home » Psychology » Why you always want to sleep: from fatigue to diabetes. Does daytime sleepiness indicate a serious illness? Causes and treatment of daytime sleepiness Does it cause drowsiness?

Why you always want to sleep: from fatigue to diabetes. Does daytime sleepiness indicate a serious illness? Causes and treatment of daytime sleepiness Does it cause drowsiness?

Normally, physical or mental fatigue leads to drowsiness. This body signal indicates to a person the need to take a break from the flow of information or actions. It is expressed in the form of decreased visual acuity, yawning, decreased sensitivity to other external stimuli, slowed pulse, dry mucous membranes and decreased activity of endocrine organs. Such drowsiness is physiological and does not pose a threat to health.

However, there are a number of factors in which this body signal becomes a sign of malfunction. internal organs and systems. In this article, we will introduce you to 8 reasons that are a sign of pathological sleepiness and the causes physiological conditions causing lack of sleep.

Causes of physiological drowsiness

If a person does not sleep for a long time, then his body signals him about the need for sleep. Throughout the day, he may repeatedly fall into a state of physiological drowsiness. This condition can be caused by:

overstrain of pain or tactile receptors;
functioning of the digestive organs after eating;
auditory stimuli;
overload of the visual system.

Lack of sleep

Normally, a person should sleep about 7-8 hours a day. With age, these indicators may change. And with forced sleep deprivation, a person will experience periods of drowsiness.

Pregnancy

Drowsiness during pregnancy is normal female body.

The period of bearing a child requires significant restructuring from the woman’s body, starting from the first months of pregnancy. In its first trimester, inhibition of the cerebral cortex by hormones leads to drowsiness in daytime, and this is a variant of the norm.

Drowsiness after eating

Normally, for proper digestion of food, the body must remain at rest for some time, during which blood must flow to the organs gastrointestinal tract. Because of this, after eating, the cerebral cortex experiences a lack of oxygen and switches to an economy mode, accompanied by physiological drowsiness.

Stress

Any stressful situation causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline into the blood. These hormones are produced by the adrenal glands, and constant nervous overstrain causes their exhaustion. Because of this, the level of hormones decreases, and the person experiences a loss of energy and drowsiness.

Causes of pathological drowsiness

Pathological drowsiness (or pathological hypersomnia) is expressed in feelings of lack of sleep and fatigue during the day. The appearance of such symptoms should be a reason to consult a doctor.

Reason No. 1 – severe chronic or infectious diseases

After the postponed infectious diseases the body needs to rest and recuperate.

After suffering from infectious and long-term chronic diseases The body's strength is depleted, and the person begins to feel the need for rest. Because of this, he has to experience sleepiness during the day.

According to some scientists, the appearance of this symptom causes a malfunction immune system, and during sleep, processes associated with the restoration of T-lymphocytes occur in the body. According to another theory, during sleep the body tests the performance of internal organs after an illness and restores it.

Reason #2 – anemia

Reason #4 – narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is accompanied by attacks of irresistible drowsiness and attacks of sudden onset of sleep during the day, loss of muscle tone consciousness, disturbances in night sleep and hallucinations. In some cases, this disease is accompanied by a sudden loss of consciousness immediately after waking up. So far, the causes of narcolepsy have not yet been sufficiently studied.

Reason #5 – idiopathic hypersomnia

With idiopathic hypersomnia, which is more often observed in young people, there is a tendency to daytime sleepiness. As you fall asleep, moments of relaxed wakefulness occur, and your night's sleep becomes shorter. Waking up becomes more difficult and the person may become aggressive. Patients with this disease experience loss of family and social connections, ability to work and professional skills are lost.

Reason No. 6 – intoxication

Acute and chronic poisoning always affect the subcortex and cerebral cortex. As a result of stimulation of the reticular formation, a person experiences severe drowsiness, and not only at night, but also during the day. Such processes can be caused by smoking, psychotropic substances, alcohol and drugs.

Reason No. 7 – endocrine pathologies

Hormones produced by endocrine glands such as and adrenal glands affect many body functions. A change in their concentration in the blood leads to the development of such diseases that provoke drowsiness:

hypocortisolism - a decrease in the level of adrenal hormones, which is accompanied by a decrease in body weight, loss of appetite, increased fatigue, hypotension;
– a violation of insulin production, which is accompanied by an increase in blood sugar levels, leading to the appearance of ketoacidotic, hyper- and hypoglycemic states, which negatively affect the state of the cerebral cortex and cause drowsiness during the day.

