Sleepiness can be accompanied by irritability, attention deficit, a feeling of heaviness in the eyelids, frequent yawning and an urge to rub the eyes.
Once the cause of excessive sleepiness has been determined, the doctor can establish a treatment plan. For most people, this involves changing their habits, changing the environment in which they rest, and adopting behaviors to promote sleep. In some cases, additional medical tests or sleep studies may be indicated.
and / or little is immediately associated with sleepiness by the person suffering from it. On some occasions, fragmented or disturbed sleep causes evident nocturnal awakenings and, consequently, waking up tired is correlated to these episodes; at other times, unconscious interruptions occur which are equally capable of interfering with the duration and quality of sleep, causing drowsiness during the day.
Sleep deprivation can be short-lived or chronic and can itself be caused by numerous sleep disorders and other medical conditions.
A fairly common reason for excessive sleepiness is obstructive sleep apnea. Affected people experience short breathing pauses during the night, and as a result, they tend to wake up many times. These awakenings continually interrupt the natural alternation of deep (NREM) and light (REM) phases of sleep. As a result, obstructive sleep apnea sufferers experience a fragmentation of physiological rest leading to sleep deprivation (or deficiency). Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a less common disorder, but this condition also contributes to drowsiness.
Insomnia is another common cause of excessive sleepiness: lack of sleep and difficulty staying asleep for the optimal 7-9 hours do not allow adequate recovery for effective daily activities. Insomnia is often related to other sleep disorders described here which in turn contribute to excessive sleepiness.
Another less common sleep disorder that causes excessive sleepiness is narcolepsy: sufferers fall asleep involuntarily and briefly during the day, while talking, eating or driving. In addition to feeling marked sleepiness during the day, narcoleptic people often they experience sleep disturbances at night, which aggravates the problem of daytime numbness.
Other sleep disorders that contribute to daytime sleepiness include:
- Restless Legs Syndrome;
- Circadian disturbances of the sleep-wake rhythm (jet lag and shift worker syndrome);
- Sleep deprivation for:
- Don't prioritize sleep: Sleep deficiency is often driven by voluntary choices that reduce available rest time and can cause sleepiness the next day. For example, a person who decides to stay up late to watch a TV series may experience acute sleep deprivation. The problem can build up over time: when these choices cause a lack of rest for an extended period of time, insufficient sleep syndrome can develop.
- Poor sleep quality: Sleep deficiency affects not only sleep less than necessary, but sleep quality as well. The phases of sleep do not occur once a night, but alternate several times for a total of 5-6 complete cycles lasting 90-100 minutes. When you go to bed, the first part of sleep is deep and it is difficult to wake up in this phase of rest. Approximately after the first three hours from falling asleep, sleep becomes lighter and this is the moment when, if internal or external causes intervene, nocturnal awakenings occur. If these interruptions are frequent and not all stages of deep (NREM) to light (REM) sleep occur throughout the night, you will inevitably feel tired the next day, even if you sleep for the recommended number of hours. .
- Frequent nocturnal urination: This condition, known as nocturia, involves the need to get out of bed at night to pee.
