Other than sleep apnea, what would cause somebody to fall asleep when not trying?

Question

The person is sleeping reasonable hours. They fall asleep (against their will) while watching TV, writing a letter on the computer, etc.

Answer 1

Sleep apnoea does not do this.. Narcolepsy does this, but true cases are rare.. Lots of time shear exhaustion will do this.. or it could be a warning sign of heart problems. Lack of oxygen in the blood. Your body will shut down to conserve what it has.

Answer 2

Do these attacks happen when they are nervous, excited or laughing at something?

If so it is Cataplexy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataplexy

If they just literally fall asleep and fall down asleep and there is no apparent reason then it is probably narcolepsy.

Sleep Apnea is a sleep condition which means that occasionally during REM sleep you stop breathing for a while at a time which is scary for the partner of the person sharing a bed with them. It does not cause them to fall asleep against their will.

Answer 3

You are so lucky! No matter how tired I am, it always takes about 2 hours for me to fall asleep. I would check with your dr...you didn't mention if you were a guy or girl, but there are certain diseases or conditions that cause chronic fatigue... I have fibromyalgia, which has a main symptom of tiredness...all I ever want to do is lay around...any small activity makes me want to pass out. If you are getting enough sleep and at reasonable hours, again count yourself lucky. If you are really bothered by it, then see a dr. Good luck!

Answer 4

Sleep apnea doesn't cause people to fall asleep against their will. Sleep apnea is when someone who is sleeping stops breathing for a short period of time.

What you describe sounds like narcolepsy

This is what wikipedia says
The main characteristic of narcolepsy is overwhelming excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), even after adequate night time sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy or to fall asleep, often at inappropriate times and places. Daytime naps may occur with or without warning and may be irresistible. These naps can occur several times a day. They are typically refreshing, but only for a few hours. Drowsiness may persist for prolonged periods of time. In addition, night-time sleep may be fragmented with frequent wakenings.

Four other classic symptoms of narcolepsy, which may not occur in all patients, are cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnogogic hallucinations, and automatic behavior. Cataplexy is an episodic condition featuring loss of muscle function, ranging from slight weakness (such as limpness at the neck or knees, sagging facial muscles, or inability to speak clearly) to complete body collapse. Episodes may be triggered by sudden emotional reactions such as laughter, anger, surprise, or fear, and may last from a few seconds to several minutes. The person remains conscious throughout the episode. Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to talk or move when waking up. It may last a few seconds to minutes. This is often frightening but is not dangerous. Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid, often frightening, dream-like experiences that occur while dozing, falling asleep and/or while awakening. Automatic behavior means that a person continues to function (talking, putting things away, etc.) during sleep episodes, but awakens with no memory of performing such activities. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of people with narcolepsy experience automatic behavior during sleep episodes. Daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations also occur in people who do not have narcolepsy, more frequently in people who are suffering from extreme lack of sleep. Cataplexy is generally considered to be unique to narcolepsy.

In most cases, the first symptom of narcolepsy to appear is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness. The other symptoms may begin alone or in combination months or years after the onset of the daytime naps. There are wide variations in the development, severity, and order of appearance of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations in individuals. Only about 20 to 25 percent of people with narcolepsy experience all four symptoms. The excessive daytime sleepiness generally persists throughout life, but sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations may not.

Although these are the common symptoms of narcolepsy, many (although less than 40% of people with narcolepsy)also suffer from insomnia for extended periods of time. This can be from (A)an excess of sleep or (B)common use of self-medications such as energy drinks.

The symptoms of narcolepsy, especially the excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, often become severe enough to cause serious problems in a person's social, personal, and professional lives and severely limit activities.

Answer 5

drugs and alcohol, lots

Answer 6

Sex works for me...