Reason #8 – brain injury

Any brain injury accompanied by bruises or hemorrhages in the tissue of this important organ can lead to drowsiness and signs of impaired consciousness (stupor or coma). Their development is explained by impaired functioning of brain cells or deterioration of blood circulation and developing hypoxia.

Update: November 2019

Drowsiness is a feeling of lethargy, fatigue, desire to sleep or, at least, to do nothing. This is a condition that normally occurs as a result of severe physical or mental fatigue.

Physiological drowsiness is a signal from the brain that it needs a break from the flow of information, which braking systems turned on the protective mode and reduce the speed of reaction, dull the perception of all external stimuli and block the senses and cerebral cortex to a dormant mode.

Signs of drowsiness are:

decreased acuity, yawning
decreased sensitivity of peripheral analyzers (blunted perception)
decrease in heart rate
decreased secretion of the exocrine glands and dryness of the mucous membranes (lacrimal - sticking of the eyes, salivary -).

But there are also situations or conditions in which drowsiness turns into a pathological deviation or even a serious problem in a person’s life.

So why do you always want to sleep?

The main causes of constant drowsiness:

Fatigue, both physical and mental
Oxygen starvation of the cerebral cortex
Strengthening inhibitory reactions in the central nervous system and their predominance over excitation, including against the background medicines or toxic substances
Brain pathologies with damage to sleep centers
Traumatic brain injuries
Endocrine pathologies
Diseases of internal organs leading to the accumulation in the blood of substances that suppress the activity of the cerebral cortex

Pay attention to the type of house you live in: whether there are cell towers or power lines nearby, and how often and for how long you talk on the phone. mobile phone(cm. ).

Physiological drowsiness

When a person is forced to stay awake for a long time, his central nervous system forcibly turns on the inhibition mode. Even within one day:

when the eyes are overloaded (sitting for a long time at the computer, TV, etc.)
auditory (noise in the workshop, office, etc.)
tactile or pain receptors

a person may repeatedly fall into short-term drowsiness or the so-called “trance”, when his normal daytime alpha rhythm of the cortex is replaced by slower beta waves typical of the rapid phase of sleep (during falling asleep or dreaming). This simple technique of immersion in a trance is often used by hypnotists, psychotherapists and scammers of all stripes.

Drowsiness after eating

Many people are drawn to sleep after lunch - this can also be explained quite simply. The volume of the vascular bed exceeds the volume of blood that circulates in it. Therefore, a system of blood redistribution according to a system of priorities is always in effect. If the gastrointestinal tract is filled with food and works hard, then most of the blood is deposited or circulates in the area of the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and liver. Accordingly, during this period of active digestion the brain receives less oxygen carrier and, switching to economy mode, the cortex begins to work less actively than on an empty stomach. Because, in fact, why move if your stomach is already full.

Trivial lack of sleep

In general, a person cannot live without sleep at all. And an adult should sleep at least 7-8 hours (although historical colossi like Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander the Great slept for 4 hours, and this did not prevent one from feeling invigorated). If a person is forcibly deprived of sleep, he will still switch off and may even sleep for a few seconds. To avoid wanting to sleep during the day, sleep at least 8 hours at night.

Stress

Another variant of physiological drowsiness is the body’s reaction to stress. If in the early stages of stress people often suffer from increased excitability and insomnia (against the background of the release of adrenaline and cortisol by the adrenal glands), then with prolonged exposure to stress factors, the adrenal glands are depleted, the release of hormones decreases, and the peak of their release shifts (for example, cortisol, released in the 5th 6 am, begins to secrete maximum by 9-10 o'clock). Similar conditions (loss of strength) are observed with or against the background of long-term use of glucocorticoids, as well as with rheumatic diseases.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women in the first trimester, against the background of hormonal changes, toxicosis, and in the last trimester, when the cortex is naturally inhibited by placental hormones, there may be episodes of prolonged night sleep or daytime drowsiness - this is the norm.

Why does my baby sleep all the time?

As you know, newborns and children up to six months spend most of their lives sleeping:

newborns - if the baby is about 1-2 months old, he has no special neurological problems or somatic diseases, he typically spends up to 18 hours a day in his sleep
3-4 months - 16-17 hours
up to six months - about 15-16 hours
up to a year - how much a baby up to a year should sleep is decided by the state of his nervous system, the nature of nutrition and digestion, the daily routine in the family, on average it is from 11 to 14 hours per day.

