Drowsiness or 'drowsiness' is a condition when a person feels like sleeping. This condition usually occurs at night or sometimes during the day, and is normal. However, if drowsiness occurs excessively to interfere with activities and reduce productivity, this condition needs to be addressed.
Drowsiness generally appears due to lack of sleep. Although it looks simple, sleepiness can trigger various problems, such as interfering with performance at school or productivity at work, affecting emotions, and causing accidents, both on the road and in the work environment.
Drowsiness is a natural thing, but if something happens abnormally, it could be that feeling 'drowsy' is a sign of an illness, such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, depression, anxiety disorders, or diabetes. This article will discuss the types of abnormal sleepiness,
Symptoms of Sleepiness
A person is said to be experiencing abnormal 'drowsiness' symptoms when the condition is repeated for a long time for no apparent reason. This abnormal sleepiness will be accompanied by other symptoms, such as a slow response, forgetfulness, often falling asleep in inappropriate situations, and difficulty controlling emotions.
In addition, abnormal sleepiness often causes:
- Feelings of wanting to sleep continuously during the day or often falling asleep during the day.
- Difficulty concentrating while studying, working, or driving.
- Decreased performance in school or work productivity.
- It's easy to fall asleep while watching TV or reading a book.
- Microsleep, namely a short sleep that occurs because of holding back drowsiness.
When to go to the doctor
Abnormal drowsiness can be dangerous. Therefore, immediately consult a doctor if you experience the above symptoms. A person can feel 'drowsy' excessively during the day due to sleep disturbances. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience symptoms of a sleep disorder, such as:
- Often find it difficult to sleep.
- Often feel tired and 'sleepy' during the day.
- Difficulty concentrating on activities.
- People who sleep near you say that you snore loudly during your sleep or that you sometimes stop breathing.
In addition to some of the symptoms above, you are also advised to consult a doctor immediately if this excessive drowsiness occurs after you take a new drug, have a drug overdose, or have a head injury.
Causes of sleeplessnessk
Sleepiness can be caused by several factors, including lifestyle, mental disorders, disease, and the use of certain drugs. To be more clear, see the explanation below:
Lifestyle
Some lifestyles that can trigger daytime sleepiness are:
- Lack of sleep at night
A person can feel 'sleepy' excessively during the day if lack of sleep. Basically, everyone has an ideal sleep duration that is met. The duration varies, depending on the age of each person.
- Eating patterns that interfere with sleep
Excessive coffee consumption can disrupt sleep at night, thereby increasing daytime sleepiness. Spicy food and eating too much can also cause indigestion, resulting in disturbed night sleep.
- Exercise time close to bedtime
After exercising, you will feel more refreshed because your heart rate and high blood pressure increase. That's why exercising too close to bedtime can make it hard to fall asleep.
- Frequent alcohol consumption
Alcohol can indeed help you fall asleep quickly, but on the other hand, the quality of your sleep can also be disturbed because you are often restless and wake up. As a result, you will be sleepy during the day.
Mental disorders
Drowsiness can also be caused by mental or emotional disorders. People who experience stress, anxiety disorders, or depression may feel excessively 'sleepy' during the day.
Disease
Some chronic diseases can interfere with the quality of sleep at night, causing 'drowsiness' during the day. These chronic diseases include chronic pain, such as from cancer, or metabolic disorders, such as diabetes or hypothyroidism.
Drug side effects
Certain medications can cause drowsiness, for example anticonvulsants, antidepressants, allergy medications, medications to treat hypertension, medications for the heart, or asthma medications.
Sleep disturbance
Excessive sleepiness for no known cause can indicate a sleep disorder. These disorders affect the quality of sleep at night, so the sufferer is excessively sleepy during the day. Sleep disorders that can affect sleep quality include: sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, and restless leg syndrome (RLS).
Sleepiness Diagnosis
As a first step in the examination, the doctor will ask you about your sleep habits, sleep duration, and how often you fall asleep or are sleepy during the day. The question is asked to find out the cause of sleepiness, so that the doctor can determine the right type of treatment,
Your doctor may also ask you to keep a log of your sleep habits for a few days. If the feeling of 'drowsiness' that you experience is not normal, the doctor will carry out supporting examinations in the form of:
- Blood tests, to determine the level of sugar, electrolytes, and thyroid hormones in the blood.
- CT scan of the head, to see the possibility of disturbances in the brain that affect a person's sleep quality.
- Electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a test that aims to measure electrical activity in the brain.
- Polysomnography or sleep observation test, this test is done by observing the patient's condition while sleeping. The conditions observed included blood pressure, heart rhythm, breathing, brain waves, and certain movements that indicated a disturbance in sleep.
Sleepiness Treatment
Handling sleepiness is done by treating the cause. For example, if excessive 'drowsiness' is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, your doctor may advise you to change that lifestyle.
If you don't get enough sleep at night, your doctor will recommend going to bed earlier. If you don't make these changes, you can increase your nap time during the day by 30 to 60 minutes.
If excessive sleepiness is caused by mental disorders, the doctor will refer to a psychiatrist for appropriate treatment. If drowsiness occurs as a side effect of the drug, the doctor will change the type or dose of the drug.
In patients with sleep disorders, the doctor will perform a sleep observation test (polysomnography) in the hospital first. If necessary, the doctor will give sleeping pills for a certain period of time.
How to improve sleep quality
In addition to the above handling steps, several efforts can be made to maximize the quality of a night's sleep. That way, the drowsiness that appears during the day can be reduced. These efforts include:
- Create a more comfortable bed and room atmosphere
Make sure the condition of the bed and room that makes you feel more comfortable, so that you can sleep more soundly.
- Give pause for exercise with sleep
Try It's best to give yourself a break a few hours after exercising at night, so that your body will calm down before getting ready for bed.
- Don't sleep with the television on
Television light and sound can cause sleep disturbances. Therefore, avoid sleeping with the television on.
- Make a schedule Create an activity schedule to meet the activity time so it doesn't interfere with the recommended sleep time
The preparation of the schedule is intended so that the body adjusts to a regular pattern of activities, including bedtime.
- Limit caffeine and food consumption as it approaches bedtime
Avoid consuming caffeine and spicy foods before bedtime. This is done to prevent conditions that can interfere with the quality of sleep at night, avoid difficulty sleeping and sleep poorly.
- Calm the mind when going to sleep
Sleepiness Complications
Excessive 'drowsiness' during the day can reduce work productivity or achievement at school. For example, being late for work or school because it is difficult to get up in the morning, falling asleep while doing work or doing homework at school, and being late for important events.
A more dangerous condition occurs in people with hypersomnia who are required to perform activities with high alertness, such as driving a vehicle or operating machinery. This condition puts the sufferer at high risk of having an accident.