Always be sleepy: symptoms, causes, and remedies for daytime sleepiness
By now you have tried them all, from coffee to energy drinks, but there is nothing that can wake you up completely? Don't panic, it is a rather common condition that you are always sleepy. In medicine we speak of "hypersomnia", a term which refers to that sense of excessive tiredness that accompanies many people at any time of day. There may be several symptoms as well as the causes of this disorder and, to get a clearer picture of the situation, you should contact your doctor. you feel you are always sleepy and would like to find out more about this condition, all you have to do is read this article, in which we will show you all the information regarding "excessive daytime sleepiness", or daytime sleepiness and possible remedies.
But before reading this, watch this video and discover the best natural remedies to be able to sleep well!
What is hypersomnia?
Always being sleepy means experiencing a feeling of perennial tiredness throughout the day. The medical term for this disorder is hypersomnia. In the event that the level of drowsiness worsens and forces those who suffer from this disorder to sleep even for whole days, it is called "Kleine Levin syndrome". In this case, hypersomnia is accompanied by cognitive and behavioral disorders. In general, feeling tired is not a condition that must necessarily cause concern, however, if the sleepiness becomes excessive and comes to compromise the regular performance of daily activities, it is good to contact a doctor for a more in-depth consultation.
The causes
The causes behind excessive sleepiness, especially if during the day, can be various and it is important to know them in order to be able to identify the origin of the problem and be able to solve it at the root. This article aims to offer you a general overview of this disorder, but for clearer answers we suggest you contact your doctor, who will undergo any specialist tests and analyzes. But first of all, let's see what the causes of hypersomnia may be:
- Sleep disturbances: Sleeping badly at night is a common cause of daytime sleepiness. Our body, in fact, shows fatigue because it needs to recover the sleep lost during the night hours.
- Bad lifestyle: at the origin of hypersomnia we can find a series of wrong and unhealthy habits such as incorrect nutrition, excessive consumption of alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, prolonged exposure to technological devices such as TVs and smartphones before to go to sleep.
- Nocturia: those who suffer from nocturia, that is a frequent need to urinate during the night, will inevitably and repeatedly have sleep interrupted by this physiological need. The next day, as a result, he will experience a strong sense of fatigue due, in fact, to these interruptions.
- Obstructive sleep apnea: People with this respiratory disorder are forced to wake up during the night whenever they feel short of breath.
- Insomnia: Sleep deprivation at night causes sleepiness and numbness for the rest of the day.
- Narcolepsy: those suffering from this disorder fall asleep suddenly and involuntarily during the day, even while carrying out daily actions.
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Other causes of hypersomnia:
- Restless Legs Syndrome
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Change of season
- Circadian disturbances of the sleep-wake rhythm, such as in the case of jet lag
- Use of drugs, especially antidepressants, among the side effects of which we find drowsiness, disorientation and confusion
Symptoms
Apart from that numbness and light-headedness we talked about above, what are the other main symptoms of daytime sleepiness? Let's see them together below:
- lack of energy
- exhaustion
- laziness
- feeling of fatigue
- heavy eyelids
- irritability
- frequent yawning
- irrepressible need to rub your eyes
Remedies
At this point you may be wondering how to solve the problem and return to lead a yawn-free life. There are several remedies with which it is possible to treat and prevent hypersomnia, let's see some of them:
- Find the most suitable environment for sleeping comfortably and without any source of disturbance.
- Start a routine so your body gets used to sleep only at a specific time of day. For example, you can try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
- Avoid drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages before bed.
- Stay away from your pc, television or phone screen. The blue lights transmitted by these technological tools, in fact, have an exciting effect on the brain and disturb the natural sleep-wake rhythm.
- If necessary, use ear plugs and eye masks.
- Make sure the mattress and pillows you sleep on are comfortable enough.
- Practice physical activity on a regular basis, preferably early in the day. By doing this, your body, exhausted by the exercises performed, will take less time to relax and you will fall asleep more easily.
- If you just can't stay awake, give yourself twenty minutes of power nap as soon as you get the chance. This very brief moment of rest will help you regain the energy you need to face the rest of the day.
- In the event that your drowsiness is the symptom or the consequence of a more serious disorder, such as insomnia or narcolepsy, it will be the doctor's task to indicate the most suitable treatment for you, with the possible prescription of drugs.
