There are days when you may feel sleepy at work or school, which is not a big issue. It could due to staying up late the night before doing homework, hanging out with friends, or working on something important. However, if you can't put yourself to sleep constantly, then it's a worry.
Do you put yourself to bed on time at night but cannot go to the dreamland of rest? If yes, then the chances are that you could be suffering from sleep apnea and daytime fatigue. Reports have shown that about 20% of the US population suffers from excessive sleepiness. The primary characteristics of excessive sleepiness contributing to sleep apnea and daytime fatigue are drowsiness and low energy. Other factors could also contribute to your sleep apnea condition.
As per the factors, apart from sleep apnea, you might also have narcolepsy. This condition also causes overwhelming daytime sleeping. You will be highly tired during the day. You might sleep in the middle of your sentence; it is that dangerous. On average, the sleep lasts from an hour or so. You will wake up fresh, but after a while, you will feel the urge to sleep again in some time.
What is Excessive Sleepiness?
Daytime fatigue can down your energy, but excessive sleepiness can harm your schedule, mental health, and physical wellbeing. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the feeling of being exhausted and tired during the day. The condition can interfere with your school, work, relationships, and day-to-day functioning.
You can feel that you are in trouble and have excessive sleepiness problem if:
- You can't wake up in the morning.
- You feel sleepy a lot during work hours.
- You take naps but still don't feel fresh enough.
Apart from not being able to sleep, you may also feel:
- Loss of appetite.
- Loss of memory.
- Trouble to think clearly.
- Anxiety or irritability.
Causes of Excessive Daytime Sleeping
As discussed above, the primary reasons for excessive sleeping can be sleep apnea or daytime fatigue. However, other conditions can cause you to fall asleep during the day constantly. Something as simple as snoring or kicking can also cost you the proper resting time you deserve at the end of the day. The time lost can lead to more significant conditions that can cause excessive daytime sleeping.
The common causes of excessive sleepiness faced by Americans are:
1. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition making you stop and start breathing while sleeping at night, repeatedly. It is considered a severe condition and can affect you to make the most of your day as you'll feel drowsy and want to sleep. The primary symptoms of sleep apnea include gasping for air and loud snoring. You may also feel irritated for the smallest or no reason at all. You will wake up with a headache and sore throat for no reason when suffering from sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can also be the cause of other severe medical conditions like obesity and type-2 diabetes. There are two types of sleep apnea named Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). Read more about sleep apnea in detail, including daytime fatigue here.
2. Restless Leg Syndrome
This condition causes an extreme and uncomfortable urge to keep moving your legs in bed. You might be comfortable in bed and getting ready to fall asleep, but due to RLS, you can't. The sensation only calms down when you get up from bed and walk a little, affecting your sleep at night and causing the urge to sleep during the day.
It affects about 8- 10% of the total population in the USA. However, the root cause of RLS is still unknown. It could be a hereditary condition, while other research estimates low iron could also be the case. Some scientists and researchers believe that the brain region responsible for movement, basal ganglia, can also cause RLS.
3. Other Factors
There are many other factors like narcolepsy, considered to be a neurological disorder like RLS. Narcolepsy is a condition that disrupts your sleep cycle and thus causes problems in your functioning during the day. Conditions like insomnia, depression, medications, and aging can also cause you to experience excessive daytime sleeping.
How to Avoid Daytime Sleeping
There are many ways you can try to avoid daytime sleeping, so you don't have to visit a doctor. Some tips to avoid sleeping during the day are:
1. Consistent Wake-Up Time
If you suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, then set a constant sleeping and waking-up time. You should follow this time management even on weekends to experience a healthy and happy time during the day.
2. Impact of mattresses on Sleep
One of the top answers professionals gives when asked about how to fall asleep quickly and stay there are comfortable mattresses. You can go mattress shopping and choose among the wide variety of mattresses like a memory foam mattress, gel mattress, or adjustable mattress.
3. Healthy Meals
Apart from regular bedtime, you can also avoid daytime sleep by choosing healthy meals for yourself. Standard time and healthy meals help to regulate circadian rhythms. For example, caffeine’s impact on daytime sleep is severe. Thus, it would be best to avoid drinks like coffee that contain caffeine three hours before bedtime.
4. Exercising
A regular 30-minute exercise can help you physically and put you to sleep earlier than usual. You can also try yoga, power yoga, pranayama exercises, or Pilates if you like that more. This goal is to sleep early, and all the practices mentioned above are helpful in their way.
How to Sleep Comfortably?
Researchers from Sleep Science say that you can sleep better with a mattress that supports your body. You can visit a mattress store of your choice and choose from a King Koil mattress to a hybrid mattress. How to find so many varieties in mattresses? Visit Mancini's Mattress Store, and their sleep experts will help you find the mattress that speaks perfection for your sleep.