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Sleeping Eight Hours, Working Variable Timings, Short Tempered, Grouchy, Tiredness, No Energy

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Posted on Sun, 22 Jul 2012
Question: I just got married in March. My husband works weird hours and says he never gets any sleep. Some nights it might be about six, but lately I have beeen keeping track. He gets a good 8 to ten hours of sleep. He is always tired and never ever has any energy.

He is always grouchy and shor tempered to where I can hardly even stand being around him. I have told him he needs to go to the dr, but he just says it is cuz he hasn't slept for two months. He does work 7 days a week right now. The other day, he slept for 8 hours, the next day he went to work at 6, i stopped t the house and he showed up about 10:15, laid down and was asleep. I called two hours later and woke him up, he went back to work and was off at 4:30. Ate dinner, went to bed at six, slept til 5 am.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Hema Yadav (2 hours later)
Hello ,
Thanks for posting your query.
The problem with your husbands sleep is not the quantity but quality.
Our body needs atleast 6-8 hrs of regular unfragmented restful sleep to feel refreshed.
Sleeping at irregular times or in breaks or even excessive sleeping cannot compensate for the loss. Such sleep can not make a person feel refreshed.
However the problem in his case might also be some underlying medical condition causing excessive sleepiness , weight gain, mood disorder like thyroid or other endocrine problems, hyperlipidemia ,obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome etc.
You have rightfully advised him to seek medical help .A doctor after thorough evaluation and investigation( blood thyroid , lipid profiles, polysomnography etc) can confirm the diagnosis and start appropriate management.
Meanwhile he may try the following tips ,
1. The most important change would be to stick to a more regular work and sleep timings as far as possible. Even 6hrs daily sleep at same time intervals would be better than broken erratic schedules .
2.Daily exercise or relaxation techniques like yoga , for 30 min atleast can improve the energy levels and health.
3. Drinking plenty if water and eating regular balanced diet will improve his vitality.
4. A multivitamin supplement as per his doctors prescription might help .
5. Sharing his worries or anxieties would help him come up with any personal issues causing unusual stress which can cause sleep disturbances.
Sometimes chronic infections or immunological disorders may have such symptoms so it's best not to neglect it and get a consultation a with a physician as per feasibility.
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Hema Yadav

Pediatrician, Infectious Diseases

Practicing since :2005

Answered : 1528 Questions

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Sleeping Eight Hours, Working Variable Timings, Short Tempered, Grouchy, Tiredness, No Energy

Hello ,
Thanks for posting your query.
The problem with your husbands sleep is not the quantity but quality.
Our body needs atleast 6-8 hrs of regular unfragmented restful sleep to feel refreshed.
Sleeping at irregular times or in breaks or even excessive sleeping cannot compensate for the loss. Such sleep can not make a person feel refreshed.
However the problem in his case might also be some underlying medical condition causing excessive sleepiness , weight gain, mood disorder like thyroid or other endocrine problems, hyperlipidemia ,obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome etc.
You have rightfully advised him to seek medical help .A doctor after thorough evaluation and investigation( blood thyroid , lipid profiles, polysomnography etc) can confirm the diagnosis and start appropriate management.
Meanwhile he may try the following tips ,
1. The most important change would be to stick to a more regular work and sleep timings as far as possible. Even 6hrs daily sleep at same time intervals would be better than broken erratic schedules .
2.Daily exercise or relaxation techniques like yoga , for 30 min atleast can improve the energy levels and health.
3. Drinking plenty if water and eating regular balanced diet will improve his vitality.
4. A multivitamin supplement as per his doctors prescription might help .
5. Sharing his worries or anxieties would help him come up with any personal issues causing unusual stress which can cause sleep disturbances.
Sometimes chronic infections or immunological disorders may have such symptoms so it's best not to neglect it and get a consultation a with a physician as per feasibility.
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries.
Regards