HELP!!! 220 Pounds and NOT SLEEPING!!!

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PerfectPout
PerfectPout Posts: 195 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

My sister-in-law is 220 pounds and is having trouble sleeping at night. We started exercising about a month ago and she got sick 2 weeks after we started walking and her illness lasted 2 weeks but she is finding she can't sleep.

Has anyone had this problem???

Please HELP!!!

Replies

  • rochey1098
    rochey1098 Posts: 285
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    It sounds to me like she needs to see a doctor. Diagnosis based on similar symptoms aren't always accurate so I'd play this safe if I was her.
  • PerfectPout
    PerfectPout Posts: 195 Member
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    Yes she has been to the doctor 5 times about it and has given her sleeping tablets but she is still waking in the middle of the night and not being able to sleep until 5-6am.
  • jakejacobsen
    jakejacobsen Posts: 595 Member
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    perhaps a sleep dr and a sleep study is in order.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
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    I agree with the post regarding a sleep study, many heavier folks have sleep apnea and it destroys sleep patterns. Really need to look into it, oxygen deprivation is not a joke.
  • JenniferH007
    JenniferH007 Posts: 76
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    has she`tryed melntonia it a natual sleeping aid. i take it because it wont sleep at all it makes sure that you have a normal sleep schdulle try that it might help you can get it over the countor at drug store or any where
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    Yes she has been to the doctor 5 times about it and has given her sleeping tablets but she is still waking in the middle of the night and not being able to sleep until 5-6am.

    I would see the doctor and see if she can be tested for Sleep apnea. . A friend of mine had that and it was not found until he had a sleep study done, and then they were able to treat him through the night with a machine until he lost the weight and then it went away! Good luck!
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
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    She probably needs a sleep study and or a different doctor.

    My neurologist was the one who made me realize how important proper sleep habits are. I always got my full 8 hours, and then some, but I felt like crap since my sleep schedule was so different from day to day. I was working retail hours, so each day I'd get up and go to sleep at different hours, and I got horrible migraines from it.

    My neuro told me to quit my job and find one with a regular schedule. It has made the world of difference. I absolutely must be asleep by midnight and I absolutely must be awake by 8am or else I don't feel right. Daylight savings time and traveling to different time zones messes with my head.

    I recommend taking this very seriously, because a lack of sleep, or improper sleep can screw things up.
  • MzBug
    MzBug Posts: 2,173 Member
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    My room has to be dark for me to get a good sleep. We operate on the second shift or swing shift here....work is 3pm to 1130pm so we get to bed around 2-4am and get up 10am - 12pm. If we forget to close the bedroom door or just leave it open a crack the light comes in and gets me right in the face and I have to get up. HE will sleep 12 hours if I let him...daylight or not.

    I had a sleep study done a few years ago. I was lucky if I was getting 3-4 hours sleep a night. The doctors recommendation was to get another job that had regular hours and less stress. Made a huge difference.
  • cajunlady56
    cajunlady56 Posts: 151 Member
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    what is her age? It could be hormone related.
  • PerfectPout
    PerfectPout Posts: 195 Member
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    what is her age? It could be hormone related.
    She is 42 years old
  • PerfectPout
    PerfectPout Posts: 195 Member
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    Thanks for your help everyone. She is seeing a different doctor this afternoon and she is going to ask for a full blood test and mri to make sure everything is ok. Plus organise a sleep apnea test. Will let you all know how she goes once she gets some answers.
  • fond
    fond Posts: 13 Member
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    In my 40's I had trouble getting to sleep and when I did the smallest noise would wake me and then I had a very time getting back to sleep. The health food store helped with something like melatonin. All in all it was harmone related.
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
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    Sleep problems where you can get to sleep at bedtime, then wake a few hours later and lie awake are classic for depression.

    Elderly people usually shift to a sleep pattern where they have frequent short sleep periods without reaching deep sleep. In that case, it's normal. When they wake up during the night, they aren't spending that time thinking about things they're worried about and can't do anything about at 3 am. They just listen to talk radio or infomercials a while and then go back to sleep.

    People with sleep apnea usually think they are sleeping just fine, because although they don't manage to reach the deep stages of sleep before their breathing wakes them, they don't become fully alert during those awakenings. They most commonly think they slept soundly all night but still woke up tired. They'll argue that there's nothing wrong with their sleeping, and their spouses are the ones who bring in tape recordings of snoring in to their doctors.
  • iKristine
    iKristine Posts: 288 Member
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    Let me ask first. Did this start shortly after exercising in total?

    The reason I ask. is what your describing could easily be overtraining. Which isn't as obvious as you might think. I got overtraining from walking 2 miles a day 4 days a week when I first started.

    I first had trouble sleeping, I would go to bed and just couldn't fall asleep, then when I did I was up in <5 hours! I couldn't get a good nights sleep for the life of me. This went on for weeks.

    Then I noticed if I was luck enough to get a cat nap in the day, I woke up to pounding blood pressure, thick ears and general malaise. I too was sick for over a week during this time while my friends and family got over it in few days.

    Things to look for. Anxiety, malaise, loss of sleep, wounds or sickness that won't heal, feeling of pain during workouts.. just to name a few. If this sounds anything like her, take a break for a few days. Allow your body to recover. Your no good if your body cannot get what it needs to repair itself.

    As for hormones, over training can wreak havoc on your hormones! When I first experienced this I was sure it was my thyroid. But rest assured if it started as a result of exercise, likely the symptoms are a result of the exercise. Eat healthy diet and get some rest and start again 3-5 days later is the only real treatment for overtrain.
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
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    Thanks for your help everyone. She is seeing a different doctor this afternoon and she is going to ask for a full blood test and mri to make sure everything is ok. Plus organise a sleep apnea test. Will let you all know how she goes once she gets some answers.

    So glad that she is getting this done right away. . prayers are with her. . Let us know what happens. :bigsmile:
  • LelliAmi
    LelliAmi Posts: 327 Member
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    if she's overweight then the best guess would be sleep apnea. it could also just be plain old fashioned insomnia. i have issues sleeping and when i finally get to sleep, i can't maintain a normal pattern. usually taking melatonin helps. she could also try some natural sleep inducers like lean turkey or warm milk.
  • ShrinkinMel
    ShrinkinMel Posts: 982 Member
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    I agree sleep study might give some answers. Sleep apnea is known to wake people but like someone said they often don't even know. It is not like they get up and read or do something. They just wake from the deep sleep unknowingly when they snore and laspse the breathing.

    Also maybe its from overtraining like one person said. Exercise can be an energizer especially if you were doing it towards the end of the day. If Dr doesn't seem to react a 2nd opinion is in order. If 2-3 say same thing maybe its nothing but I'd try melatonin over sleep pills prescribed by Dr's. And also going to bed and waking up at the same time.

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