Hypersomnia: Reasons Behind Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and What to Do?

Excessive sleepiness, often referred to as hypersomnia, is one of the major concerns significantly impacting one’s daily life. We can talk about it frequently and give advice on how to sleep better, like reading a book and not watching videos. But this might not always be that easy, this may be a symptom of some serious health conditions.

Some common causes of Excessive Sleepiness Disorder

The causes of ESD can be divided into three different categories:

1. Medical causes
2. Lifestyle factors
3. Other factors

Let us discuss them in detail

1. Medical causes:

i) Sleep Apnea: A condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. This disturbs sleep quality.

ii) Narcolepsy: A neurological condition characterized by sudden sleep attacks and excessive daytime sleepiness.

iii) Periodic limb movement: A neurological disorder that causes an irresistible urge to move one's legs. This interferes with sleep quality.

iv) Depression: A mental health condition that leads to fatigue and difficulty sleeping well during the night, keeping one sleepy the entire day.

  2. Lifestyle factors:

i) Insufficient sleep: Getting less sleep than the body needs can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness.

ii) Poor sleep hygiene: Irregular sleep schedules and a noisy or uncomfortable sleep environment contributes to sleep issues.

iii) Medications: Certain medications, like antidepressants, antihistamines, and pain relievers cause sleepiness.

iv) Substance abuse: Alcohol and drugs can disrupt sleep patterns.

Other Factors of Excessive Sleepiness Disorder:

• Genes: Some people may have genetic reasons for sleep disorders.
• Shift work: Irregular working hours can disrupt the body's natural sleep and wake up cycle.

If you're experiencing excessive sleepiness, it's important to consult your doctor and find out the underlying cause and ask for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment.

Source:-1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/#:~:text=The main symptom of sleep,Dinges et al.%2C 2005)

                2. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/sleepless-genes#:~:text=Insomnia affects around 10 to,risk of insomnia is inherited.