Falling asleep in the middle of the day

Fatigue can be difficult to overcome and an occasional nap is sometimes needed as long as it is not interfering with your evening rest. My movement disorder specialist has said if a nap is imminent make it for no more than 30 to 45 minutes. If I awake feeling rested that is fine. Usually if I feel sleepy I try to distract myself. However it seems as if you may be experiencing more episodes. Have you consulted your neurologist ? It may be wise to seek out a movement disorder specialist who has additional training in movement issues. I wish you all the best. Thea DeStephano Community Team Member

@CommunityMember5e579c Falling asleep in the afternoon. Well, I know that feeling well. From my perspective, it revolves around the kind of therapy we take for Parkinson's, how much sleep you are getting (And the quality of that sleep), and Parkinson's itself. The drugs most of us take, Carbidopa/Levodopa, and dopamine agonists, all can alter sleep patterns. This refers to this: "Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is defined as an inability to maintain wakefulness or alertness during the major waking episodes of the day. It is distinguished from fatigue, a subjective lack of physical or mental energy." Thea is correct in suggesting that a nap can help. I am constantly trying to improve my evening sleep and to make it last longer than a few hours (i.e., quality and quantity). Do you have problems with just trying to avoid falling asleep in the afternoon, or are you having "sleep attacks" where you suddenly instantly fall asleep? We could discuss this for a while, but I advise you to talk this over with your Neurologist and get their knowledge. I would recommend keeping a log of your night's sleep pattern (length of time, quality of sleep) and seeing if that tracks with increasing episodes of being sleepy in the afternoon. Another thing to consider is eating smaller meals spaced out because a large meal can make you drowsy. Finally, exercise and stretching in the afternoon might be a way to counter the sleepy feeling. Good luck, Frank C. for the PD.net Team