Sleeping is one of the essential requirements of the body just like eating or walking. However, excess of sleep can be a sign of disease! According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), 20% of the population suffers from excessive daytime sleepiness. It is very important to get the evaluation of sleep cycle, to save yourself from underlying symptoms.
One should be aware that excessive sleepiness is not depression and different from it. In depression, a person avoids all sorts of activity even those which he/ she enjoys. Whereas in excessive sleepiness person sleeps more than the recommended amount.
To function at the optimum level, it is very important for the human body to get an adequate amount of sleep. Researches say that one spends 1/3rd of his or her life sleeping. The following table, represents the amount of sleep one should continue to maintain health bod working in accordance with their respective ages.
This table is on the bases of research conducted by NSF.
| Newborns | 14 to 17 hours |
| Infants | 12 to 15 hours |
| Toddlers | 11 to 14 hours |
| Preschoolers | 10 to 13 hours |
| School-aged | 9 to 11 hours |
| Teens | 8 to 10 hours |
| Young adults and adults | 7 to 9 hours |
| Older adults | 7 to 8 hours |
The above guidelines are for a healthy person and those who are not suffering from any sleep disorders. Far- deviations from the normal recommended range is a sign of serious health issues.
What Exactly is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Signs of feeling drowsy whole day, sluggish, not well hydrated, and tired can be the major signals of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness. In simple words, if your sleep starts interfering in your daily activity and chores than it may be because of excessive daytime sleepiness. It is not itself a disease but a major symptom of many serious issues. One may also complain of fatigue in this disease as feeling tired and low energy is the common symptom.
It is difficult to identify their symptoms as they are quite subjective. The methods of diagnosis are very few. All this makes the assessment of the condition difficult. Thus, one has to be cautious regarding his or her sleep. According to researches, excessive daytime sleepiness is most commonly seen in adolescents, old-aged people, and shift workers.
Is it time to visit the sleep clinic
There are some simple excessive daytime sleepiness symptoms you must know. Remember excessive sleepiness is not a disorder itself but it is a signal towards underlying health conditions.
- Dependence on any beverage such as coffee/tea to make through the day
- Finding difficulty in daily activities because of excessive dizziness
- Having sleep problems
- In a risk of getting any disease
- Gaining excessive weight
- You need more than adequate amount of sleep to function
- A problem in concentrating on things
- Feeling sleepy at inappropriate times
- Difficulty in waking up in the morning
- Loss of appetite
- Constant irritation
- Poor performance professionally
If these are one of your symptoms then it is time to seek medical help. People with excessive daytime sleepiness are more likely to cause road accidents and other sorts of day to day mishaps. All these conditions eventually lead to improper functioning of the body.
Possible Causes of This Condition
There can be many short- term or long -term causes of excessive sleepiness. The reasons can vary from person to person. Some common causes are:
Irregular working hours
Work commitments or extra workloads can significantly responsible for reducing your sleep time.
Some serious medical condition
Any serious medical condition leads to heavy sedative medication. The use of ethanol is one of the main reasons for excessive sleepiness. Non-prescription sleeping pills, paracetamols all contain heavy sedation.
Obstructive sleep apnea
Excessive daytime sleepiness is one of the main symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OPA). It is important to seek an early diagnosis as it can be threatening to one’s health.
Sleep deprivation
One of the most common causes of excessive sleep deprivation. It can show its signs just after 2-3 days of sleep inadequacy. It causes significant impairedness in neurobiological systems. This can lead to significant work-related defects and issues.
Restless leg syndrome
In this syndrome, a person has an uncontrollable urge to move their legs when they are at rest. People suffering from this syndrome can have difficulty in acquiring a peaceful sleep. One should seek immediate medical intension in such a case.
Narcolepsy
It is a medical condition in which due to improper functioning of the neurological system, one can fall asleep at odd hours.
Depression
Oversleeping is one of the main symptoms of depression. A person usually tries to avoid his or her surrounding by sleeping.
Practices one should follow for a healthy sleep cycle
Experts say that one should sleep like a baby to function properly! Excessive daytime sleepiness treatment depends on its diagnosis. Howbeit, one can have peaceful sleep and improve their sleep cycle by making simple changes in his or her lifestyle and daily routine.
Excessive Daytime SleepinessOne can make these changes by working on their individual routine. The first step towards good sleep is a healthy lifestyle. One can easily make out whether they have got good sleep at night or not. The mood which a person caters in the morning is a clear indicator of their sleep at night. If they have had good and enough sleep they will naturally wake up positive and chirpy or vice versa.
One can incorporate these easy lifestyle changes as their initial step towards goo sleep.
- Maintain a sleep routine.
- Exercise daily (one can start with 10 mins per day)
- Practicing a bedtime ritual whatever suits you
- Make your room ready according to your comfort. For example, temperature, amount of light, sound, comforting bedding, etc.
- Taking a good warm shower before sleeping
- Have a proper and balanced diet
- Do not take an excess of beverages which have caffeine or alcohol
- Do not use electric gadgets before sleeping.
- Switch off the phones or other gadgets before sleeping
Your sleep is as important as other bodily requirements.
So don’t neglect it!
Also Read; Is Excessive Sleeping During Pregnancy Harmful?
