- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
suddenly getting really tired in the afternoons
Posted on 9/23/24 at 1:57 pm
Posted on 9/23/24 at 1:57 pm
first off, the disclaimer that i am not seeking medical advice, i am currently addressing this issue with my doctor, and i am only looking for unofficial, anecdotal advice, experiences, or ideas
male in my 40s
starting about a month ago, i have started feeling a lot of fatigue in general, but mainly in the afternoons. generally i start feeling it coming on around lunchtime, and i just run out of gas by evening, and then crash for bed totally exhausted. i have continued to push through my afternoon workouts, but it's becoming increasingly difficult from both a mental and physical standpoint to get myself through them.
sleep - i sleep shitty. i used to be a solid 7-8 hour straight through the night guy, every night, no exceptions, but the last couple years have been much, much worse. things got really rocky at home for awhile, and i developed insomnia around this. i always go to sleep just fine, but i was waking up about four hours later stressed about marriage and home life and not being able to get back to sleep. most of those personal issues are much MUCH better now, and i dont stress about them really much at all anymore (side note - therapy is great), but the insomnia has remained. i wake up after about fouror five hours, and then toss and turn. it's like the stress left, but my body was trained to wake up or something. i dont lay there worrying about anything, i just....lay there. very aggravating.
caffeine - i am hopelessly strung out on caffeine to get through my day. i realize this is bad, but it's a vicious cycle...if i dont stay steady caffeinated, i wont get through the day, but no doubt that that is affecting my ability to sleep. it's a real chicken - egg situation. but i've ALWAYS had a large caffeine intake, even when i used to sleep like a baby. i know i have to cut back but i honestly dont see how i can. i'm barely making it to the evening as it is. i'm not even going to put how much caffeine i'm usually taking in because it's embarrassing. it's a lot and it's not good. i dont know if the 400mg daily recommended intake is widely considered an accurate number, but suffice to say that i blow that out of the water.
diet - i eat pretty healthy. my wife is a super healthy eater, and she cooks dinner for the family. likewise i generally bring a pretty healthy lunch to work, lots of fruit and veggies, greek yogurt, etc. sometimes i do pre-made meals which i know are high in sodium sometimes, but overall, all things considered, i eat pretty well. i also hydrate well throughout the day. i realize i could eat healthier, but i'm not eating fast food every day or anything like that. limited sugar intake.
alcohol, nicotine - i drink and dip, but really not very much. i usually dip once a day, MAYBE twice, often zero in a day (it takes well over a week for me to get through a can, half the time i lose the can before i finish it) - it's definitely more of a vice than an addiction. i drink, but only occasionally (sometimes a couple after work on Friday or watching football on Saturday, but many weekends go by where i dont drink at all (for instance, this past weekend i didnt have a single drink). i think nicotine and alcohol are non-factors in this equation, except for the fact that when i DO dip, it's usually in the evening, and i realize it's a stimulant, but like i said - i go to sleep very easily. it's not until hours later that i wake up. still, could be related i suppose.
fitness level - i'm in good shape...mostly HIIT type workouts, plus some extra running and weightlifting on top of that
actions taken to this point - tried to manage with melatonin for a long time with varying levels of success. seems to be diminishing results. as of about a month ago, i'm seeing a doctor about it. currently she has me on Trazadone, as of last week, which i guess is used off label as a sleep-aid. i have definitely been sleeping through the night better since i've been on it, but my afternoon fatigue has stuck around. maybe this will just take time to recover from after months of insomnia? she also has me scheduled for a sleep study to check for sleep apnea, which i think is pretty likely. i definitely catch myself jumping awake short of air sometimes. this seems to vary based on how i'm laying. used to not happen when laying on my stomach, but lately has been occurring when laying that way too. this is my personal theory as to the problem, but i'm trying to look at all possibilities.
they are also checking my testosterone levels. i guess they have to do three separate tests to get an accurate reading? anyways, first test had me at 348, which is completely a meaningless number to me except that the doc said it's on the low end of the normal range. had my second blood draw this morning, so i guess we'll see how this turns out. i dont feel like i have any other symptoms typically indicative of low testosterone, but i want to rule it out at least.
