May 23, 2004
Other, Type 2
Question from Ohio, USA:
My husband is 50 and is very dedicated to proper eating and exercise. His readings are usually in the good range. When he is in a vehicle for an hour or more, he falls asleep. The time of day has no bearing, he simply cannot stay awake. His doctor said he’s never heard of it two years and he has been a diabetic for three years. Is this connected to his disease or does it have another cause? If it is diabetes related why does it happen and what can we do about it?
Answer:
I would be concerned that he may have some sort of sleep disturbance. I would be concerned that it is sleep apnea. If he has severe snoring at night where he stops breathing, this disrupts his sleep patterns and does not allow him to advance into deeper sleep. He then may have daytime somnolence where he just drops off at the tip of a hat. I would suggest seeing a pulmonary physician with a specialty in sleep medicine. This service is commonly available in most larger medical centers.
JTL
