Feel so stupid. This afternoon I sat down on the sofa with a cup of tea. I was just watching the telly, and I unintentionally nodded off with the mug in my hand. My hand relaxed in my sleep and suddenly I'm jolted awake with a lap full of tea. Not my first rodeo doing that, I've lost count of the times it's happened. I also fall asleep quite regularly while reading, on my phone and knitting.
I can't understand how I can go from being wide awake to fast asleep so quickly. I never feel tired when I'm up and moving about. My sofa is like a black hole for tiredness.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Written by
LucyWood75
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I promise you that you are not alone ! It’s quite a shock, isn’t it ? Happens to me too ! The suddenness is alarming , Most people don’t confess that it happens to them . Happens to me sometimes after breakfast and I end up on the floor ! I suppose that it’s age related( I’m 87)
It could be a neurological symptom of your B12 deficiency ! I would mention it to your Gp to rule out narcolepsy especially if you drive..........
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition producing disruption to the normal sleep pattern. This produces excessive sleepiness. Narcolepsy may occur with or without cataplexy.
Decreased serum vitamin B12 levels are independently associated with the development of narcolepsy, which illustrates the complex relationship between vitamin B12 and narcolepsy. Future studies should explore whether vitamin B12 supplementation can improve the symptoms of patients.
All the time! I've never christened myself fortunately but I've had many a cold coffee. Exactly the same though, one minute reading on my iPad and the next flat out. I know I'm B12 deficient but not low enough for the GP to do anything even though it's noted on my medical record. I am a tad younger than you others, 73, but it's been happening for a couple of years at least.
I've fallen asleep like this myself with a coffee in my hand so I think it is not all Narcolepsy. I just offer the link as interest. Narcolepsy is thought to be an autoimmune condition.
Yes its a strange feeling isn't it almost like passing out but without the horrible feeling of passing out, it happens to me sometimes when I think its time to go to sleep I've no sooner thought it than I've gone just like switching of a light🏵️Best wishes
Happened to me once whilst driving! Just stopped at the lights. Woke up to people knocking on my window, they thought I'd had a heart attack or something. Very scary at the time.. I've also had to stop because I didn't know where I was or where I was going, then had to wait for a car to pass to know which side of the road to drive on. The affects of B12 deficiency are so wide ranging!
Folks, one thing was can all do is check our sleeping patterns...i too get noddy...
Are we getting your solid 8 hours good sleep..? Do you need to ensure no food before sleeping...? Some people suffer from sleep apneia, and dont realise it.
If you do get tired during the day...then maybe build in a Power Nap..? That way you get in routine..and sleep ...safely.. I have a nap between 1pm -2pm myself.
Very often, we’d burst through theatre doors to find Anaesthetists asleep on the Operating Theatre table. Scrub Nurses on gurneys. If we ever had breaks which was very rare, we’d close our eyes for a second and drift off. One poor doctor who’d had very little sleep over his gruelling 90 hour working week managed to grab 3 hours in the Rest room, as entitled. A Crash Call came through on his bleep. So, he rushed to attend, did his job and saved the day. All whilst hiding his erection. Nobody knew because it was all hands on deck. He only confessed to it much later.
Often our bodies and brains tell us we are exhausted but we are too busy so we ignore it. Many a times I have done it but I just don’t bother to post about it. What is the point ? Those Energy drinks people are necking and addicted to, are really bad for them.
One of the major roles of B12 is to release energy from carbohydrates & that is why we experience extreme fatigue & lack of energy when our B12 is low. I do not think that old age does it as much as old age means we are more likely to have low B12. Energy levels have a natural rhythm throughout the day and it at its lowest at 4 pm which is why afternoon tea was traditionally taken then.
Yes, it happens to me. As soon as I sit down and relax I fall asleep.
I have lost count the times I have been doing a shopping order online and dropped off without finishing it. If I read something I only get past a few sentences. I too have been holding a cup and saucer and fell asleep spilling the lot.
Quite often I can't remember feeling tired, my brain just seems to shut off.
I always blamed my thyroid as I do for everything but have no idea!!
One of the earliest symptoms I had was falling asleep during the day - at my work desk, aged 47. Absolutely exhausted, when I was previously known for my annoying habit of never being still for a moment! But another was that I couldn't wake up on a morning. My alarm would wake me after 8, 9 hours sleep, but I'd slip back into sleep again and again. This went when I found the right treatment regime, but returned recently when my iron levels plummeted. Fixed that and all good again. 😊
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Does anyone have premature grey hairs? 
anyone else get this?
