OT - What could make my fiancee sleep so much??

My fiancee needs 9-10 hours of sleep a night and still gets sleepy during the day. She has thyroid issues, but they are balanced right now. She's been this way for a long time, but it seems troubling to her. She is having anxiety issues because of having to drive 10 minutes on a dark highway when she moves in with me... because she fears she'll nod off and crash when it's dark out.

What could be an issue here if it is not depression or her thyroid? She has high cholesterol... like really high, even though she is not overweight. Other than that I'm not sure. I keep thinking it could be a hormone thing, but am not sure how to even approach that.

Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated. Tonight I had to deal with her being an emotional wreck because she's scared of falling asleep driving. It's happening almost weekly now and I hate it...

She exercises, yes. Caffeine gives her IBS type problems so she stays away more often than not nowadays.

We don't really know about the cholesterol to my knowledge. She was tested last year and recently, and shown both times to be WAY above normal. Both her parents are on cholesterol medicine even though they eat healthily and walk every morning. They easily do a few miles a day walking I think, and some days do 6-7 miles or more.

Def check D and Iron. Once you start getting into hormones... whoa. Crazy stuff.
Also... maybe her thyroid issues are not in balance as much as you guys thought?

How long has she been tired like this? She could be pregnant (always a natural assumption for me) if she's only been experiencing this for a short time now...she should definitely get her blood checked, maybe she's too low on iron.

Sounds like she needs to get a physical exam including a complete blood work.
Perhaps she also needs to try some stress-reducing techniques including exercise and meditation.
I believe that high cholesterol can be inherited. Had a cousin whose total was greater than 300 (not good). She had to take medication despite losing weight and changing diet.

I recently started a daily dose of 100 mg Qunol Ultra CoQ10 (ubiquinone) which has resulted in higher energy. Might be something to consider.

Edit - I remembered attending a seminar by a pharmacist who promoted using supplements (rather than drugs) when possible. She suggested using CoQ10.

Here's a site that links the supplement with thyroid issues:
http://www.naturalendocrinesolutions.com/archives/coq10-thyroid-health/

Hope this info is helpful
IAS

Sleep therapist. Thanks to modern technology they can now do a sleep study at home so it's not so inconvenient.

When I was sick with UC I would sleep 8-10 hours a night (or try to) and I'd still be tired. Now that I'm about 4 months out from my first surgery I'm sleeping about 6 hours a night and feeling more rested than when I was in bed for 8-10 hours.

Some people just need more sleep than others but if she's still exhausted during the day then there is something not right and should seek help.

She's depressed about the anxiety of the driving thing.

Thanks everyone! Have to get back after work tonight and reply!

They just talked about this on Live with Kelly & Michael this morning. The report said if you are sleeping 9-10 hours each day it's time to go to the doctor and get checked out because it could indicate an underlying health problem or depression.

- Some people need more sleep than others. If she's still tired after 9-10 hours, that's worrisome, but 9-10 hours itself isn't too weird.
- How recent an issue is this?
- When was the last time her thyroid was checked? Knowing several people who are on thyroid meds, you have to get checked at least twice a year. The correct dosage of medication for her today might not be the same dosage she was prescribed, and that's a normal fluctuation. Too much thyroid medication can lead to a lot of wacky symptoms, including fatigue.
- Definitely have iron levels checked. Iron level issues may be secondary to thyroid issues. Often, both are treated at the same time.
- Have her periods been weird/delayed?

Honestly, it's probably her thyroid and iron, but it's worth knowing how long this has been going on, and if there's anything else going on. Depression could also be at play, or at least stress over beign tired could make the problem worse.

She could also have sleep apnea, not everyone who has it is overweight. I have a dear friend who is stick thin but has terrible sleep apnea. It is worth getting checked out. She was having similar issues, always tired, needed lots of sleep, etc.

My first thoughts were also depression or sleep apnea...while she may be sleeping, or laying in bed, it may not be good quality sleep.

I get up several times a night to pee and I'm exhausted by mid afternoon