anyways, that's my story. i'm curious if anyone has experienced similar and what kind of answers you have found and what has worked, hasnt worked, and how things have played out for you. i'm anxious to get back to feeling pretty good for most of the day again like i always have. this shite is affecting my mood, my patience with my family, my general irritability, my desire to do my hobbies, and everything. i hate it.
thanks all
male in my 40s
starting about a month ago, i have started feeling a lot of fatigue in general, but mainly in the afternoons. generally i start feeling it coming on around lunchtime, and i just run out of gas by evening, and then crash for bed totally exhausted. i have continued to push through my afternoon workouts, but it's becoming increasingly difficult from both a mental and physical standpoint to get myself through them.
sleep - i sleep shitty. i used to be a solid 7-8 hour straight through the night guy, every night, no exceptions, but the last couple years have been much, much worse. things got really rocky at home for awhile, and i developed insomnia around this. i always go to sleep just fine, but i was waking up about four hours later stressed about marriage and home life and not being able to get back to sleep. most of those personal issues are much MUCH better now, and i dont stress about them really much at all anymore (side note - therapy is great), but the insomnia has remained. i wake up after about fouror five hours, and then toss and turn. it's like the stress left, but my body was trained to wake up or something. i dont lay there worrying about anything, i just....lay there. very aggravating.
caffeine - i am hopelessly strung out on caffeine to get through my day. i realize this is bad, but it's a vicious cycle...if i dont stay steady caffeinated, i wont get through the day, but no doubt that that is affecting my ability to sleep. it's a real chicken - egg situation. but i've ALWAYS had a large caffeine intake, even when i used to sleep like a baby. i know i have to cut back but i honestly dont see how i can. i'm barely making it to the evening as it is. i'm not even going to put how much caffeine i'm usually taking in because it's embarrassing. it's a lot and it's not good. i dont know if the 400mg daily recommended intake is widely considered an accurate number, but suffice to say that i blow that out of the water.
diet - i eat pretty healthy. my wife is a super healthy eater, and she cooks dinner for the family. likewise i generally bring a pretty healthy lunch to work, lots of fruit and veggies, greek yogurt, etc. sometimes i do pre-made meals which i know are high in sodium sometimes, but overall, all things considered, i eat pretty well. i also hydrate well throughout the day. i realize i could eat healthier, but i'm not eating fast food every day or anything like that. limited sugar intake.
alcohol, nicotine - i drink and dip, but really not very much. i usually dip once a day, MAYBE twice, often zero in a day (it takes well over a week for me to get through a can, half the time i lose the can before i finish it) - it's definitely more of a vice than an addiction. i drink, but only occasionally (sometimes a couple after work on Friday or watching football on Saturday, but many weekends go by where i dont drink at all (for instance, this past weekend i didnt have a single drink). i think nicotine and alcohol are non-factors in this equation, except for the fact that when i DO dip, it's usually in the evening, and i realize it's a stimulant, but like i said - i go to sleep very easily. it's not until hours later that i wake up. still, could be related i suppose.
fitness level - i'm in good shape...mostly HIIT type workouts, plus some extra running and weightlifting on top of that
actions taken to this point - tried to manage with melatonin for a long time with varying levels of success. seems to be diminishing results. as of about a month ago, i'm seeing a doctor about it. currently she has me on Trazadone, as of last week, which i guess is used off label as a sleep-aid. i have definitely been sleeping through the night better since i've been on it, but my afternoon fatigue has stuck around. maybe this will just take time to recover from after months of insomnia? she also has me scheduled for a sleep study to check for sleep apnea, which i think is pretty likely. i definitely catch myself jumping awake short of air sometimes. this seems to vary based on how i'm laying. used to not happen when laying on my stomach, but lately has been occurring when laying that way too. this is my personal theory as to the problem, but i'm trying to look at all possibilities.
