I think my boyfriend has a sleep disorder, but I’m not sure what it is?
Posted by: Alan in Sleep Disorder, tags: Boyfriend, Disorder, Sleep, Sure., Think
My bf is 34 y/o, 5′10″ 300lbs. I believe he has a serious sleep disorder, but he doesn’t want to admit it. He says it’s his weight and doesn’t get enough sleep. First of all, He sleeps ALL the time. Right now, he doesn’t work so I know that he’s not sleep deprived, over worked or getting up early. He will fall sleep during the day.morning/evening on the computer with the mouse in his hand and sometimes wake up and continue where he left off. He has fell asleep a few times on the toilet. I have caught him several times during the day, drift off while driving and me in the passenger side. He has even fallen asleep at a red light in the afternoon. He falls asleep while I’m talking to him. What has got me asking this question is that we recently had a baby (2 weeks old) and he fell asleep while holding him on the couch and dropped him!!!!!!!! I’m so upset with this I wont allow him to hold him anymore unless he is wide awake….and I don’t know when that is. One time, he slept for almost 18 hrs straight! Help!
Entries (RSS)
April 19th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Yeah, its called obesititis.
April 19th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
he has sleep apnea
April 19th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
He should be checked for narcolepsy. This is a serious sleep disorder and can be dangerous if it happens at the wrong moment. People with this disorder suddenly fall asleep at any time, any where.
April 19th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
he needs to put his fears aside and face reality here. He could have accidentally killed the baby if the baby had fallen just right.
Denial time is over, it is time to wake up (mentally) and smell the coffee.
He should have a whole battery of tests done. He should be tested for Diabetes, Sleep Apnea, Blood Pressure, there are just so many things.
If he really loves you and the baby, he will be tested for your sakes.
April 19th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
300lbs and 5′10″?!! He’s WAY overweight!! He probably has sleep apnea which is pretty much unavoidable when you’re obese. Sleep apnea is when you stop breathing for a second or more various times throughout your sleep. This makes you oxygen deprived and tired all the time.
There is treatment available but losing weight would be his best bet. He needs to see a doctor ASAP!! Especially if he’s driving, he could KILL himself or others or BOTH!
Very serious! People DO die from sleep apnea! My grandfather did at 60!!!!
April 19th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
It could be possible that he has narcolepsy. Does he have a hard time sleeping at night but takes these inappropriate naps during the day? With his symptoms this is a possibility. Do not let him drive until he has been sorted out.
Another concern, with his weight being what it is he needs to be tested for diabetes. It could be that there has been so many insulin spikes in his bloodstream for so long because of his eating habits that it has rendered his cells insensitive to insulin. His fasting blood sugar could be dangerously high. Insulin is the “key” that unlocks ones cells for the use of glucose (fuel) and if the cells are impervious to it his blood sugar would just be cycling through his bloodstream, unable to feed his cells. Symptoms can include exhaustion (from cells not being fueled – mechanism described above), frequent urination, excessive thirst, “pins and needles” feeling in the limbs, eyesight becoming poorer and poorer, dizziness, brain fog – sound familiar? Whether the cause is diabetes, narcolepsy or something else, the man needs to see a doctor right away.
**Note: Sleep apnea does not cause a person to fall asleep at inappropriate times. It is characterized by extremely loud snoring from excessive weight, which applies pressure in the reclining position and regularly causes the patient to stop breathing for a few seconds while asleep. At some point the patient can stop breathing all together while asleep due to this pressure and die. However, this does not sound like the concern, as you have mentioned none of the symptoms. Best of luck.