Karine Lindgaard was driving down the motorway at 135 kilometers per hour when she suddenly felt her eyelids grow heavy.
She tried everything: rolling down the windows, turning up the music, drinking coffee. But nothing worked.
Moments later, the car drifted across the rumble strips in the overtaking lane, jolting her awake.
The incident became a frightening wake-up call. For months, she struggled with episodes of falling asleep behind the wheel as her sleep problems worsened.
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What began as mild restlessness at night turned into a serious condition where she rarely slept more than an hour each night.
The hidden impact of menopause
Karine’s difficulties began when she entered menopause. Her sleep became erratic, her energy faded, and daily life grew increasingly difficult.
To stay awake, she turned to large amounts of coffee and sugary snacks. The quick boost helped for a moment, but over time it only made things worse.
Fatigue, pain, and weight gain became constant companions. She describes how her quality of life deteriorated as she searched for something that could help.
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A surprising form of treatment
After five years of severe sleep deprivation, Karine decided to seek professional help.
This led her to try alternative therapies such as acupuncture and floating therapy, where the body rests weightlessly in warm saltwater.
The effect came gradually. With each session, her sleep improved, and eventually she experienced something she hadn’t felt in five years, a full night’s rest.
Her sleep stabilized, her energy returned, and she no longer feared falling asleep while driving.
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Today, Karine hopes her story will encourage others to take sleep problems seriously and to seek help, no matter which form of treatment might work for them.
The National Institute on Aging recommends, among other things, maintaining the same sleep schedule throughout the week, avoiding naps, and limiting caffeine intake to achieve better sleep.
This article is based on information from TV 2, and National Institute on Aging.
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