RE: Falling Asleep When Learning/Studying/Working & Doct

Post Reply New Topic

I've posted this question before. Basically whenever I study, or learn, or work I fall alseep. Usually after an hour or so.

This is not something new. I've had this problem for as long as I could remember. I've explained to doctors who seem to pass it off as a symptom of the medications, or anxiety. My Aspergers diagnosis is less than 12 months old, and I've complained about this for a number of years prior to having an AS diagnosis. I don't think it's AS related.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow. I would like some treatment for this. But I'm not sure what treatments are available, and how to put this forward to my doctor. I've been brushed aside so many times in the past that I feel bringing it up again isn't going to make a difference. But I urgently want this sorted.

I'm currently unfit to work at the moment. But I don't want to remain this way. So, I am building a portfolio of some of skills to show employers so when I'm fit to work I have a nice demonstration of my work. I work in Software Engineering by the way.

This is where all this ties in. I had a birthday yesterday, I'm now 30. I'm highly skilled, and very smart, when it comes to programming. The level of skill I work at is higher than most. I've recently started submitting patches to the Linux Kernel - which is one of my goals to get my name mentioned which goes towards my portfolio. At 30, I really need to be in a secure job with a secure income. It's my last shot at getting my dream job, so I really need to do this. But I feel I can't.

But, working in this field requires a lot of education and study time. Self education. It also requires sitting at the computer for periods at a time.

This is when the problem lies. Because as soon as I start to learn something either via a video, or book, or white paper ... I fall asleep within an hour. I'll be asleep for anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour. Then I'll get back to what I was doing, and within 2 hours I'm asleep again.

The subject topics I study are far from boring. It's my passion, and I love doing what I do. But I can't handle the falling asleep. I've worked in companies in the past, and by 1pm I am yawning, and in desperate need of a cat nap. It's forced me to quit a job in the past.

I need this to stop. I need to get my portfolio done. I need to knuckle down and work, and study. But I feel like this is stopping me. It's not something I can control. I've tried changing my diet, I've tried exercise. I get the normal amount of sleep. Yet I still have this problem.

It only happens when I study, read, or commit myself to working on a project.

I need some advice to put this forward to my doctor. I am hopeless at explaining. I'm the type of person to just agree with the doctor even though I know they are wrong. Can't speak to them.

Any advice on what to do from here? I have my doctors appointment tomorrow.

Thanks

I'm not a doctor or anything, but I have a son who has a similar problem to yours. He has inattentive ADD, and he fights the urge to fall asleep a lot, although I've never seem him actually FALL ASLEEP while studying. I think he just loses attention and drifts off mentally, or he briefly nods off, but wakes up enough to keep somewhat attentive.

The point is, we didn't understand this whole thing until we went to an ADD specialist. It turns out that the ADD medication my son was previously receiving from a GP or a psychiatrist was well below what he actually needed. He takes a huge amount of ADD medication, and even with that, still has some trouble. But it has helped. He is now in college, and I think (?) he is doing well.

A REAL ADD specialist will have you come in to their office, of course fill out a lot of paperwork about your attentional capabilities, etc. But they will also have you take a medication, come back to the office in a few hours, and then take your heart rate, your blood pressure, and have you take certain kinds of testing (math tests, etc.) to see how you respond to the medications. They will check for adverse reactions, facial ticks, high blood pressure, etc. -- anything that is a negative, and discontinue if the med causes too many problems. When we took our son to other doctors, they would hand him medication and then say "come back in a month." A month is way too long if the med is ineffective or causing adverse reactions or is just too low to be effective. A patient with inattentive ADD needs a lot more help than that.

I hope you get the help that you need.