BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuDrowsinessSleepiness - during the day; Hypersomnia; SomnolenceDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times which can lead to safety concerns. Considerations Excessive daytime sleepiness (without a known cause) may be a sign of a sleep disorder.Depression, anxiety, stress, and boredom can all contribute to excessive sleepiness. However, these conditions more often cause fatigue and apathy.DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article AnxietyGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder in which a person is often worried or anxious about many things and finds it hard to control ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article StressStress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stres...Read Article Now Book Mark Article FatigueFatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Drowsiness may be due to the following:Long-term (chronic) pain Diabetes Having to work long hours or different shifts (nights, weekends) Insomnia and other problems falling or staying asleep InsomniaInsomnia is trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up too early in the morning. Episodes of insomnia may come and go or ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Changes in blood sodium levels (hyponatremia or hypernatremia) HyponatremiaLow blood sodium is a condition in which the sodium level in the blood is lower than normal. The medical name of this condition is hyponatremia....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Medicines (tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines, certain painkillers, some psychiatric drugs) Not sleeping long enough Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy) Sleep apneaObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which your breathing pauses during sleep. This occurs because of narrowed or blocked airways.Read Article Now Book Mark Article NarcolepsyNarcolepsy is a nervous system problem that causes extreme sleepiness and attacks of daytime sleep.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Too much calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia) HypercalcemiaHypercalcemia means you have too much calcium in your blood.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) HypothyroidismHypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. This condition is often called underactive thyroid....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsers Home Care You can relieve drowsiness by treating the cause of the problem. First, determine whether your drowsiness is due to depression, anxiety, boredom, or stress. If you are not sure, talk with your health care provider.For drowsiness due to medicines, talk to your provider about switching or stopping your medicines. But, DO NOT stop taking or change your medicine without first talking to your provider.Do not drive when drowsy. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine you to determine the cause of your drowsiness. You will be asked about your sleep patterns and health. Questions may include:How well do you sleep? How much do you sleep? Do you snore? Do you fall asleep during the day when you do not plan to nap (such as when watching TV or reading)? If so, do you awake feeling refreshed? How often does this happen? Are you depressed, anxious, stressed, or bored? What medicines do you take? What have you done to try to relieve the drowsiness? How well did it work? What other symptoms do you have? Tests that may be done include:Blood tests (such as a CBC and blood differential, blood sugar level, electrolytes, calcium, and thyroid hormone levels) CBCA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood differentialThe blood differential test measures the percentage of each type of white blood cell (WBC) that you have in your blood. It also reveals if there are...Read Article Now Book Mark Article CT or MRI scan of the head CTA head computed tomography (CT) scan uses many x-rays to create pictures of the head, including the skull, brain, eye sockets, and sinuses.Read Article Now Book Mark Article MRIA head MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the brain and surrounding...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electroencephalogram (EEG) ElectroencephalogramAn electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test to measure the electrical activity of the brain.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sleep studies Sleep studiesPolysomnography is a sleep study. This test records certain body functions as you sleep, or try to sleep. Polysomnography is used to diagnose sleep...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Urine tests (such as a urinalysis) UrinalysisUrinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment depends on the cause of your drowsiness.Open ReferencesReferencesAvidan AY. Sleep and its disorders. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 101.Mansukhani MP, Kolla BP, St. Louis EK. Sleep disorders. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee EM, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2023. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier 2023:794-809.Sharafkhaneh A, Hirshkowitz M. Evaluating sleepiness and fatigue. In: Kryger M, Roth T, Goldstein CA, Dement WC, eds. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 207.AllVideoImagesTogSleep disordersAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersSleep disorders - Animation You tuck yourself under the covers, turn out the light, and look forward to eight hours of blissful slumber. But, after turning for hours you're still exhausted, and no closer to sleep than when you first got into bed. Let's talk today about sleep disorders. Sleep disorders fall into four basic categories. The scenario I described, in which you toss and turn because you can't fall asleep, is called insomnia. Another type of insomnia is when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Sometimes people get insomnia for a night or two because they're stressed out over a big meeting at work, or they're excited about an upcoming trip. Others can't sleep night after night, and that's called chronic insomnia. People with the second category of sleep disorders have a hard time staying awake during the day, even if they slept well the night before. This is called hypersomnia. Sometimes doctors can't find a cause for hypersomnia. But in many cases, a health condition like fibromyalgia, a thyroid problem, a disease like mononucleosis, obesity, or obstructive sleep apnea, can make you sleepy. If you notice a co-worker is nodding off in the middle of meetings, he might have narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes people to sleep uncontrollably at inappropriate times during the day. Narcolepsy isn't only embarrassing, it can be dangerous if you nod off behind the wheel of a car. A sleep rhythm problem means that you can't stick to a normal sleep schedule. Maybe you work the night shift at your job, or you're always traveling to different time zones and are constantly battling jet lag. Well, whatever the cause, the lack of a normal sleep pattern is called a sleep rhythm disorder. And finally, there are the types of sleep disorders that wake you up with a jolt in the middle of the night, and, these are called parasomnias, and they can severely interrupt your sleep. You may walk in your sleep, or act out your dreams. Children often have night terrors, in which they wake up from a deep sleep in a terrified state. The good news is that you don't have to live on fewer hours of sleep, because there are decent treatments for sleep disorders. If you're struggling to sleep throughout the night, and dragging through the day as a result, talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a sleep specialist for an evaluation.Sleep disordersAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersSleep disorders - Animation You tuck yourself under the covers, turn out the light, and look forward to eight hours of blissful slumber. But, after turning