Brain Fog: Understanding Excessive Daytime Sleepiness & Sleep Apnea

Research has shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a myriad of other serious illnesses, diseases, and health conditions. However, when we talk with many of our sleep apnea patients, their lives are most affected by sleep apnea in a different and simpler way: the sleep disorder robs them of their sleep and, in doing so, robs them of happy, productive, and alert days.

Some of the most commonly reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

excessive daytime sleepiness chronic and extreme fatigue lack of energy difficulty concentrating memory issues slow reaction times brain fog the inability to stay awake during tasks The Serious Issue of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Research has shown that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and a myriad of other serious illnesses, diseases, and health conditions. However, when we talk with many of our sleep apnea patients, their lives are most affected by sleep apnea in a different and simpler way: the sleep disorder robs them of their sleep and, in doing so, robs them of happy, productive, and alert days.

Some of the most commonly reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

• excessive daytime sleepiness • chronic and extreme fatigue • lack of energy • difficulty concentrating • memory issues • slow reaction times • brain fog • the inability to stay awake during tasks

The Serious Issue of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is far more grave than just feeling drowsy or run down every now and then. Related to narcolepsy, EDS is a deeply felt, ongoing, and sometimes uncontrollable need to sleep during the day. Sufferers may feel relentlessly tired, fall asleep during tasks, and have trouble remembering what they’ve done or what they need to do. In many cases, EDS is caused by other sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea.

EDS often has a devastating effect on patients, especially after months or years of suffering from the problem. Daytime drowsiness and brain fog can significantly lower the quality of your life, from your career to your relationships to your physical safety. Those suffering from EDS may report:

• Not waking up feeling rested or refreshed. • Falling asleep at critical times, such as behind the wheel of a vehicle. • Not being able to correctly complete tasks at work due to drowsiness. • Falling asleep during daily activities, such as eating a meal. • Not being able to engage in conversations or interactions due to drowsiness. • Requiring a nap or multiple naps during the day in order to properly function. • Having difficulty recalling what you have just done or said.

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I suffer from this problem. My spouse keeps telling me if I was just more active then I would sleep at night I have terrible insomnia,which I am trying to get treatment for. I am exhausted during the ay and take naps so I do not get much done and my spouse thinks I am lazy when in reality I am tired. I have tried the meds side effects make them unworkable.

I have excessive daytime sleepiness. I fall asleep while driving . When I go visit my mom or sister and at work. It's getting worse and I don't know what to do. My Dr. Prescribes 20 MG of Adderall twice a day and I use a cpap machine. Anything else I can do? I'm tired of this. Thank you

You have my sympathy ladybear. I know that's it's hard to be active when you're exhausted. I used to very active and fit but some days now it's hard just to get out of bed in the morning. I'm waiting for an overnight sleep study before I can be treated since I have mixed sleep apnea, and really hoping that there's a treatment that gives me back my energy!

I rarely feel "sleepy" but often am exhausted, and can't sleep. I wish the language would start reflecting women's "tired" more.

There are many factors contrributing to sleepiness and exhaustion, and improved sleep will not fix those unrelated to sleep, right? My energy is at its best when PAP is working (sometimes), I get enough good sleep (not often), AND I eliminate sugar and gluten/high carbs from my diet -- which, when I am most-sleep-deprived, seem to be what I feel like eating.

Working on serious dietary change now while doc fools with yet another machine and its settings, and on shifting my attitude to "yippie, more green leafies!" from a good chocolate croissant with my morning cuppa.

Answer to sheila777 I have never tried adderal, but i have been given modafinil by my doctor, and have been taking it for about 1.5 years now. It has helped me tremendously with daytime function. I wish that i could find a cure and stop taking it, but until then, modafinil has helped me function during the day. My research shows that it is safer than adderal and is not addictive. My only side effects have been jitters, but that could also be from the massive amount of coffee i drink.

I just started with generic Lexapro (escitalopram) that I take at night. It is supposed to calm that chatterbox mind. Was told I have something like ADAD or adult attention deficit disorder. My mind is not stop, even when asleep. Cannot say that it is helping as I am still on a very small starting dose...plus other medical issues are taking place :-( Trying, but it does get hard. My mind has not always been link this. I am also trying to bring some mindfulness meditation into place, before bed time and also during the day.

We have become use to multitasking, doing several things at once. Necessary at times...but so often it carries into our down time.

Update...unable to continue with Lexapro.

bonnied

Hello, I am new to this site and I have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea but my husband has recently made me aware of his concerns with my sleeping pattern or lack there of. I am lucky to get 4 hours of broken sleep at a time and take multiple unplanned naps throughout the day. I fall asleep and not even realize it and I drive as little as possible and when I do I keep it close otherwise I have issues staying awake behind the wheel.

Hello @PracticalPrussianBlueGazelle3609. Have you considered discussing this with your primary care physician or seeing a sleep physician? Lack of sleep can have a big impact on overall health, and it sounds like you are aware of the dangers of drowsy driving. I would encourage you to talk to your physician about your symptoms and discuss the possibility of a sleep study. Best of luck, and keep us posted on your progress!

Dear PracitcalPrussionBlueGazelle- Lots of research points to the need for most adults to get between 6 and 7 hours of sleep per night. Four hours, especially if broken up as you describe, can adversely influence your alertness as well as your overall healthy and safety. There are many reasons for poor sleep, as you describe, and can include what we call primary sleep problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea or periodic leg movement disorders. Sometimes, people get themselves into sleep routines that further aggravate their ability to fall asleep. Based on what you are saying, I would encourage you to speak with your doctor about your sleep. Also, you may want to read up on sleep problems on our Learn page. You also may want to specifically review some of the advise regarding following good "sleep hygiene" (a funny phrase that refers to the types of sleep habits that can be good or bad for sleep.) Please follow up with your doctor and hope to hear you are sleeping more and better, soon!

I feel like I am more tired using my cpap. I don't feel my sleep is refreshing. I know Ihave to use my mask becauseI have heart failure. I just took a home oxygen monitoring test to find out if cpap is really addressing my severe hypoxia when sleeping. I would love to try supplemental oxygen to see if that helps with daytime tiredness.

Hi @SympatheticCopperDove4156. If you are still having problems with hypoxia, I encourage you to speak with your physician about recommendations. In some patients, too much oxygen can actually cause problems. I hope you start to have more refreshing sleep with your CPAP. Fatigue can be caused by other factors--stress, improper diet, lack of exercise, medications, etc. Best wishes, and please keep us posted on your progress!

I woke up this morning to empty my water, to find it bone dry..lm not sure if l put water in it, is this bad for me and the machine? My eyes felt dry as well?

I have experienced years of daytime fatigue both before and after CPAP treatment. I have experienced such drops in energy that I feel like I have to consciously breathe or my body will just stop breathing. That is the most extreme fatigue that I have experienced. Fortunately that happens only a few times a year. My new CPAP equipment is reporting central apnea. I wonder if there is a relation between that and this experience of feeling that my body will stop breathing unless I consciously inhale and exhale when I am feeling such extreme fatigue. I have also been diagnosed with hypoglycemia and hypothyroidism which further complicate diagnosing the cause.