Each of us, and more than once, felt an irresistible drowsiness and a desire to sleep in the daytime. These manifestations can be caused by objective reasons: staying in a stuffy room, rainy weather, a flight crossing several time zones. In these cases, the state of drowsiness quickly passes, and after sleep, cheerfulness returns to the person. But is drowsiness always a variant of the norm?

Drowsiness as a symptom of the disease

Constant drowsiness, fatigue, weakness can be a symptom of many pathological conditions:

• malignant or benign brain tumors;
• intracranial hematomas;
• diseases of the thyroid gland and adrenal glands;
• pronounced cervical osteochondrosis;
• acute poisoning;
• severe intoxication;
• obesity and sleep apnea syndrome;
• depression, neurosis, myasthenia, etc.

Daytime sleepiness is a dangerous symptom of preeclampsia in pregnant women with late toxicosis. The desire to sleep and lethargy are a harbinger of a coma in renal and hepatic coma, which are also characterized by headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision. In addition, drowsiness in combination with the above symptoms is noted in traumatic brain injury.

Sleepiness in sleep apnea syndrome

Excessive sleepiness is the main symptom of sleep apnea. A person suffering from this disease and waking up several times a night does not have the opportunity to fully rest, which inevitably disturbs his well-being during the day. These patients are at high risk of developing hypertension and heart attack; sleep apnea may be a risk factor for stroke and sudden death during sleep. Contacting a somnologist and conducting an examination will determine the severity of the disease and, if necessary, treat it.

The patient talks about increased daytime sleepiness due to sleep apnea syndrome. Drowsiness and other sleep apnea symptoms bothered him every day for several years.

Sleepiness after eating: is it normal?

Drowsiness after eating may be the norm, but in fact it is a sign of brain hypoxia – the flow of oxygen to it decreases, as the blood circulation of the stomach increases. It is unlikely that this condition can be associated with a serious illness, but it is often caused by problems in the body: lack of sleep, overeating (especially carbohydrate intake), nervous and physical overwork.

Learn more about which foods and how they affect sleep in this video.

Increased drowsiness is not always a sign of a pathological process, but in some cases its appearance is due to depression of the central nervous system. For this reason, in each individual case, it is important to establish the cause of this condition and, if necessary, start therapy on time. The Center for Sleep Medicine at the Rehabilitation Clinic in Khamovniki, which specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, offers a comprehensive examination and treatment.