A child spends so much time sleeping for one simple reason: his nervous system is underdeveloped at the time of birth. After all, the complete formation of the brain, completed in utero, simply would not allow the baby to be born naturally because the head is too big.

Therefore, while in a state of sleep, the child is maximally protected from overloads of his immature nervous system, which has the opportunity to develop further in a calm mode: somewhere to correct the consequences of intrauterine or birth hypoxia, somewhere to complete the formation of the myelin sheaths of the nerves, on which the speed of nerve impulse transmission depends .

Many babies can even eat in their sleep. Children under six months of age wake up more and more from internal discomfort (hunger, intestinal colic, headache, cold, wet diapers).

A child's sleepiness may no longer be normal if he or she is seriously ill:

if the baby vomits, he has frequent loose stool, prolonged absence of stool
heat
he fell or hit his head, after which some weakness and drowsiness, lethargy, pale or bluish skin appeared
the child stopped responding to voices and touches
does not suckle or bottle for too long (much less urinate)

It is important to urgently call an ambulance or take (carry) the child to the emergency room of the nearest children's hospital.

As for children over one year old, then their causes of sleepiness that go beyond the usual are practically the same as in infants, plus all the somatic diseases and conditions that will be described below.

Pathological drowsiness

Pathological drowsiness is also called pathological hypersomnia. This is an increase in sleep duration without an objective need for it. If a person who previously got eight hours of sleep begins to nap during the day, sleep longer in the morning, or nod off at work for no objective reason, this should lead to thoughts about problems in his body.

Acute or chronic infectious diseases

Asthenia or depletion of physical and mental strength of the body is characteristic of acute or severe chronic, especially infectious diseases. During the period of recovery from the disease, a person with asthenia may feel the need for longer rest, including daytime sleep. Most probable cause In this condition, there is a need to restore the immune system, which is facilitated by sleep (during it, T-lymphocytes are restored). There is also a visceral theory, according to which during sleep the body tests the functioning of internal organs, which is important after an illness.

Anemia

Close to asthenia is the condition experienced by patients with anemia (anemia, in which the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases, that is, the transport of oxygen to organs and tissues by the blood deteriorates). In this case, drowsiness is included in the program of hemic hypoxia of the brain (together with lethargy, decreased ability to work, memory impairment, dizziness and even fainting). Most often manifested (with vegetarianism, bleeding, against the background of hidden iron deficiency during pregnancy or malabsorption, with chronic foci of inflammation). B12-deficiency anemia accompanies stomach diseases, stomach resections, fasting, and tapeworm infection.

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels

Another reason for oxygen starvation of the brain is. When the vessels supplying the brain become overgrown with plaques by more than 50%, ischemia appears ( oxygen starvation bark). If this chronic disorders cerebral circulation:

then, in addition to drowsiness, patients may suffer from headaches
hearing and memory loss
unsteadiness when walking
at acute disorder blood flow, a stroke occurs (hemorrhagic when a vessel ruptures or ischemic when it thromboses). The harbingers of this formidable complication can be disturbances in thinking, noise in the head, and drowsiness.

In older people, cerebral atherosclerosis can develop relatively slowly, gradually worsening the nutrition of the cerebral cortex. That is why, for a large number of elderly people, drowsiness during the daytime becomes an obligatory companion and even somewhat softens their departure from life, gradually worsening cerebral blood flow so much that the respiratory and vasomotor automatic centers of the medulla oblongata are inhibited.

Idiopathic hypersomnia

Idiopathic hypersomnia is an independent disease that often develops in young people. It has no other cause, and the diagnosis is made by exclusion. A tendency to daytime sleepiness develops. There are moments of falling asleep during relaxed wakefulness. They are not so sharp and sudden. Like narcolepsy. Time to fall asleep in the evening is shortened. Waking up is more difficult than normal and there may be aggression. Patients with this pathology gradually weaken social and family ties, they lose professional skills and ability to work.

Narcolepsy

This is a variant of hypersomnia with increased daytime sleep
more restless night's sleep
episodes of irresistible falling asleep at any time of the day
with loss of consciousness, muscle weakness, episodes of apnea (stopping breathing)
patients are haunted by a feeling of lack of sleep
hallucinations may also occur when falling asleep and waking up

This pathology differs in that, unlike physiological sleep, the phase REM sleep occurs immediately and often suddenly without prior slow falling asleep. This is a lifelong disease.

