Sooo tired of falling asleep during movies and TV shows !!!

I do it, and I finally figured out why.

I grew up in a really small house. My bedroom was next to the living room where the only TV in the house was. I could hear the TV through the walls and I grew up going to sleep to the sound of the news and The Tonight Show. Still to this day, I sleep best when the television is on (the flashing light of the television bothers DH, so I use headphones at night and stream either TV shows or podcasts all night long. And I'm asleep in seconds)  I have to be careful what channel is on because certain things, like infomercials, find their way into my dreams. Oddly enough, Forensic Files is my favorite. The narrator has a soothing, calming, and even voice.  It's not so much about the content as it is about the pace and tone of the voices.

I fall asleep more often than not during tv shows and movies. I think it has more to do with the fact that I'm sitting down and relaxing than anything else. I've even fallen asleep in the theater.

in the evening , around 7 or so...and I am older

I do it constantly.  As soon as I sit down I set the DVR to record anything I want to watch.  That way I can catch up later without the annoying commercials.

I blame it on the fact that I'm most mornings by 5:30 so by the time something good comes on I'm beat, has nothing to do with the fact I'm old.

I don't do this any more, but it was a problem for me at one time. In my case, I learned I had apnea issues. I wasn't getting a proper rest during the night, no matter how long I slept. My body was constantly being disturbed by oxygen deprivation. One of the signs apnea is falling asleep in inappropriate conditions. Ask your husband if he has ever noticed you holding your breath at night and then suddenly gasping for air. I'm not saying that apnea is the only reason people fall asleep soon after sitting down to relax, but it is one symptom, and it could be quite serious if it is apnea, so it is worth paying attention to.

Are you diabetic or have kidney problems? Those will cause you to nod off.

I always fall asleep at home during movies and tv. But I wake up at 5 am and work a job where I'm standing at least 50% of the time so I don't feel bad about it.

I've been doing the same thing over the last year. But I think I have some health issues going on because this isn't normal for me at all. I have some appointments coming up this week. It's frustrating for sure because it used to be my DH that was always dozing off early.

My son has a friend who does this every time they go to the movies and they are both 20 yrs old!!!

Did you have another sleep test before your doctor decided you no longer needed your CPAP?  I'm just curious.  Unfortunately, so many doctors still believe that apnea is strictly related to your weight.  It isn't.  A normal weight or even underweight person can have apnea.  So can a child.  There are so many people that are suffering from apnea and are undiagnosed because some doctors still don't know enough about it.


When I was first diagnosed, I joined an apnea support group.  One of the members was a young doctor.  He was very athletic and certainly not overweight.  He had just finished all of his medical education about 5 years prior to finally discovering he had apnea.  Here he was, a doctor, and he never considered it as the cause for all of his recent issues.  None of the doctors he saw recognized it either.  I don't recall exactly how it was caught for him, but he was quite surprised an a bit angry that in all the years of training he had just undergone, apnea was not even discussed once.  So that means that the majority of doctors out there are probably not as familiar with it or the causes as they should be.  They still believe it is something only older men who are overweight can have.  They don't even consider it for women or children.

The doctor and a couple of other members of the group joined together and wrote a piece about apnea and how so many doctors are not educated in the proper diagnostic tools.  It was really interesting to read it.  I will see if I can find it and post a link in this thread.  

And if I were you, bbkeef, I would ask for another sleep test to be positive you are not still suffering from apnea.  Perhaps not as severe as it once was because weight can be a factor for some people if they carry weight in the neck area that would put pressure on the throat when you lay down, thereby narrowing the airway.  Especially since untreated apnea can kill you.  But not everyone is like that.  Or maybe just try using your CPAP again and see if you feel more rested and can stay awake when you should.

I didn't have any issues until I had my neck surgery.  After that, I now have apnea and I also have difficulty swallowing and gag on foods if I don't drink water throughout a meal.  My uneducated guess is perhaps scar tissue plays a part?  I don't know.  But at that time, I did not have a weight issue at all.    If anything, I was underweight. (oh, for that issue now!)SaveSave

That's my hubby. I tell him to sit up and watch tv. It's easier to fall asleep when you are laying down on the couch then sitting up. I could fall asleep if I was laying down and it was close to bedtime. But I'm sitting up and usually on my phone, laptop or crocheting so it's not too easy to fall asleep.

Not in theaters, but when I am watching TV in bed at night I fall asleep in the middle of the show. For anything I really want to see I make sure to set the DVR. This way I can watch the rest the next day!