Sleep apnea is under-diagnosed
Especially in women and people who aren't overweight. It is a major cause of broken sleep, daytime fatigue, and cognitive decline. Worth screening for before assuming anything else.
Restthatrestores.
Sleep that breaks at 3am, energy that fades by mid-afternoon. Common, but not something to accept.
“Older doesn't have to mean tired. Most of what makes people feel old is addressable when you look at the right things.”
Sleep changes with age, that's real. But the gap between normal age-related changes and the broken, fragmented sleep many older adults put up with is enormous. So is the gap between low afternoon energy and the chronic fatigue many people carry.
Both are usually fixable. Sleep apnea, medication side effects, thyroid drift, nutrient gaps, hormonal change, depression, alcohol, these are common drivers, and each has a clear path.
What matters here.
Energy is metabolic
Thyroid, iron, B12, blood sugar, mitochondrial nutrients. These are the levers. We test for them and treat what's deficient.
Medications are often the culprit
Sleep meds, blood pressure meds, antidepressants, and others can each sap energy or fragment sleep. A careful review with your prescriber finds these.
How I think about sleep & energy.
What I assess
Full thyroid, ferritin, B12 with MMA, vitamin D, fasting insulin and HbA1c, sex hormones and DHEA, hsCRP, kidney and liver function. Sleep architecture from a wearable or sleep study. Medication review.
The sleep work
Sleep apnea screening where indicated. Light exposure, morning sun, dim evenings. Bedroom temperature, alcohol load, evening fluids. Targeted supplements matched to your case, not a blanket recipe. Hormone support where it fits.
The energy work
Fix what's deficient, often ferritin, B12, vitamin D. Optimize thyroid to free T3, not just TSH. Stabilize blood sugar. IV therapy when the depletion is significant. Strength training, because fatigue and weakness reinforce each other.
Considered.
Tested.
Re‑tested.
Most older adults feel a clear shift in 6–12 weeks of targeted work. Deeper changes, particularly hormonal or sleep-related ones, settle over three to six months.
Therapies I'd likely use
You’re probably wondering.
01
Is waking at 3am normal as you age?
It's common, but not inevitable. Cortisol patterns, blood sugar dips, sleep apnea, and hormonal shifts all drive it. Each is testable. Most are treatable.
02
Will IV therapy help my energy?
If you're nutrient-depleted, often noticeably. I test first to know what to give. Without that, it's expensive guesswork.
03
My doctor says my thyroid is fine. Could it still be the issue?
Often yes. Standard testing usually only checks TSH. Free T3, free T4, and thyroid antibodies tell a more complete story, especially when you're symptomatic.
04
Why Dr. Rigobert Kefferputz?
I treat the totality of the person: body, mind, and spirit as one interconnected system. Naturopathic medicine gives me a wide toolbox: clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, acupuncture, IV therapy, somatic approaches, and more. I don't apply protocols; I look for the pattern underneath your symptoms and build care that fits your specific life.
