During the last few months I have beend very sleepy needing 10 hours a
day. This cuts heavily into anything I plan to do. Doctors have no
advice. I am 77 with the heart condition IHSS and prostate cancer
which had been treated with radiation and hormone treatment. Does
anybody have any advice on how to reduce the number of hours I need to
sleep? Am I missing any nutrients or can some drugs cause sleepyness?

Sleepiness is a common symptom of depression.  Are you depressed?  As
a person grows older and experiences illness such as prostate cancer,
they can become depressed.  You should talk to your doctor and explore
the possibility that your sleepiness is caused by depression.  Even
mild depression can make you want to sleep.

Also, you may need to get more exercise - walking is one of the best
forms of exercise.  Get out and get some fresh air and exercise - it
will make you feel so much better and believe it or not give you more
energy.

Good luck and may God bless you.

Yes, there are many drugs that can cause sleepyness.

The reduction in testosterone from Androgen ablation is probably a key one.

A few key issues to bring up with your doctor, or a different doctor.

1.) Address the quality of your sleep.  If you frequently wake at
night, this can cause you to be tired from not getting 'quality
sleep'.  Sleep clinics can be helpful for examining your sleep
paterns.

2.) Address all of your medications.  For instance Beta-blockers
commonly used for high blood pressure can really mess up your sleep.

3.) Address the necessity of your medications. Can you try a different
medication that has less issues.

4.) Address other anatomical of biological problems that might be
causing sleep difficulty.  For instance, nasal blockages, or sleep
apnea.

As far as nutrients, it would be difficult to tell without examining
your diet.  The fact that you're complaining about sleeping 10 hours a
day suggests to me that you are quite healthy.  Eating good diet with
plenty of fluids, fiber and nutrition is very important.

As far as what a normal level of sleep is, I don't know the answer. I
would guess that it may be quite individualistic and difficult to know
what is 'normal for you'.

dr_bob-ga is not a doctor.  He just plays one on the internet.  He
sits around unshaven, in his unsoiled pajamas and makes unsolicited
comments on google answers.  Consult with a real doctor before using
any information obtained from such an unreliable and questionably
sober source.