they are also checking my testosterone levels. i guess they have to do three separate tests to get an accurate reading? anyways, first test had me at 348, which is completely a meaningless number to me except that the doc said it's on the low end of the normal range. had my second blood draw this morning, so i guess we'll see how this turns out. i dont feel like i have any other symptoms typically indicative of low testosterone, but i want to rule it out at least.
anyways, that's my story. i'm curious if anyone has experienced similar and what kind of answers you have found and what has worked, hasnt worked, and how things have played out for you. i'm anxious to get back to feeling pretty good for most of the day again like i always have. this shite is affecting my mood, my patience with my family, my general irritability, my desire to do my hobbies, and everything. i hate it.
thanks all
This post was edited on 9/23/24 at 2:04 pm
12
Posted on 9/23/24 at 1:58 pm to Sam Quint
JFC that ended up being really long. maybe if i just go back and read my own post i'll finally get some sleep.
TL;DR - i'm tired in the afternoons, dont know why
TL;DR - i'm tired in the afternoons, dont know why
Posted on 9/23/24 at 2:03 pm to Sam Quint
I'm in my early 40's and started feeling the same way about 18 months ago.
I'm up every day at 5 am for work, usually get home by 4 and workout for 45 mins or so 3-4 days a week. Last spring I lost all my energy and motivation. I pushed through each day and couldn't shake it. Most weekdays I would wake up and already feel tired.
I went and had bloodwork done, and my total test was 600 and free test was 6.1. My PCP (female) said total test was normal, and the free was a little low. So we did nothing and just attributed my fatigue to "getting old."
Here I am 18 months later and still have the lethargy. I can barely get motivated to cut the grass. I am going to schedule more labs soon, and if the test is low I may change PCP's to a male to see if I can get a different perspective.
I'm up every day at 5 am for work, usually get home by 4 and workout for 45 mins or so 3-4 days a week. Last spring I lost all my energy and motivation. I pushed through each day and couldn't shake it. Most weekdays I would wake up and already feel tired.
I went and had bloodwork done, and my total test was 600 and free test was 6.1. My PCP (female) said total test was normal, and the free was a little low. So we did nothing and just attributed my fatigue to "getting old."
Here I am 18 months later and still have the lethargy. I can barely get motivated to cut the grass. I am going to schedule more labs soon, and if the test is low I may change PCP's to a male to see if I can get a different perspective.
Posted on 9/23/24 at 2:22 pm to Sam Quint
After reading all of that, my biggest takeaway is caffeine and sleep. It will suck for a few weeks as you adjust, but try to make a cutoff point in the afternoon for caffeine. Even if you drink more of it before then, a hard stop will help. No scrolling or TV once you're in bed, try to read something instead. I also consume too much caffeine, but after a lengthy workout in the evening and a lukewarm shower, I drift off to sleep pretty quickly. I could use another hour most nights, but I consistently get 7 hours of sleep.
On the sleep aids, my wife has tried a couple of different ones, with moderate success. She was similar to you, she could get to sleep, but if something woke her, it was hard to get back to sleep. Trazadone seemed to make her groggy the next day. I forget the one she uses now, but it is some sort of anxiety medicine. It isn't an every night thing, but a few days a week. Helps shut her mind off, since she thinks about work constantly. I had to have the conversation with her that I don't want to hear about work when we're at home. It was constant. Nights and weekends, she was in a new job and stressed about all of the changes going back to work full time. We agreed that we could talk about our day until dinner, but after that we need to focus on the life at home and the kids. Don't want to sidetrack your thread, but sometimes a different focus other than work or life stresses can be a great outlet.
On the sleep aids, my wife has tried a couple of different ones, with moderate success. She was similar to you, she could get to sleep, but if something woke her, it was hard to get back to sleep. Trazadone seemed to make her groggy the next day. I forget the one she uses now, but it is some sort of anxiety medicine. It isn't an every night thing, but a few days a week. Helps shut her mind off, since she thinks about work constantly. I had to have the conversation with her that I don't want to hear about work when we're at home. It was constant. Nights and weekends, she was in a new job and stressed about all of the changes going back to work full time. We agreed that we could talk about our day until dinner, but after that we need to focus on the life at home and the kids. Don't want to sidetrack your thread, but sometimes a different focus other than work or life stresses can be a great outlet.
