Fat & Fatigued

[Mouse46]

I keep hearing that being overweight effects your sleep. Does anyone else have sleep issues from being overweight?

[kaplods]

I was on a cpap machine for sleep apnea. It helped me lost the first 20 lbs (in fact, I wasn't trying to lose weight at all, and even though my doctors told me I'd probably lose some weight without trying - I thought they were nuts).

I also was in so much pain and had such severe copd/asthma symptoms that I had to sleep on a steep incline. We couldn't afford a hospital style bed or even a recliner, so we jacked up the head of the bed (with two car jacks).

Because of arthritis and fibromyalgia and the fat itself, I'd also wake up in extreme pain and pins and needles about every 20 minutes. And on top of it all, I have plmd (like restless leg, except my whole body flops and jerks around). Without medication for the plmd, my husband wouldn't sleep in the same bed with me. He ends up with bruises.

I still wake up frequently needing to change positions, but it's every 2 to 3 hours now, and the sleep apnea disappeared after losing only 35 lbs.

I have no doubt that the obesity played a role in causing the sleep disorders, but sleep disorders contribute to the obesity as well - so it's a self-perpetuating downward spiral (like so many things related to obesity).

The good news is that the spiral works in reverse as well, it's just not quite as self-perpetuating. The downward spiral requires no effort at all, and the upward spiral has to be human-powered.

[Lovely]

Being overweight definitely affected my sleep.

At 330 pounds I could never get comfortable in bed, and I just couldn't breathe easily while laying down.

I found most of my sleeping problems went away after losing just the first 30 pounds! (That was just 10% of my weight.) I'm now having no issues with falling asleep or staying asleep or getting comfortable.

[free1]

When I was around 280, i kept waking all night and just couldn't sleep well. Now that I exercise, I think I'm getting the best sleep that I've ever had in my life.

[fatbottomed girl]

I didn't sleep well at 118 pounds and I don't sleep well now. I think it has more to do with shutting your mind off than anything else. Although I won't discount free1's tip about exercising and a good night's sleep.

[HoosierMomma]

I have a really hard time sleeping and not sure its due to weight gain-its probably due to stress and the inability to turn my mind off.

I use liquid melatonin (cvs) brand and it is better than any other sleep medication I tried-no grogginess or anything. The pill form works ok but in my experience the liquid is amazing. Dh turned 40 this year and has had trouble sleeping and it works great for him too.
Theresa

[seaurchin]

I hate to admit this, but I snored like a freight train before I lost the first 30 lbs. My sleep was constantly interrupted by the jabs at my side from my husband. Sometimes, I would even wake myself up from the noise. Does being overweight affect your sleep? ABSOLUTELY!

[peachypeg]

Sea.....do you still snore???? I had never snored until I got heavy.....will it go away???? (My bf will love it if it does LOL)

[andrew80k]

I didn't snore until I gained weight. Unfortunately, I carry a lot of fat in my face and thereby, my head. This causes most of my issues, and even with losing 22 pounds so far, it has improved. I think that I'll need to lose probably close to 15 or 20 more pounds before it goes away completely. I still have issues sleeping, but the exercise and the weight loss have helped with that. Just not as much as I'd hoped at this point. But I'll keep plugging away at it. I've been thinking of giving the melatonin a try.

[SnowAngel72]

I don't remember which doctor showed I was watching this week. but they said that tart cherry juice will help you get a good nights sleep. (either the doctors or dr. oz) I want to say it was a few sips or a couple of ounces.

Being overweight has certainly affected my sleep. I can't sleep well. When I weighed less I slept a lot better. Even a 10 lb difference in weight will throw off my sleeping.

[Lunula]

I took Ambien for many years because I was an insomniac (as well as Cymbalta for depression and Xanax, when needed, for severe anxiety and panic attacks) - I got myself off ALL medications last spring and I'm actually sleeping better than I did when I was on Ambien. I exercise almost every day, which helps, I eat much better (no more stomach aches and late night digestion) and I have established a pattern of reading for at least 30 minutes before bed, which always makes me sleepy and redirects my brain from the day's problems.

As I have lost weight, I have slept better - but I don't know if the weight itself is the reason - I think it's the exercise, high quality and less food, new habits and overall contentment.

[shapedself]

I noticed I needed a lot more sleep to feel rested, usually around 10 hours. I also noticed it too me longer to snap out of that "get out of bed" lethargic trance.

[astrophe]

Yes. I have allergies and snore and I failed my sleep test so not sure on the sleep apnea yet because I have not rescheduled that.

Sleeping on incline helps with the breathing.

Less stress helps overall.

A.