Increased drowsiness due to intoxication

Acute or chronic poisoning of the body, to which the cortex and subcortex are most sensitive, as well as stimulation of the reticular formation, which provides inhibitory processes with various medicinal or toxic substances, leads to severe and prolonged drowsiness not only at night, but also during the daytime.

Alcohol is the most popular household poison. After the stage of excitement during moderate intoxication (1.5-2.5%0 alcohol in the blood), as a rule, the sleep stage develops, before which there may be severe drowsiness.
Smoking, in addition to vascular spasm, leads to a deterioration in the supply of oxygen to the cerebral cortex, promotes constant irritation and inflammation of the inner choroid, which provokes not only the development of atherosclerotic plaques, but also potentiates their cracking with thrombosis of the vascular bed, including cerebral arteries. Therefore, for about 30% of smokers, constant drowsiness and loss of energy are constant companions. But when quitting a bad habit, drowsiness can also be a concern.
Psychotropic substances(neuroleptics,) cause severe drowsiness, which becomes chronic with prolonged use of drugs or addiction to them. Also long-term use (especially barbiturates) and high doses leads to drowsiness due to the activation of inhibitory processes in the central nervous system.
Drugs (especially morphine-like drugs) also cause drowsiness.

CNS depression due to diseases of internal organs

Chronic heart failure

Liver diseases

Hepatic cell failure in cases of liver cancer, chronic hepatitis makes it difficult to wash the blood of protein metabolism products (see). As a result, the blood begins to contain high concentrations of substances that are toxic to the brain. Serotonin is also synthesized, and a decrease in sugar in brain tissue is observed. Lactic and pyruvic acids accumulate, causing swelling of the cortex and hyperventilation of the lungs, resulting in a deterioration in blood supply to the brain. As poisoning increases, drowsiness can develop into coma.

Intoxication due to infections

Neuroinfections

Neuroinfections due to influenza, herpes, and fungal infections can be accompanied by headaches, fever, drowsiness, lethargy and specific neurological symptoms.

Dehydration

Mental disorders

Mental disorders (cyclothymia, depression) and neurological diseases can lead to drowsiness.

Endocrine causes

Hypothyroidism is the most characteristic lesion of the endocrine glands, in which severe drowsiness develops, depletion of emotions and loss of interest in life - this (after surgical or radiation removal thyroid gland). A drop in the level of thyroid hormones affects all types of metabolism, so the brain is starved, and the accumulation of fluid in the brain tissue leads to swelling of the convolutions and a deterioration in the integrative abilities of the brain.
Hypocortisolism (adrenal insufficiency) leads to low blood pressure, increased fatigue, drowsiness, weight loss, decreased appetite and stool instability.
Diabetes mellitus not only affects vessels of different sizes (including cerebral ones), but also creates conditions for unstable carbohydrate balance. Fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin (with unbalanced therapy) can lead to both hypo- and hyperglycemic, as well as ketoacidotic conditions that damage the cortex and cause an increase in encephalopathy, the program of which includes drowsiness during the daytime.

Brain injuries

A concussion, brain contusion, hemorrhage under the meninges or into the substance of the brain can be accompanied by a variety of disorders of consciousness, including stupor (stunning), which resembles a prolonged sleep and can turn into a coma.

Sopor

One of the most interesting and mysterious disorders, expressed in the patient falling into a prolonged sleepy state, in which all signs of vital activity are suppressed (breathing slows down and becomes almost undetectable, the heartbeat slows down, there are no reflexes of the pupils and skin).

Lethargy in Greek means oblivion. A variety of peoples have a lot of legends about people buried alive. Typically, lethargy (which is not pure sleep, but only a significant inhibition of the functioning of the cortex and vegetative functions of the body) develops:

for mental illness
fasting
nervous exhaustion
on the background infectious processes with dehydration or intoxication.

N.V. Gogol suffered from a similar disorder. He repeatedly fell into prolonged pathological sleep throughout his life (most likely due to neurotic disorders and anorexia). There is a version that the writer, who was bled by stupid doctors due to either typhoid fever or severe decline strength after starvation and neurosis from the death of his wife, he did not die a natural death at all, but only fell into a prolonged lethargy, for which he was buried, as allegedly evidenced by the results of the exhumation, during which the head of the deceased was found turned to one side and the lid of the coffin scratched from the inside.

