Question:
I am an otherwise healthy 25 year old female. I have great difficulty
waking up in the morning. I feel like I am under the influence of some
drug that is pulling me back to sleep. If I can force myself to get up,
in half an hour or so I feel normal. If there some kind of chemical
that is produced during sleep or that causes sleep that may be
overproduced in some people?
Answer:
Have you been to a sleep clinic? You may be having
problems with sleep apnea. (This is a common problem and
my opinion is no replacement for a professional opinion
with a sleep doctor.)
You might also consider increasing the number of hours you sleep, e.g.
going to bed earlier. Most studies have found that 8 hours a night is
necessary and sufficient. But if you're getting that, you might try an
hour or two more to see if that helps.
I always felt that way until I quit caffeine, although it took a lot
longer than a half hour before I felt awake. After suffering through
about 5 days of caffeine withdrawal, I was actually awake when I
woke up.
I used to have the very same problem - I have had it as long as I can remember. The one thing that helped me is Linseed
oil. I use the capsuls, about 5 of them per day.
About fifteen years ago a doctor [MD] suggested I try linseed oil because of the little pink bumps on the back of my arms
above the elbows. There had been no discussion of the fact that I couldn't wake up in the morning. As I remember, he said
the little pink bumps on my arms were a symptom of a deficency in Omega 3. The very first thing I noticed after taking it
was that in the morning I was AWAKE!!! The second thing I noticed is that I no longer minded the cold - a blessing in New
England's winters. The vanishing bumps on my arms, even though they had been unsightly, were the last thing I noticed.
However, if I choose not to take the capsuls for a week or so, I find that I am sliding right back where I used to be.
Interestingly, both of our sons have the very same problem. As young adults they are not thrilled taking "pills" but they
both admit that "it works!" I am an only child and I don't remember my parents having trouble waking up but I do remember
those little pink bumps on my mother's upper arms. I do believe that my sons and I have a genetic need for extra omega 3.
I suspect that similar symptoms may be caused by different problems. I do know that when I eat foods that I am allergic
to, waking up even with the use of linseed oil is not always as easy.
