Excessive daytime sleepiness causes and solutions

Do you find it challenging to stay awake and alert throughout the day? If so, you’re not alone. Many adults struggle with staying awake during the day and may experience symptoms of daytime sleepiness. Among the various kinds of sleep disorders, excessive daytime sleepiness is particularly common and can be quite problematic as well. It’s a relatively common complaint among people who struggle to get enough sleep at night and can make it challenging to go about your day. Read on for more information about causes and solutions for excessive daytime sleepiness.

Excessive daytime sleepiness:

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a medical condition that affects millions of people. It is characterized by extreme tiredness and the inability to stay awake during the day. People with EDS are excessively sleepy during their waking hours, even after getting enough sleep at night. Excessive daytime sleepiness is when you’re excessively tired throughout your waking hours. It can have a number of causes and can be either short-term or long-term. Most of the time, excessive daytime sleepiness can be remedied with lifestyle changes, like getting more sleep, changing your diet, or reducing stress. However, in some cases, excessive daytime sleepiness can be a sign of something more serious, like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, depression, or a sleep disorder. If you think you might be experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, it’s important to see your doctor to rule out any underlying causes.

Causes of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

There are a number of different causes of daytime sleepiness, each of which is treated a little differently. The following list outlines some of the most common causes of excessive daytime sleepiness:

Shift work disorder:

Shift work disorder describes the common symptoms of sleep disruption that can occur as a result of working at night, on rotating shifts, or on other non-traditional schedules. It’s most common among workers in the healthcare and transportation industries.

Depression: 

Many people who struggle with depression also experience sudden excessive sleepiness. The causes of this are complex and involve many different factors, but researchers believe it may have something to do with a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Neurological disorders: 

Certain neurological disorders, like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, can cause EDS. If you have a neurological disorder and experience EDS, you may want to talk to your doctor about treatment options

Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism is a condition where the thyroid gland is overactive and produces too little thyroid hormone. This can lead to a number of symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness.

Medications:

Sudden excessive sleepiness in elderly might be due to medications. Some medications can cause EDS as a side effect, including antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and medications for diabetes. If you’re taking any medications and feel excessively tired, talk to your doctor about switching to a different medication.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition where someone has extreme and debilitating tiredness that lasts for at least six months. They sleep too much and have trouble staying awake during the day. People with chronic fatigue syndrome have a hard time doing simple tasks, even though they get enough sleep.

Solutions for Excessive Daytime Sleepiness:

Morning exercise to combat daytime sleepiness

Exercising at night is great for getting better sleep and can help to reduce stress. However, if you’re experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, exercising in the morning can be another great way to fight the urge to nap during the day. While afternoon workouts are great for improving sleep quality, morning workouts have been shown to have a number of benefits. These include improving your mood, improving your energy levels, and even improving your cognitive function. There are many different types of exercises you can choose to combat daytime sleepiness; the key is to find one that appeals to you.

Bright light therapy to treat Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

Bright light therapy, also known as phototherapy, is a well-known treatment for seasonal affective disorder and is now being increasingly used for shift work disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness. This treatment involves sitting in front of a special light that emits light at either 10,000 or 10,000 lux. 10,000 lux is the equivalent of bright sunlight during the middle of the day, while 10,000 lux is the equivalent of a very bright indoor light. When you sit in front of this light, it stimulates your brain to produce more serotonin and melatonin, two chemicals that regulate your sleep cycle. Over time, this can help to resynchronize your internal clock to your new sleep schedule.

Medications:

Nowadays people turn to over-the-counter medications for instant relief. Many find Armodafinil and Modalert useful as they help to soothe the mind and get rid of drowsiness. To perform day-to-day activities, these medications come as handy solutions.

Conclusion

Excessive daytime sleepiness can have a significant impact on your life and is often easy to remediate with simple lifestyle changes. If you’re experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness, take note of the potential causes and note any lifestyle changes that might help. You can try any of the solutions mentioned in the article and get back to your normal routine soon.