Thus, if you are worried about causeless fatigue, drowsiness, the causes of which are very diverse, you need the most thorough diagnosis and consultation with a doctor to clarify all the circumstances that led to such disorders.

Among the various signs that warn of the presence of a particular disease, there is such a symptom as daytime sleepiness. The syndrome can be characterized by unpleasant consequences and indicate serious health problems. This phenomenon occurs in many people. However, for some it goes away within the next day, while others live with it for years. This condition indicates a simple malaise, or sleepiness during the day warns of a serious illness.

Thus, the chronic course of hypersomnia can not only be considered a feature of the body, but also be the result of diseases of the central nervous system and damage to brain cells. When detecting and diagnosing many diseases, this sign is of particular importance, therefore it is important to prevent the disease in time.

Daytime sleepiness is a warning about serious illnesses

Many people complain that they constantly want to sleep, regardless of the hour period and location. It makes you sleepy everywhere and always, in the morning and evening, at the workplace or in the gym.

When drowsiness appears during the day, the reasons for this phenomenon may be different.

diseases;
insufficient duration of rest;
use of various means;
wrong lifestyle.

To normalize well-being, you need to identify the unfavorable source and eliminate it.

Diabetes

This dangerous disease can lead to drowsiness during the day, since due to changes in the balance of the hormone insulin, which is responsible for supplying easily digestible elements inside cells, it can cause an increase and decrease in glucose saturation in circulatory system. As a result of such changes, chronic lethargy and drowsiness appear at lunchtime.

In addition, damage to the cerebral cortex is possible, the formation of a psychoorganic syndrome, which leads to drowsiness during the day.

Apnea

Often, the symptom of hypersomnia can occur due to apnea in older people. There is also a tendency among overweight people. With this disease, when a person rests at night, the respiratory process stops and due to lack of oxygen, he wakes up.

The man snores, then falls silent. After a while, it vibrates again. During these breaks in the attack, the brain suffers from a lack of oxygen, which causes a sleepy state throughout the day. In addition, high blood pressure is possible in the morning.

Hypertension

The disease often develops in people over 40 years of age who have bad habits and suffer from excess body weight and diabetes. Place of residence and hereditary predisposition also play an important role.

List of symptoms warning of the presence of this disease:

regular increase in pressure at rest;
insomnia at night;
daytime lethargy;
dizziness;
nausea.

If such a condition develops, you should immediately contact a doctor.

Hypotension

In the case of a regular decrease in pressure, this will lead to a problem with blood flow to the brain, manifested by:

weakness;
drowsiness;
headaches;
brokenness.

Treatment of the disease is carried out under the supervision of a therapist.

Anemia

With illness, the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells decreases, as a result of which the supply of oxygen by blood to organs and tissues becomes worse. A person's memory deteriorates, he feels dizzy, and lacks strength and energy. Sometimes fainting happens.

Idiopathic hypersomnia

The disease especially appears in young people. Due to the absence of other factors, which makes one constantly want to sleep during the day, the disease is diagnosed by exclusion.

In this state, a desire to rest during the day is noted. Interested in finding a solution to the problem, the patient complains that he always has a strong desire to rest. It happens that a person tends to sleep while powerlessly awake. In the evening the patient quickly falls asleep.

When you regularly want to go to bed and develop regular fatigue, this condition leads to serious problems.

Often, daytime sleepiness can warn of an illness related to function. endocrine system. This disease is often accompanied by weight gain, changes in stool, and hair loss.

Also, the patient may feel chills, fatigue, cold, although it will seem that the body has had enough sleep. If the functioning of the endocrine glands is upset, you need to contact an endocrinologist.

Daytime drowsiness as an effect of taking medications

Almost all medications affect dreams, disrupt them at night (a person cannot get enough sleep) or cause daytime sleepiness. To support proper rest, you should choose the time and dosage of the medications you take together with your doctor.

First of all, this applies to drugs that provoke asomnia.

Beta blockers.
Bronchodilators.
Corticosteroids.
Decongestants.
CNS stimulants.
Difenin.
Thyroid hormones.

Since insomnia often accompanies depression, people who have difficulty falling asleep use antidepressants. It is these drugs that occupy an important place in influencing the structure of dreams.

Amitriptyline, Sinequan, Trazodone reduce the duration of REM sleep and increase the slow-wave dream cycle. Medicines cause a feeling of drowsiness, affecting activity during the day.

