I take cholesterol, anti-depressant, blood presure medicine.All I want to do is sleep during the afternoon Why

Question

I take the blood pressure and cholesterol at night and the anti-depresant during the day.

Answer 1

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a warning sign for sleep apnea which is also a leading cause of treatment resistent depression. Sleep apnea usually occurs in older men who are overweight, but can occur to anyone. Basically when you try to sleep, you're airway closes and you can't breathe. Your blood oxygen level falls until your brain senses the low oxygen and 'wakes' you up to breath. I used paretheses because while you wake up, you probably don't become awake enough to remember.

Anyway, because you never make it to deep sleep, your brain never receovers and you feel tired all the time making you groggy and depressed all day. Most antidepressants don't work if someone has sleep apnea and sleeping pills make things worse because they suppress your brain activity and it takes lower oxygen levels before you 'wake up' to breathe.  

If you are overweight or your partner hears you snoring or waking up to gasp for air, then I would seriously consider a sleep study to diagnose the condition. Most of the time treating sleep apnea alone will improve you sleepiness and depression without the need for medication.

Answer 2

Depending on the anti-depressant you're on, it may be causing the drowsiness. Switch the time you take the anti-depressant to about 9 or 10 pm (around bedtime). See if that helps.

Answer 3

some anti-depressants make people drowsy. but, some blood pressure medications can have the same affect depending on the type you are on. if it's a beta blocker for example they can make someone feel tired or drained. if these medications are newly prescribed try taking them at night and see if that helps. it you've been on them awhile and this is something new - speak with your doctor, maybe something else is going  on.

Answer 4

I don't take any medication and I still want to just sleep in the afternoon.  You could just be lazy.