Posted on 9/23/24 at 2:55 pm to TU Rob
quote:
After reading all of that, my biggest takeaway is caffeine and sleep.
+1. You're probably exacerbating the problem getting caught in a cycle with these too. Can't sleep, so you need more caffeine in the afternoon, so you sleep worse, etc.
Bad sleep will make you feel like dog shite in the afternoon. Your fitness seems to be fine based on your post. If you haven't already, get a sleep mask and/or blackout curtains. Even the smallest bit of light can throw your sleep off. Obviously there's no easy fix for the home life stuff that's keeping you up, but maybe being in the dark can help your body get back to sleep rather than tossing and turning.
Posted on 9/23/24 at 3:31 pm to Ingeniero
quote:
+1. You're probably exacerbating the problem getting caught in a cycle with these too. Can't sleep, so you need more caffeine in the afternoon, so you sleep worse, etc.
100%, i just cant seem to break it. i mean i dont feel safe driving across the causeway at the end of the day unless i'm caffeinating / caffeinated. i know i need to just draw a line at 2pm or whatever, but i just cant make myself. it's totally a vicious cycle of each causing the other.
however, i will say that my caffeine intake isnt that much different than it has been throughout this entire couple years of struggling with insomnia, but it's only been the last couple months with this lethargy and energy levels / motivation dropping at the end of the day. so no doubt the caffeine is a problem and a factor, but something else has changed in the calculus / physiology that is making me feel a lot worse all of a sudden.
Posted on 9/23/24 at 3:36 pm to Sam Quint
Stop the caffeine before lunch. Workout in the mornings instead of afternoons. You’ll get a great boost of energy post workout. Try magnesium L-threonate before bed. Drink lots of water throughout the day. Dehydration is a real thing most people don’t realize they have. LMNT electrolytes work great to counter that. I take every morning with creatine
Posted on 9/23/24 at 3:47 pm to slinger1317
quote:
I'm in my early 40's and started feeling the same way about 18 months ago. I'm up every day at 5 am for work, usually get home by 4 and workout for 45 mins or so 3-4 days a week. Last spring I lost all my energy and motivation. I pushed through each day and couldn't shake it. Most weekdays I would wake up and already feel tired. I went and had bloodwork done, and my total test was 600 and free test was 6.1. My PCP (female) said total test was normal, and the free was a little low. So we did nothing and just attributed my fatigue to "getting old." Here I am 18 months later and still have the lethargy. I can barely get motivated to cut the grass. I am going to schedule more labs soon, and if the test is low I may change PCP's to a male to see if I can get a different perspective.
yeah, wow - very similar situation as mine. funny that you mentioned the yardwork thing because that is one of the first things i noticed in myself - lack of motivation just to get done with the fricking yard
Posted on 9/23/24 at 4:58 pm to Sam Quint
Might need to get checked for Sleep Apnea too.
Posted on 9/23/24 at 5:28 pm to slinger1317
Sounds like yall need some new pussy. That’ll put some pep in your step
Posted on 9/23/24 at 5:33 pm to TigerGman
quote:
Might need to get checked for Sleep Apnea too.
Yeah that is one of the things I'm getting done
Posted on 9/23/24 at 5:34 pm to BigPerm30
quote:
Sounds like yall need some new pussy. That’ll put some pep in your step
No doubt, Big Worm, but that's not in the cards
Posted on 9/23/24 at 8:15 pm to Sam Quint
quote:
definitely catch myself jumping awake short of air sometimes. this seems to vary based on how i'm laying. used to not happen when laying on my stomach, but lately
I had the same issue with fatigue, would catch myself falling asleep at my desk or on the drive home, would sit in my recliner and start falling asleep.
Wife had been on my arse about sleep apnea cus I snored bad but I thought it was only for fat old people I was 47/230 .
Did a sleep study at home and had almost 300 events and only was getting about 2hr of good sleep in 8hrs. Got on a cpap and it was a game changer.
