Should I forget the doctors and see a dietition?

[Sleepy1987]

For the last couple years whenever Ive eaten lots of bread or high sugar items (such as bakery cookies) I find I end up falling asleep.

This isnt the issue as I know sugar crashes will do this but what concerns me is its more like a black out sleep that can last anywhere between 6 - 14 hours and the amount of food I consume makes no difference to the length I sleep.

Ive spoken to the doctors about it and they said it normal and suggested its stress related but (and I know people say this) I genuinely have nothing to be stressed about, I have a job that I love, nothing in my personal life stressing me out and so Im not convinced given the amount of hours I sleep for, that it is as normal as they suggest.

Ive been checked for celiac and diabetes in recent year but I was considering making another appointment presently to get a second opinion.

Just wondered if anyone on here has been to a dietition and would recommend doing this instead of trying to find a medical reason?

[Activity2004 Administrator]

Hi Sleepy1987 ,

Welcome to the group.

You said that you were tested for Diabetes. Is Diabetes in your family? Did you get an A1c (3-4 month test for blood sugars— 90 day average results)? Did you get told about counting carbs. and eating low carb.?

[Sleepy1987 in reply to Activity2004]

Honestly, the doctors never explain anything in detail. All I was told was I didnt have it. Was tested cos I kept getting the shakes - which I myself have identified as being due to unbalanced sugar levels as a result of a high sugar diet.

[Activity2004 Administrator in reply to Sleepy1987]

Thank you for letting us know that. Are you okay today?

[Hidden]

TheAwfulToad any ideas?

[Hidden]

Not medically trained but...have they looked into narcolepsy? My grandmother had it and would randomly fall asleep mid sentence after a meal.

[Sleepy1987 in reply to Hidden]

No they havent, perhaps a second check wouldnt hurt before I go and see a nutionalist or something

[rameshrao]

Hi,

This condition some times happen due to constipation.

[Sleepy1987 in reply to rameshrao]

I honestly dont have an ossue in that area, Im very regular

[GoogleMe]

There are two strands to this: firstly, intellectual curiosity - of course you'd like to get to the bottom of this.

Secondly, practicality. It should be easy, especially these days, to avoid eating lots of bread or high sugar items like bakery cookies - or to limit them to times when sleep will not be an issue. If what you are saying is that even though you feel there is a strong link between this and symptoms which bother you, you can't do this, then you may have a different sort of issue.

I'd suggest keeping a food/symptom diary for several weeks and discussing carefully with doctors as some will shut off when a patient comes to them with talk of sugar crashes. You've not mentioned what your sleep pattern is 'normally'. You might find it useful to write down the difference in the nature of the sleep you get usually and the sleep which is concerning you. Present them with all your evidence and see what dots they join for themselves. Whilst stress, acknowledged or otherwise, can be responsible for a lot, it can also be the mark of a lazy doctor if they do straight to this and do not put effort into supporting you to address the stress whether that is identification or removal, or strategies to cope.

My sympathies - I cannot eat cereal with milk (dairy or non-dairy) because it makes me seriously woozy (would be unsafe to drive) - unless I have a fair bit more to eat as well (eg a second breakfast) It's hardly a major loss but I do find it exasperating because it doesn't make 'sense'

[Sleepy1987 in reply to GoogleMe]

Food diary is a good idea. Ill need pne regardless of who I end up seeing really

[DartmoorDumpling]

I try and avoid bread and sugary treats as have a weight problem, but do agree, if I am awake at 4.00am, I often crave a sandwich or biscuit, which seems to help me get back to sleep. A bad habit which ruins my carefully controlled calorie intake! There is definitely a link between carbs/sugar intake and sleepiness!

[Sleepy1987]

Thank you this is really helpful

[Sleepy1987]

Thank you, everyones feed back has been really useful!

[Gelfin]

I hesitated asking this... but only for 3 seconds.

Why do you need to find out why you fall asleep after eating lots of bread and high-sugar items? Bread and sugar are nasty fake foods and your body doesn't like them, so stop eating them. Problem solved.

Too simple?

Simple is good.

[S11m]

You could get a sleep tracker app.

I use Autosleep... it tells me how well or deeply I sleep, monitors heart rate etc.

I thought I had a sleep problem - but concluded that I was getting too much sleep - and Autosleep suggests a "bedtime"... which solves the problem.

There are electronic gizmos that monitor your pulse (and The Apple Watch 4 gives you an ECG)... and I think it just might be some kind of cardiac arrhythmia. You could list your symptoms on a heart or arrhythmia forum?

But try the Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat (LCHF) diet, see the forum here on Health Unlocked.

The NHS can be very helpful - once you get to see the right specialist.

I hope you get sorted.

[Fran182716 Prediabetic]

Carbs make some people very sleepy, in the past I have used a high carb meal a bit like a sleeping pill (when tired but too wound up to sleep). Don’t do that though it’s not at all good for you! (I don’t do that any more!) My carbs these days are small portions of higher fibre carbs eaten at the same time as fat and moderate protein and the sleepy thing doesn’t happen any longer.

[Beav81]

Are you getting up through the night with the need to drink water ? It’s only a finger prick to test sugar and I’d change doctors.

A decent doctor would give you a referral to see a dietitian.

[andyswarbs]

Move away from refined foods, end of story. They are obviously doing you harm. I removed gluten from my diet for 15 months and then successfully reintroduced wholegrain bread as a regular part of my diet.