Nap or walk?

mtdb8
mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
in Getting Started
I get 30 minutes for lunch where I work. I usually spend it napping because by lunchtime I'm exhausted. I've been thinking about replacing the nap with a walk, but I worry about being too tired the rest of the day.

And in case you're wondering why nap it's because I wake up exhausted and I've been doing so for years. (So many years I don't remember a time when it wasnt true.)
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Replies

  • Brettw1
    Brettw1 Posts: 7 Member
    Do you eat lunch?
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    Brettw1 wrote: »
    Do you eat lunch?

    Yes, I love lunch. My office does understand that 30 minutes isn't enough time to eat the food, only to get the food, so no one cares if we eat at our desks.
  • gojolida
    gojolida Posts: 53 Member
    No harm in trying to change your routine to see if it's an improvement! You can always try for a week and decide it doesn't work for you (Though definitely don't skip your meal either way, you need the fuel)

    I have totally felt like what you are describing where you are so exhausted you need a nap. Have you had your thyroid checked? I discovered I'm hypothyroid and it helped to go on medication.

    Meanwhile, I think napping is sometimes a cycle... you get in the habit, and you can get out of the habit.
    But if you need rest and you're not getting it, you have to take it where you can get it!
    Have you tried getting more restful sleep at night so you feel less tired during the day? (Don't watch TV or stare at a screen for the last hours of your day, try a relaxing ritual like drinking herbal tea and reading...)
  • VictoriousBeauty
    VictoriousBeauty Posts: 135 Member
    you might want to check for sleep apnea if you are constantly waking tired, took a while for me to realise that was my issue
    do you nap or walk, well that depends on if you are getting enough sleep and exercise outside of work
    8 hrs needed and exercise half hour a day minimum preferably more
    remember more sleep, and exercise will increase energy
    I do not advocate skipping meals but, watch portions, and processed carbs like bread
    Hope that helps
    God bless you
    xoxox
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    VictoriousBeauty wrote: »
    you might want to check for sleep apnea if you are constantly waking tired, took a while for me to realise that was my issue
    do you nap or walk, well that depends on if you are getting enough sleep and exercise outside of work
    8 hrs needed and exercise half hour a day minimum preferably more
    remember more sleep, and exercise will increase energy
    I do not advocate skipping meals but, watch portions, and processed carbs like bread
    Hope that helps
    God bless you
    xoxox

    ^^ This. OP, please see your doctor. If you do have sleep apnea, it can be life threatening. Getting that sorted out (or ruled out) should be your first step.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    As others have said, get to a doctor and find the root cause of the tiredness. Good luck.
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    As others have said, get to a doctor and find the root cause of the tiredness. Good luck.

    I dont see how they could possibly find the right reason. It seems like there could be a million of them, and we dont have those kinds of specialists down here. I don't go to doctors unless I'm sick, so maybe I am unfamiliar with what's possible.

    I do know my thyroid, sugars and blood pressure are all fine. Those I had tested. So what else is there?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    As others have said, get to a doctor and find the root cause of the tiredness. Good luck.

    I dont see how they could possibly find the right reason. It seems like there could be a million of them, and we dont have those kinds of specialists down here. I don't go to doctors unless I'm sick, so maybe I am unfamiliar with what's possible.

    I do know my thyroid, sugars and blood pressure are all fine. Those I had tested. So what else is there?

    being dependant on a nap in the middle of the day isn't normal... how do you know you're not sick?
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    As others have said, get to a doctor and find the root cause of the tiredness. Good luck.

    I dont see how they could possibly find the right reason. It seems like there could be a million of them, and we dont have those kinds of specialists down here. I don't go to doctors unless I'm sick, so maybe I am unfamiliar with what's possible.

    I do know my thyroid, sugars and blood pressure are all fine. Those I had tested. So what else is there?

    Sleep apnea
    Heart condition
    Narcolepsy
    Insomnia

    (To name a few) None of these are diagnosed with standard blood work, but they are treatable. I agree a daily lunch nap is not normal. It isn't necessarily abnormal, but it's certainly worth having the discussion with your doctor.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    As risk of sounding like a broken record, needing to nap in the middle of the day is not normal.

    There could be a number of things that could contribute to poor sleep, in addition to the conditions already mentioned, stress and anxiety can also result in a poor nights sleep.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    As others have said, get to a doctor and find the root cause of the tiredness. Good luck.

    I dont see how they could possibly find the right reason. It seems like there could be a million of them, and we dont have those kinds of specialists down here. I don't go to doctors unless I'm sick, so maybe I am unfamiliar with what's possible.

    I do know my thyroid, sugars and blood pressure are all fine. Those I had tested. So what else is there?

    Your regular family doctor can eliminate a lot of the potential causes quite quickly with blood work. Exhaustion such as you describe is not normal. Is he/she even aware that this is going on with you?

