Why am I so Sleepy During the Daytime?

Not sleeping enough can have serious consequences. Similarly, excessive sleepiness, especially in the morning, is not considered normal or healthy for anybody. Sleepiness is becoming a common problem in the country, with more than 20% of people suffering from it. When sleep affects the daily routine of an individual, it is referred to as problem sleepiness.

Excessive sleepiness in the day time may be caused by a number of causes. This includes jet lag, late night working schedule, or rotating work shifts. All the above-mentioned issues affect the natural sleep rhythm of a person. Working on deadlines and depriving the body of the much needed relaxation is yet another common cause for feeling sleepy in the morning.

Many sleep disorders may also lead to excessive sleep in the day time. Disorders, like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, snoring, and obstructive sleep apnea, are associated with excessive sleep in the waking hours. These sleep disorders frequently disrupt the normal sleep and create a deficit for sleep in the body, which it tries to compensate by sleeping in the waking hours. And this is irrespective of the actual time spent by the person in bed overnight night.

Insomnia is yet another common cause of sleepiness. People with insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep or to stay asleep for a long time. This impairs sleep requirements of the body, leading to excessive sleepiness in the daytime. Narcolepsy, on the other hand, is a neurological disorder characterized by symptoms like sudden attacks of sleep, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations, all of which may lead to daytime sleepiness. Another neurological disorder that may lead to fatigue and excessive sleepiness is restless leg syndrome. People with this condition may feel strange sensations in their leg and tend to move them, which affects their relaxing sleep.

Certain medications are also known to affect an individual's sleeping pattern. Medications used in the treatment of hypertension, heart disease, and asthma belong to this category. So, if you are using any of these, the doctor may prescribe a different drug to ease sleepiness. Other chronic illnesses, like asthma, congestive heart failure, and rheumatoid arthritis may also affect nighttime sleep, leading to tiredness and daytime sleepiness. Normal sleep may also be disrupted by alcohol. Nicotine and caffeine are two other components that may bring trouble in falling sleep and staying asleep.