3 ms·

Do you have any additional resources you recommend on this topic? I've experienced life long restless legs alongside issues with sleep quality, daytime tirednes

Do you have any additional resources you recommend on this topic? I've experienced life long restless legs alongside issues with sleep quality, daytime tiredness and low energy levels so this seems like an interesting avenue to explore.

jonhohle 3y ago
I don’t, just my personal experience. A few years ago I started getting exhausted to the point I was napping every day and getting 10-12 hours asleep and still felt tired. I’ve never been overweight, don’t have any structural occlusions in my airways, though I do snore (so says my wife). I did all of the normal things and got regular exercise. I finally went to a specialist, and got an at home sleep study which found moderate apnea (on the low side of moderate). I spent several months using a CPAP and bought a sleep tracking watch. Nothing improved and I was still tired. The pulmonologist suggested one of my medications affected REM. I was able to stop taking it without any significant issue and my REM improved, but I was still tired. I asked them for an in lab study and did that and it found the same as the home study. I had convinced myself I had narcolepsy or some similar neurological issue. My wife’s friend coincidentally mentioned he had sleep issues and they had found a sleep doctor they liked. He was the first to ask about restless legs and have any blood work done. He confirmed that I have apnea, but thought trying an iron supplement might help based on recent studies and my iron levels. The iron helped almost immediately. Within a week I didn’t need to take a nap, which I had done daily for at least two years. I still use the CPAP because apnea can cause heart issues long term, but don’t “feel” like it does anything in the short term. Usually, the most common thing is the most likely, but when it’s not, it can be really hard to find someone who both believes you and can do something about it. When I was exhausted all of the time, finding that person was even more challenging.

jonhohle 3y ago

I don’t, just my personal experience. A few years ago I started getting exhausted to the point I was napping every day and getting 10-12 hours asleep and still felt tired. I’ve never been overweight, don’t have any structural occlusions in my airways, though I do snore (so says my wife). I did all of the normal things and got regular exercise. I finally went to a specialist, and got an at home sleep study which found moderate apnea (on the low side of moderate). I spent several months using a CPAP and bought a sleep tracking watch. Nothing improved and I was still tired. The pulmonologist suggested one of my medications affected REM. I was able to stop taking it without any significant issue and my REM improved, but I was still tired. I asked them for an in lab study and did that and it found the same as the home study. I had convinced myself I had narcolepsy or some similar neurological issue. My wife’s friend coincidentally mentioned he had sleep issues and they had found a sleep doctor they liked. He was the first to ask about restless legs and have any blood work done. He confirmed that I have apnea, but thought trying an iron supplement might help based on recent studies and my iron levels. The iron helped almost immediately. Within a week I didn’t need to take a nap, which I had done daily for at least two years. I still use the CPAP because apnea can cause heart issues long term, but don’t “feel” like it does anything in the short term. Usually, the most common thing is the most likely, but when it’s not, it can be really hard to find someone who both believes you and can do something about it. When I was exhausted all of the time, finding that person was even more challenging.