on that. I take choline w/inositol tablets and that helps but not as well as I would like so I'm trying to get provigil; if it's too expensive then I'll have to try something else. Naps help me but I only feel refreshed for an hour or two then I feel drowsy again until I finally have to go to sleep.

Naps irritate me emotionally because I feel I have to spend too much time taking care of this stupid disease; I want to get more done but I'm no good at anything when I'm fighting severe sleep attacks.

As for foods that make me sleepy: too much potatoes, cereal with milk or too much bread. If I don't eat too much of these, I have the usual amount of sleepiness but it's worse if I overdo with these foods. Boy I love bread! And some cereal brands are more drowsy makers than others, such as Malt-o-meal.

[TiredAgain]

What meds are you taking? Do you take them early enough in the day? Are there any foods that make you more sleepy than others? Just a thought...

I haven't gotten a med that helps me stay awake yet. Still working on that. I take choline w/inositol tablets and that helps but not as well as I would like so I'm trying to get provigil; if it's too expensive then I'll have to try something else. Naps help me but I only feel refreshed for an hour or two then I feel drowsy again until I finally have to go to sleep.

Naps irritate me emotionally because I feel I have to spend too much time taking care of this stupid disease; I want to get more done but I'm no good at anything when I'm fighting severe sleep attacks.

As for foods that make me sleepy: too much potatoes, cereal with milk or too much bread. If I don't eat too much of these, I have the usual amount of sleepiness but it's worse if I overdo with these foods. Boy I love bread! And some cereal brands are more drowsy makers than others, such as Malt-o-meal.

[TiredAgain]

I take Adderal XR and it doesn't work to well anymore, my Dr. added Provigil in the afternoon but that doesn't do a thing. It didn't work when he first tried it so I questioned what made him think it would work now, he thought between the both of them.

I just find it weird that 8 out of 10 times when I have the time to sleep I can't, but if I'm at my computer to long at work, driving, out shopping, at a party etc.. I feel like struggle to stay awake. I just don't ubderstand it. Last night I didn't fall asleep until 4:00am which happens to me once in awhile but during the day I only slept for 15mins anyway the whole thing is just wierd to me.

I never paid attention to foods that might make me tired, I know caffine doesn't keep me awake. Thanks for the info I will pay attention to that. I do eat Frosted Mini Wheats once in awhile from Malt-O-Meal I will have to pay attention next time.