for hours you're still exhausted, and no closer to sleep than when you first got into bed. Let's talk today about sleep disorders. Sleep disorders fall into four basic categories. The scenario I described, in which you toss and turn because you can't fall asleep, is called insomnia. Another type of insomnia is when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Sometimes people get insomnia for a night or two because they're stressed out over a big meeting at work, or they're excited about an upcoming trip. Others can't sleep night after night, and that's called chronic insomnia. People with the second category of sleep disorders have a hard time staying awake during the day, even if they slept well the night before. This is called hypersomnia. Sometimes doctors can't find a cause for hypersomnia. But in many cases, a health condition like fibromyalgia, a thyroid problem, a disease like mononucleosis, obesity, or obstructive sleep apnea, can make you sleepy. If you notice a co-worker is nodding off in the middle of meetings, he might have narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes people to sleep uncontrollably at inappropriate times during the day. Narcolepsy isn't only embarrassing, it can be dangerous if you nod off behind the wheel of a car. A sleep rhythm problem means that you can't stick to a normal sleep schedule. Maybe you work the night shift at your job, or you're always traveling to different time zones and are constantly battling jet lag. Well, whatever the cause, the lack of a normal sleep pattern is called a sleep rhythm disorder. And finally, there are the types of sleep disorders that wake you up with a jolt in the middle of the night, and, these are called parasomnias, and they can severely interrupt your sleep. You may walk in your sleep, or act out your dreams. Children often have night terrors, in which they wake up from a deep sleep in a terrified state. The good news is that you don't have to live on fewer hours of sleep, because there are decent treatments for sleep disorders. If you're struggling to sleep throughout the night, and dragging through the day as a result, talk to your doctor, who can refer you to a sleep specialist for an evaluation.Related Information Fatigue(Symptoms)Depression(Symptoms)Stress and your health(Symptoms)Depression - InDepth(In-Depth)Anxiety disorders - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/8/2023 Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
DrowsinessSleepiness - during the day; Hypersomnia; SomnolenceDrowsiness refers to feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep when they do not want to or at times which can lead to safety concerns. Considerations Excessive daytime sleepiness (without a known cause) may be a sign of a sleep disorder.Depression, anxiety, stress, and boredom can all contribute to excessive sleepiness. However, these conditions more often cause fatigue and apathy.DepressionDepression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for shor...Read Article Now Book Mark Article AnxietyGeneralized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder in which a person is often worried or anxious about many things and finds it hard to control ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article StressStress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. Stres...Read Article Now Book Mark Article FatigueFatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Causes Drowsiness may be due to the following:Long-term (chronic) pain Diabetes Having to work long hours or different shifts (nights, weekends) Insomnia and other problems falling or staying asleep InsomniaInsomnia is trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up too early in the morning. Episodes of insomnia may come and go or ...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Changes in blood sodium levels (hyponatremia or hypernatremia) HyponatremiaLow blood sodium is a condition in which the sodium level in the blood is lower than normal. The medical name of this condition is hyponatremia....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Medicines (tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines, certain painkillers, some psychiatric drugs) Not sleeping long enough Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy) Sleep apneaObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a problem in which your breathing pauses during sleep. This occurs because of narrowed or blocked airways.Read Article Now Book Mark Article NarcolepsyNarcolepsy is a nervous system problem that causes extreme sleepiness and attacks of daytime sleep.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Too much calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia) HypercalcemiaHypercalcemia means you have too much calcium in your blood.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) HypothyroidismHypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone. This condition is often called underactive thyroid....Read Article Now Book Mark Article Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsers Home Care You can relieve drowsiness by treating the cause of the problem. First, determine whether your drowsiness is due to depression, anxiety, boredom, or stress. If you are not sure, talk with your health care provider.For drowsiness due to medicines, talk to your provider about switching or stopping your medicines. But, DO NOT stop taking or change your medicine without first talking to your provider.Do not drive when drowsy. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will examine you to determine the cause of your drowsiness. You will be asked about your sleep patterns and health. Questions may include:How well do you sleep? How much do you sleep? Do you snore? Do you fall asleep during the day when you do not plan to nap (such as when watching TV or reading)? If so, do you awake feeling refreshed? How often does this happen? Are you depressed, anxious, stressed, or bored? What medicines do you take? What have you done to try to relieve the drowsiness? How well did it work? What other symptoms do you have? Tests that may be done include:Blood tests (such as a CBC and blood differential, blood sugar level, electrolytes, calcium, and thyroid hormone levels) CBCA complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood differentialThe blood differential test measures the percentage of each type of white blood cell (WBC) that you have in your blood. It also reveals if there are...Read Article Now Book Mark Article CT or MRI scan of the head CTA head computed tomography (CT) scan uses many x-rays to create pictures of the head, including the skull, brain, eye sockets, and sinuses.Read Article Now Book Mark Article MRIA head MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is an imaging test that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to create pictures of the brain and surrounding...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Electroencephalogram (EEG) ElectroencephalogramAn electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test to measure the electrical activity of the brain.Read Article Now Book Mark Article Sleep studies Sleep studiesPolysomnography is a sleep study. This test records certain body functions as you sleep, or try to sleep. Polysomnography is used to diagnose sleep...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Urine tests (such as a urinalysis) UrinalysisUrinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Treatment depends on the cause of your drowsiness.Open ReferencesReferencesAvidan AY. Sleep and its disorders. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 101.Mansukhani MP, Kolla BP, St. Louis EK. Sleep disorders. In: Kellerman RD, Rakel DP, Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee EM, eds. Conn's Current Therapy 2023. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier 2023:794-809.Sharafkhaneh A, Hirshkowitz M. Evaluating sleepiness and fatigue. In: Kryger M, Roth T, Goldstein CA, Dement WC, eds. Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 207.