PCOS and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Narcolepsy, or Idiopathic hypersomnia
I was wondering how many individuals with PCOS suffer from Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Narcolepsy, or Idiopathic hypersomnia and if there is a connection?
Oh yes, I could sleep all day if I had the chance.
I don't know if it is PCOS related or not. When I was 13 years old, I had a really bad flu. After that, I was constantly tired and could never seem to get enough sleep. I'd miss alot of school because I was so tired.
In college, my roomates would worry about me because I slept so much. And I wasn't a lazy person either!
Now I'm 37 years old and still have very low energy, although it's not as bad as when I was younger. But now I've developed insomnia. I wake up every night at 4:15 and can't get back to sleep until 6:30 (right before it's time to get up).
Have you ever had a sleep study? You may have a sleep disorder which needs treatment. I have Narcolepsy without cataplexy or Idopathic Hypersomnia. (We are still diagnosing.) Sleep studies are non painful and extremely helpful in determining the root cause of your fatigue when done correctly. Make sure that you go to an accredited sleep center. To check if a sleep center is accredited go to the following web site:
Personally, I am very interested in how much hormons interfer with sleep.
Sorry about getting on the soap box, especially if you have been through the sleep study ring, but I am also interested if the average person with PCOS experiences excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
I am completely exhausted all the time. I finally decided to get some medical help for my problem. I've spent a small fortune in lab work over the past week and a half. My doctor told me that there was nothing medically wrong with me, he doesn't think PCOS is really a disease- just a label given to whiny fat women to cover all their ails AND all my problems are because I'm fat and have high cholesterol. Funny that none of the other fat women I know are falling asleep at work, not even the ones with high cholesterol. I guess only thin people can truly get sick... everything that we fat women can complain about can be attributed to our weight. I seriously need a good doctor.
I'm exhausted right now, but check out the following string from a different message board for information on how to get a good sleep doctor in your area. You need to ask for a sleep study. You may have sleep apnea or another disorder like Narcolepsy.
I don't know if my sleepiness is caused by PCOS or Sjogren's, or hypothyroid -- or the combination of all three. But yes, some days I can barely hold my eyes open. Sometimes I can just lay down and take a 30-45min nap, and feel much better.
__________________ Married, mother of one son - 11 years old. I'm a SAHM, (former homeschooler). I have PCOS, hypothyroid, Type II Diabetes, and Sjogren's Disease as well. I have a cottage business making handmade soaps, lotions, etc.
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us."
~ Marianne Williamson
PCOS and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Narcolepsy, or Idiopathic hypersomnia 
Sleepiness 
