Q:

Hi there,
I am taking a 17 credit load and working around 10 hours a week, so a manageable schedule. I get around 7 hours of sleep every night. My problem is that I haven't gotten through many days without falling asleep in class. This is unlike me, its embarrassing and has started to frustrate me a great deal. Is it something I just need to work through, or maybe grab coffee before each class? Or is there something I can be doing to limit these occasions? Thank you for your time.

Too sleepy to study

 

A:

You are plenty busy, so 7 hours a night may not be sufficient given your stress load. However, falling asleep in class is unusual for most motivated students and if you are not self-medicating with alcohol, marijuana or other sedating recreational substances, you may need an evaluation for a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. There are sleep specialists in Bellingham, but starting with an appointment with us first makes sense.

~The Doc