Symptoms of Sleep Deprivation?
 

Hello,
I am new to this site and want to see if I can get any insight into my symptoms. Starting in early December, I started having the following symptoms. Lightheadedness, some dizziness, tinnitus, headaches, pressure or fullness feeling in my head, poor focus and concentration when critically thinking, interacting with others, driving and looking from one object or area to another. In addition I have had a strong heart beat which I can feel in my head especially at rest. I have had just about every test I can have, MRI, CT, neurological exam, ENT hearing test, and some heart tests. All of these are clear. I feel that some of my symptoms have decreased such as focus and concentration and some of the lightheadedness. However they are still present and all have a significant effect on my life. The doctors do not know what to think. I should note that I do have poor sleep patterns for an unrelated medical condition which started in September. I have been on a sleep aid for 2 1/2 weeks so this has helped as I usually get 8 hours now. The only thing that makes since after doing my research is that these symptoms are due to sleep deprivation. My doctor just says that this is possible. So while the symptoms have minimally reduced they are still present. I should also note that while looking at a computer, reading and driving are when it is most difficult to focus on what I am looking at, however my vision seems to be fine.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, and if anyone has recovered from sleep deprivation how long did it take you? Any other possible diagnoses are wlcomed as well
Thank You!

Keep going
 

Sleep or more correctly lack of quality sleep can be as a result of probably hundreds of illness's and other conditions, even our envirenment can effect it.
I suppose from the outset I would think to look for negative reaction/side effects from new or exising medications.
You have had what I would have thought of next, the CT scans etc. U did not have a PET scan though which can show imbalance or poor uptake of some chemicals etc.
In my previous posts I have consistently advised or suggested a full sleep study which will monitor your brain activity while asleep, your oxygen level, heartrate and if you are stoping breathing "apnea".
If we think about it we sleep for up to a third of our life and yet so little is fully known about what actually happens in this state.
It may just be you have slipped into a spiral of worry and stress from personal issues in your life but my own head is so mixed up a lot of the time I am not the one to talk to. Talking is good if this is the case and maybe one of the other forums here could advise you further.
Good luck and best wishes for you to regain your health.

I don't know if you had a vitamin B12 test, but if you did and your result was 180, or above, you were probably told your level was "normal". Here in the US a B12 level is considered normal if it is 180. However, in Japan the lowest level that is considered Normal is 550. The reason for 550 is that at that level a change for the worse in mentation takes place.

All of the symptoms you mention are associated with low vitamin B12.

For me, the "lightheadedness" struck a bell in that I had a serious problem with that when I was living in hydrogen sulfide from a full outdoor toilet pit over which my condo had been built. It had not been disclosed to me.

Although vitamin B12 did nothing to remove the hydrogen sulfide in the air in my home, it did improve how I felt.

Stress affects B12 levels. It feels as if stress gobbles up B12. And, the lower one's B12 level, generally the harder it becomes to sleep.

Now I routinely use melatonin to help me fall asleep, and I sleep really well.

B12 is not dangerous. You could buy methylcobalamin lozenges and try them, see if they make a difference.

When I began having B12 replacement therapy, it took about two months for significant changes to materialize. That was a shot a month.

B12 lozenges work as well as shots, but since one 1mg B12 lozenge a day for a month equals a shot, they appear to take longer to work.