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Sleep Disorders

Excessive Sleepiness

If you’re often excessively tired, you’re not alone — excessive sleepiness affects more than 18% of adults. Sleepiness can be caused by many factors, such as insufficient sleep, circadian rhythm issues, shift work, poor quality sleep, medication side effects, or intrinsic disorders of sleepiness such as narcolepsy or other forms of hypersomnia. Often, there are multiple contributing factors, each of which needs to be addressed to achieve full control over sleepiness. The interdisciplinary team at Sound Sleep Health have the skills and experience to sort out all the contributing factors behind excessive sleepiness, paving the way to better energy and alertness. We are passionate about treating your sleep disorder to improve your quality of life. You deserve to feel well-rested and excited to meet the challenge of each new day. 

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What is daytime sleepiness?

Daytime sleepiness is a frustrating condition in which you don’t feel well-rested, and it’s difficult to stay awake. Some sufferers of daytime sleepiness simply don’t get enough sleep at night. Others get a full night of sleep but still feel excessively tired during the day. Daytime sleepiness can negatively affect your life, making it hard to focus while increasing the tendency to have lapses of attention, including while driving. Sleepiness can lead to irritability, anxiety and chronic mood disturbance.

What causes daytime sleepiness?

Your daytime sleepiness could be caused by both lifestyle and medical reasons. People who are excessively sleepy may not get enough hours of sleep or practice poor sleep hygiene.

Lifestyle habits that can lead to compromised sleep include:

  • Using an electronic device before bed
  • Excessive use of caffeine or alcohol

Some cases of daytime sleepiness are caused by medical disorders, including:

  • Sleep apnea
  • Head injury
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Narcolepsy
  • Parasomnia
  • Depression/anxiety
  • Medication side effects

Sleep disorders are often treatable through medication or therapy. A certified sleep specialist helps you diagnose and manage sleepiness related to these medical conditions.

How is daytime sleepiness diagnosed?

Your first sleep consultation focuses on discussing your overall sleep habits, lifestyle, and goals for your sleep health. The goal is to determine your symptoms, how much sleep you get at night, if you recall waking up during the night, and whether you fall asleep throughout the day. Once the sleep specialist understands your symptoms, you’ll be referred to further testing. Most often, testing can be conducted at home. A sample of blood or urine may be required for additional testing. Occasionally, specialized testing may be required in the comfortable, well-equipped Sleep Center at Sound Sleep Health.

How is daytime sleepiness treated?

Treatment for daytime sleepiness varies depending on the exact cause of your disorder. If your sleep specialist finds an issue with your sleep schedule or sleep hygiene, you might need to change your habits around sleeping, including avoiding caffeine later in the day or aiming to add time to your sleep schedule each night.

Often, daytime sleepiness is caused by another medical disorder. If your sleep disorder has an underlying medical or psychological cause, you may be prescribed a medication or referred to an outside specialist for additional care. Your Sound Sleep Health provider also works with you to treat any underlying sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, through therapy, medication, or special equipment.

If indicated, your sleep specialist may prescribe a medication to boost your daytime alertness. There are many options for wakefulness promoting medications, and your sleep specialist will work with you to select the best choice for your individual needs.

The Sound Sleep Health team expertly manages daytime sleepiness by creating custom treatment plans for their patients.

Call or book online to regain the well-rested energy you deserve.