Posted on 9/24/24 at 7:48 am to SmogkDeizKnutz
Jesus, last night I was thinking about posting my situation on here. Glad I'm not the only one with issues. I'm getting my sleep apnea test done soon and hope that's the issue and not some sort of long Covid situation.
Since I've turned 40 I haven't been able to make it past 4 pm without a nap. I am up at 5:30, 2 cups of coffee in the am, workout at lunch during the week and half marathon training first thing in the morning on the weekends. I don't snore and am in the best shape of my life. I feel like I'm getting a good nights sleep and my apple watch indicates the same. All my blood work is normal. I've never checked my testosterone levels. I don't drink or use nicotine, just 2 cups of coffee every am.
Every day 2 pm rolls around and I'm falling asleep at my desk. Luckily I can get home and grab an hour nap around that time and finish out my day at home.
Since I've turned 40 I haven't been able to make it past 4 pm without a nap. I am up at 5:30, 2 cups of coffee in the am, workout at lunch during the week and half marathon training first thing in the morning on the weekends. I don't snore and am in the best shape of my life. I feel like I'm getting a good nights sleep and my apple watch indicates the same. All my blood work is normal. I've never checked my testosterone levels. I don't drink or use nicotine, just 2 cups of coffee every am.
Every day 2 pm rolls around and I'm falling asleep at my desk. Luckily I can get home and grab an hour nap around that time and finish out my day at home.
This post was edited on 9/24/24 at 7:50 am
Posted on 9/24/24 at 8:11 am to Sam Quint
I feel you.
46. Willis-Ekbom disease (Restless Leg Syndrome) + age are doing a number on me. I take gabapentin for the RLS, which takes the edge off, but I need a THC gummy to actually sleep. The gaba leaves me lethargic the next day, regardless of sleep quality. Gaba and Paxil have both led to weight gain.
46. Willis-Ekbom disease (Restless Leg Syndrome) + age are doing a number on me. I take gabapentin for the RLS, which takes the edge off, but I need a THC gummy to actually sleep. The gaba leaves me lethargic the next day, regardless of sleep quality. Gaba and Paxil have both led to weight gain.
Posted on 9/24/24 at 8:11 am to Sam Quint
Don’t hear most people here posting their water intake. Most people are under hydrated and it’s arguably the most important thing we can focus on. Look up Huberman’s morning routine. We all need to be slamming a lot of water in the morning and throughout day. Are your potassium and d3 numbers good on bloodwork too? I’m guessing it’s mostly a hydration issue.
You need to cut down caffeine, you only need that much because you are tired for other reasons and have become dependent on it. This is not normal. Don’t have any after 12-1
You need to cut down caffeine, you only need that much because you are tired for other reasons and have become dependent on it. This is not normal. Don’t have any after 12-1
This post was edited on 9/24/24 at 8:12 am
Posted on 9/24/24 at 10:15 am to Sam Quint
I’m early 40’s and have experienced most of what you’ve said.
This is just from my experience:
Caffeine was a detriment for me. Sleep, patience, anxiety, etc.
It stays in our system 5-10 hours even after we stop feeling the effects. As I still need it to wake up and for workouts, I changed from 5:30 pm workouts to 6 am workouts. This took a few weeks of adjustment but it’s been a game changer for me. I’m more patient, less irritable, and very relaxed when I try to get sleepy. I also stay asleep. There are many options to get energy throughout the day such as carbs, sunlight, B vitamins, etc.
Nicotine. This one is tricky and I’ve done a little research. When our bodies have the nicotine levels it’s used to, sleep isn’t a problem. If the chemical is suddenly absent, this would cause me to wake up in the middle of the night. Your body could be entering and exiting a nicotine withdrawal phase even if very slightly. Not sure. I would either stay with the dip or eliminate it completely. (temporarily until you figure out the other issues)
I will admit, alcohol is a non-factor for me. I quit drinking years ago so maybe someone else can elaborate on that.
