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Sleepiness can be caused by various factors such as postprandial sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, alcohol consumption, tiredness, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. Students who stay up all night may also experience daytime sleepiness. Evaluation and treatment are necessary to rule out medical conditions. Sleep hygiene methods can help restore sleep routines. Diagnostic tests may include CT scans, MRI exams, physical exams, and blood tests.
Sleepiness refers to a strong desire to sleep. Additionally, those suffering from chronic mental fatigue syndrome may also exhibit drowsiness. When individuals feel the need to sleep after eating a meal, this is referred to as postprandial sleepiness. Although feeling sleepy after meals is common, when cravings become uncontrollable, further evaluation may be needed.
Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement can disrupt nighttime sleep and cause daytime sleepiness. Similarly, those with sleep apnea typically don’t get recovery sleep, causing sleepiness during the day. This can be dangerous because it predisposes people to slow reaction times and mental confusion, factors that contribute to car accidents. Evaluation by a sleep specialist and treatment for snoring can help minimize symptoms.
Other factors that contribute to sleepiness include consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, tiredness, and diabetes. Sometimes, almost sleepy episodes can occur when blood sugar levels are abnormally high or low. This scenario requires immediate medical attention because high or low blood sugar can cause coma, organ damage, and sometimes death. Prompt treatment with glucose replacement or insulin can usually avoid complications, but evaluation and treatment must be prompt.
Occasionally, hypothyroidism or low thyroid function can predispose a person to drowsiness. Excessive sleepiness, however, isn’t typically the only symptom of hypothyroidism. It is often accompanied by cold intolerance, constipation and low heart rate. Additionally, an underfunctioning thyroid can produce symptoms of eye swelling, hair loss, and hoarseness. Treatment with thyroid hormone replacement therapy is often successful in regulating thyroid function.
Sometimes, students who do “all night” when studying for exams experience daytime sleepiness. While these episodes are usually temporary, they can disrupt your normal sleep cycle. The more times a student stays up all night and sleeps during the day, the more difficult it will be to regulate his sleep pattern. In these cases, “sleep hygiene” methods are suggested to restore sleep routines. These methods include going to sleep at the same time each night, taking a nightly bath, or reading before bed.
Prolonged sleepiness should be evaluated to rule out medical conditions such as diabetes, neurological conditions, or brain disorders. Diagnostic tests might include CT scans, MRI exam, physical exam, and blood tests. Important blood tests that can reveal reasons for the strong desire to sleep include a thyroid panel, complete blood count, and blood chemistry profile. Additionally, kidney function tests can help rule out kidney failure, another cause of fatigue and hypersomnolence.
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