Sleep and illness..
Some people feel waves of excessive drowsiness, especially during the day. Is the reason for the body's need for rest, or are there medical and health conditions behind it?
Struggling to stay awake can impair performance at school and work, put pressure on social and personal relationships, and create serious risks when driving.
Uncontrollable yawning, heavy eyelids, and a strong urge to sleep during the day are among the most common signs of excessive sleepiness.
The most common causes of excessive sleepiness are sleep deprivation and disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.
But it can also cause depression, other psychological problems, and some medications and medical conditions that affect the brain and body, causing drowsiness during the day.
Recognizing excessive daytime drowsiness (EDS) is essential and is a first step towards addressing the problem, so it is essential to consult a doctor to determine its causes and improve sleep habits, which will improve your daily productivity, mood and general health.
What is excessive daytime sleepiness?
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is difficulty staying awake or alert when you need to, and many experts define EDS as distinct from fatigue which involves a strong feeling of physical exhaustion.
According to sleepfoundation, recent research indicates that excessive sleepiness is becoming a major problem for people.
For example, a 2020 US National Sleep Foundation survey found that nearly half of Americans reported feeling sleepy 3 to 7 days a week, while 40 percent of adults said their sleepiness sometimes interfered with daily activities.
Some sources refer to EDS as "hypersomnia," although the latter is a broader term that includes problems such as sleeping for long periods at night, which is different from excessive daytime sleepiness or situations that require alertness.
What causes excessive sleepiness during the day?
Excessive daytime sleepiness is not a health problem in itself, but it may be a symptom of an underlying problem.
The causes of excessive daytime sleepiness can be divided into two parts: the first is caused by short-term or chronic sleep deprivation, and the second is caused by many other medical conditions.
Causes of excessive sleepiness as a result of sleep deprivation include:
1- Not choosing to sleep
Choosing to stay up late watching a series or getting up early to go to the gym are examples of how sleep is disrupted, causing drowsiness the next day, and the problem can build up over time to become known as "inadequate sleep syndrome."
2- Insomnia
This condition includes a group of problems that make it difficult for you to fall asleep or stay asleep as long as you want to, and insomnia is often associated with the other sleep problems described here that lead to excessive sleepiness.
3- Sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder characterized by short pauses in breathing during the night, creating interrupted sleep that typically causes daytime drowsiness and may affect up to 20% of adults.
4- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
This condition causes a strong sensation of needing to move the extremities, especially the legs, and is a known risk of disrupting the overall sleep time and quality of sleep.
5- circadian rhythm disturbances during sleep and wakefulness
When a person's sleep schedule is not compatible with the local day-night cycle, it can cause short and fragmented sleep, examples being jet lag and sleep problems among shift workers.
6- Poor sleep quality
Inadequate sleep is not just about lack of sleep but about its quality. People who do not progress smoothly through sleep cycles may fail to get enough deep sleep or REM sleep, and as a result may not wake up refreshed even if they sleep for a number of days. Recommended hours.
7- Pain
Any illness that causes pain, including arthritis, fibromyalgia or herniated discs, can complicate sleep and make a person prone to daytime sleepiness.
8- Frequent urination at night
This condition involves the need to get out of bed during the night to urinate, and is estimated to affect 1 in 3 older adults and 1 in 5 younger people.
Excessive sleepiness caused by medical conditions
There are many medical and brain conditions that cause excessive daytime sleepiness, as follows:
1- Medicines
Medications, especially pain medications, sedatives, antidepressants, and histamines, can make a person feel sleepy and confused during the day. In addition, withdrawing some medications can make you sleepy.
2- Mental health disorders
Mental health disorders can often cause drowsiness, for example: approximately 80% of people with major depression are thought to experience excessive daytime sleepiness.
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Bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generalized anxiety disorder are also associated with sleep problems that may lead to episodes of excessive sleepiness.
3- brain problems
Several brain conditions can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, including:
Narcolepsy is a prominent example because it is a neurological condition in which the brain cannot properly regulate the sleep-wake cycle, affecting one in every 2,000 people and making them prone to falling asleep quickly, including at inappropriate times.
Neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia and Parkinson's disease, are associated with sleep difficulties and daytime sleepiness.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions usually cause sleep problems, and brain tumors or lesions may increase sleepiness.
Infections, including meningitis and those that cause encephalitis (swelling of the brain),It can also lead to EDS.
Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects millions of children and adults, cause a range of sleep problems, including daytime sleepiness.
31% of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been found to have daytime sleepiness, and sleep problems may persist into adulthood for people with this neurodevelopmental disorder.
4- Metabolic problems
Other health problems can make a person sleepy during the day, such as metabolic problems, including diabetes and hypothyroidism.
5- Certain medical conditions
Medical conditions such as anemia, abnormal levels of sodium in the blood, and an electrolyte imbalance can provoke excessive sleepiness and become risk factors for drowsiness.