    Btw, sleep apnea - if that turns out to be the issue - really needs to be addressed. As mentioned above, it can be life threatening if left untreated.
  • ecjim
    ecjim Posts: 1,001 Member
    As others have mentioned - there could be a medical problem -- or - what time do you get to sleep at night ? get up? How many hours of sleep do you get?
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    This is why I'm trying to loose the weight. I doubt I'll feel any better/not waking up exhausted until I do. But weight only comes off so fast, and it's not that fast.

    I'm just trying to figure out a way to keep my energy levels up until it happens.
  • Cheesy567
    Cheesy567 Posts: 1,186 Member
    Maybe you could split it up— start with a 10-minute walk then a 20-minute nap the first week, and 15/15 the next, and 20/10 the next. Work up your stamina for a walk and gradually adjust to the shorter nap time.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    This is why I'm trying to loose the weight. I doubt I'll feel any better/not waking up exhausted until I do. But weight only comes off so fast, and it's not that fast.

    I'm just trying to figure out a way to keep my energy levels up until it happens.

    The way to keep your energy levels up until you lose the weight is by being able to get restful, recuperative sleep. That doesn't (and shouldn't) wait until you maybe lose some weight. If sleep apnea is the cause for your exhaustion, you need medical attention now.
  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 597 Member
    edited October 2018
    A walk in the mid-afternoon actually wakes me up and gives me the energy to finish the day. Give it a try and see how you feel.

    And see a doctor about the exhaustion issue.
  • supersparklyk
    supersparklyk Posts: 84 Member
    edited October 2018
    Also sounding like a broken record here... a sleep study can help determine why you're needing a nap in the afternoon. I was the exact same way, from the time I was a teenager until my husband insisted I get the study done (in my 30's). I have severe obstructive sleep apnea, and now use a CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine. While it's definitely not sexy, I cannot imagine how I functioned without it for so many years! If I go even one night without using it, I feel completely exhausted and useless the following day. Please seek out a sleep doctor in your area for help!
    Also, I should note that I was not overweight as a teenager and I still had this issue, so please don't wait to be thin to be kind to yourself. <3
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    Great suggestions!
  • CindyJNC1963
    CindyJNC1963 Posts: 895 Member
    I had a sleep study and it was found that I have both sleep apnea AND restless legs syndrome. That's why I was so sleepy during the day. Since I've been on a medication for the restless legs and the CPAP machine I do MUCH better during the day.
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    So what are your options if there's no place like that within an 8 hr drive? I have no intention of taking off work for it. And the truth is I really dont want my insurance company to know. (So getting together that kind of money is a factor too) and I'm still not convinced it's worth it (or rather that it will work.)
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited October 2018
    I really wish people would take their health more seriously.
    What are the risks of untreated sleep apnea?
    Sleep apnea can have serious short and long term health risks if left untreated, including:

    High blood pressure
    Irregular heartbeat
    Heart disease/heart attack
    Stroke
    Type 2 Diabetes
    Driving and work-related accidents

    from:

    https://www.sleepapnea.com/diagnosis/sleep-apnea-risks/
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    If I wasnt ready to start taking it seriously, I wouldn't be here.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    So what are your options if there's no place like that within an 8 hr drive? I have no intention of taking off work for it. And the truth is I really dont want my insurance company to know. (So getting together that kind of money is a factor too) and I'm still not convinced it's worth it (or rather that it will work.)

    Start by talking with your primary care physician. Are there no hospitals within an 8-hour drive of you? Why do you not want your insurance to know? Are you having problems with them?
  • mtdb8
    mtdb8 Posts: 65 Member
    I wouldn't say I'm having trouble with them, it's just that I'm self insured and dont make enough for a huge rate hike. With the political climate being the way it is the protections for pre-existing conditions aren't solidified enough for me to trust yet. They could be overturned tomorrow.

    As for the hospital, it's not that fancy. It doesnt have dialysis, (something you'd expect it to have) it doesnt have an icu, and it doesn't have an oncology section either. Basically, its function is to keep you from dying long enough to get you sent somewhere else. And delivering babies. It's good at that.

  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    mtdb8 wrote: »
    I wouldn't say I'm having trouble with them, it's just that I'm self insured and dont make enough for a huge rate hike. With the political climate being the way it is the protections for pre-existing conditions aren't solidified enough for me to trust yet. They could be overturned tomorrow.

    As for the hospital, it's not that fancy. It doesnt have dialysis, (something you'd expect it to have) it doesnt have an icu, and it doesn't have an oncology section either. Basically, its function is to keep you from dying long enough to get you sent somewhere else. And delivering babies. It's good at that.

    At least discuss it with your doctor and ask is there is something you can do in the meantime. I'm not aware of anything that helps outside of weight loss and CPAP, but it could also be something else that is easily managed. The fact that you are so tired during the day suggests sleep disturbance of some type.
  • hartfam6
    hartfam6 Posts: 1 Member
    I kept telling my doctor how tired I was and all my bloodwork seemed fine. Then she looked in my throat about sinus drainage and went, "Oh, you have a very small airway! Do you snore?" YES! She sent me for a sleep study - it is sleep apnea and I now have a CPAP. Two months later and I feel so much better. Not sure if you snore? Use one of the snoring apps. And as everyone said - get to the doctor NOW.

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