In my opinion, sleep is the answer to your problems. 7-8 hours of good, undisturbed sleep. Once you get your sleep down the rest will start to follow. I’m a big advocate of being all natural especially with sleep. I just think the quality of sleep is better and quality matters. I’m no doc but it seems to me that sleep would be better without chemicals and medicine running through our bodies. That’s how they were designed after all. There’s even some studies that show Benadryl is so effective because it’s basically suffocating part of your brain. Diphenhydramine can actually predispose people to dementia per Dr. Dan Kaufer, neurologist.
Some tricks that worked for me include getting in bed with a show, movie or book about an hour before I want to fall asleep. Having not had caffeine since that morning. A box fan. Not an app, but a real box fan on the high level. Ceiling fan on high. Cold a/c. Dark room with blackout curtains.
Also, my life and sleep-life started getting better when peace became my goal over happiness. Happiness can never be fully achieved because it’s based on external factors whereas peace is internal. A way I achieved this peace was through morning devotionals, prayer and going to church on Sunday’s. It’s a daily effort and must be sought after first thing in the morning and on a daily basis.
Good luck!
This is just from my experience:
Caffeine was a detriment for me. Sleep, patience, anxiety, etc.
It stays in our system 5-10 hours even after we stop feeling the effects. As I still need it to wake up and for workouts, I changed from 5:30 pm workouts to 6 am workouts. This took a few weeks of adjustment but it’s been a game changer for me. I’m more patient, less irritable, and very relaxed when I try to get sleepy. I also stay asleep. There are many options to get energy throughout the day such as carbs, sunlight, B vitamins, etc.
Nicotine. This one is tricky and I’ve done a little research. When our bodies have the nicotine levels it’s used to, sleep isn’t a problem. If the chemical is suddenly absent, this would cause me to wake up in the middle of the night. Your body could be entering and exiting a nicotine withdrawal phase even if very slightly. Not sure. I would either stay with the dip or eliminate it completely. (temporarily until you figure out the other issues)
I will admit, alcohol is a non-factor for me. I quit drinking years ago so maybe someone else can elaborate on that.
In my opinion, sleep is the answer to your problems. 7-8 hours of good, undisturbed sleep. Once you get your sleep down the rest will start to follow. I’m a big advocate of being all natural especially with sleep. I just think the quality of sleep is better and quality matters. I’m no doc but it seems to me that sleep would be better without chemicals and medicine running through our bodies. That’s how they were designed after all. There’s even some studies that show Benadryl is so effective because it’s basically suffocating part of your brain. Diphenhydramine can actually predispose people to dementia per Dr. Dan Kaufer, neurologist.
Some tricks that worked for me include getting in bed with a show, movie or book about an hour before I want to fall asleep. Having not had caffeine since that morning. A box fan. Not an app, but a real box fan on the high level. Ceiling fan on high. Cold a/c. Dark room with blackout curtains.
Also, my life and sleep-life started getting better when peace became my goal over happiness. Happiness can never be fully achieved because it’s based on external factors whereas peace is internal. A way I achieved this peace was through morning devotionals, prayer and going to church on Sunday’s. It’s a daily effort and must be sought after first thing in the morning and on a daily basis.
Good luck!
This post was edited on 9/24/24 at 10:17 am
Posted on 9/24/24 at 12:10 pm to Sam Quint
Delay caffeine intake for 60-90 minutes after waking up.
Posted on 9/24/24 at 1:02 pm to JL
quote:
Jesus, last night I was thinking about posting my situation on here. Glad I'm not the only one with issues. I'm getting my sleep apnea test done soon and hope that's the issue and not some sort of long Covid situation.
First of all long Covid isn’t real
But is there a way to get a cpap machine without the test? I’m willing to buy the machine just to try it out like it just blows air how could it hurt anything
I took an online sleep test where they make you wear a monitor overnight and sent it in and there was this little bs hurricane in Florida and they said the results got lost and acted like I was a bad person for being annoyed considering we have real hurricanes and life goes on like normal and nobody cares but when it rains in Florida it makes national news
ETA: I would rather die of sleep apnea that go to one of those places where you try to sleep in a cage while college kids taunt you
This post was edited on 9/24/24 at 1:04 pm
Page 1 of 2
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News