Drowsiness

Considerations:
Excessive daytime sleepiness (without a known cause) suggests the presence of a significant sleep disorder and is different from fatigue .

Depression , anxiety , stress , and boredom are commonly thought to cause excessive sleepiness, but in fact these conditions cause fatigue and apathy .

Common Causes:

Note: There may be other causes of hypersomnia. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as location, quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for hypersomnia, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.

Home Care:
The cause must be treated.

For drowsiness due to depression , anxiety , boredom, stress , try to solve problems without professional help first.

For drowsiness due to medications, talk to your health care provider about switching medications or discontinuing them. DO NOT CHANGE MEDICATIONS WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.

For drowsiness due to obesity and hypoventilation (reduced breathing), weight loss is recommended and your health care provider should be consulted.

For hypothyroidism , talk to your health care provider about thyroid supplements.

For drowsiness due to narcolepsy , stimulants (like Ritalin) may be prescribed.

For drowsiness due to other causes, seek medical help.

Call Your Healthcare Provider If:

  • neither medications nor depression are the cause of drowsiness and the problem persists.



What to Expect:
The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Sleep patterns will be investigated and a psychological profile obtained. Medical history questions documenting drowsiness in detail may include:

  • sleep pattern
    • How well do you sleep?
    • How much do you sleep?
    • Do you snore?
    • Do you have episodes where you do not breathe during sleep ( sleep apnea )?
    • Do you fall asleep during the day when you are not intending to nap?
      • If so, do you awake feeling refreshed?
      • How often does this happen?

  • emotional state
    • Are you depressed?
    • Are you anxious or feeling stressed?
    • Are you bored?

  • other
    • What medication do you take?
    • What have you done to try to relieve the drowsiness?
    • How well did it work?
    • What other symptoms are also present?

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:

After seeing your health care provider:
If a diagnosis was made by your health care provider related to drowsiness, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.