During depression, monoamine oxidase inhibitors are prescribed - Tranylcypromine, Phenelzine, which can cause fragmented, restless rest with frequent waking up. Drugs reduce the duration of REM sleep and lead to daytime lethargy.

Results of stress

Severe fatigue and drowsiness at the initial stage is characterized by high excitability, insomnia as a result of the release of adrenaline and cortisol. If the causes of stress influence for a long time, the adrenal glands become exhausted and hormone production decreases.

A rapid loss of strength is observed in persons who suffer from chronic adrenal insufficiency, rheumatic diseases, and with long-term use of glucocorticoids.

Impact of addictions

Alcohol intoxication is quite common. After drinking alcohol, a stage of excitement begins. When it passes with mild intoxication, the dream stage is designated. The person is lethargic, his head feels heavy, he wants to go to sleep.

During smoking, vascular spasms occur, oxygen is poorly supplied to the cerebral cortex, which leads to inflammation and excitation of the inner lining of blood vessels. That’s why almost a third of smokers are sleepy and lethargic.

Diseases of the central nervous system, as a result of changes in the functioning of internal organs

If a person does not know how to deal with lack of sleep at home, it is necessary to undergo an examination to exclude or diagnose diseases of internal organs

Why do you want to sleep during the day, but not at night? You can’t cheer yourself up, even though you’ve spent a sufficient amount of time in bed. Such disorders may be associated with the quality and quantity of night sleep, determined by the following symptoms:

constant awakenings occur, and then it is difficult for a person to fall asleep;
Daytime sleepiness leads to frequent bouts of unintentional rest at any time;
heavy snoring;
headache;
inability to move the body after waking up (Parkinson's disease);
other.

These signs indicate a violation of dream phases.

In men, daytime sleepiness is often associated with apnea (eating heavily in the evening, drinking alcohol, smoking, being overweight). Older people want to sleep in the middle of the day due to reduced REM sleep duration and the need for bed comfort. Fatigue after lunch indicates excessive coffee consumption in the morning.

Drowsiness in children

The problem of children's sleepiness during the day is more common than in adults. This occurs due to greater instability of the central nervous system, high sensitivity to the influence of unfavorable factors. Therefore, a lethargic and sleepy state in infectious diseases occurs early and clearly, and can be the first symptoms of a disease that warns of danger.

In addition, if fatigue and drowsiness suddenly appear, head injury and intoxication must be ruled out. When a child’s problem of drowsiness is not very pronounced, but has a chronic course, then we can assume the following diseases:

leukemia;
tuberculosis;
heart defects;
hepatitis;
diabetes.

The list of diseases that occur in children with drowsiness is long, so it is better to get examined.

Diagnostics and treatment measures

Often, you can get rid of drowsiness that is not complicated by illness simply by changing your habits. It is worth paying attention to your lifestyle. If factors such as exercise stress before going to bed, anxiety, stress, nicotine, alcohol are absent, but the problem does not go away, then you need to contact a therapist.

You will need to be examined for obvious sleep disorders, conditions and diseases that lead to excessive sleepiness. Based on the survey and analysis, the specialist will recommend:

cardiologist;
neurologist;
somnologist;
endocrinologist.

A common method for studying sleepiness is polysomnography, which measures brain waves, body movement, breathing during rest, and the stage and cause of interruptions in sleep at night.

To treat drowsiness, stimulants Amphetamine and Modafinil are prescribed, which allow you to stay awake during the day. Homeopathy therapy is used, which tones the nervous system and helps in the fight against chronic lethargy - Aurum, Anacardium, Magnesia Carbonica.

Medicine does not stand still. If you feel drowsy, massage your ears, the area above your eyebrows, your fingers, cervical spine spine. With a deficiency of vitamins B, C, D in the body, fatigue and apathy appear. Therefore, you need to take vitamin complexes.

From traditional methods Tea made from rose hips, ginger, infusion of eleutherococcus, and warm milk with honey will help overcome drowsiness. Coping with daytime sleepiness is not easy, but solving the problem in a timely manner will return you to normal life.

For various reasons, some women experience fatigue, apathy, and even dizziness during the daytime. These manifestations interfere with living normally, working fully and making important decisions. If women experience constant fatigue and drowsiness, this may be caused by some disease or other factors.
In their young years, people have a lot of energy and vigor, thanks to which they can do even hard work, moreover, focusing on night sleep there is not always enough time. But the years go by, and over time the strength becomes less, in addition, a family and children appear, various health difficulties arise, everyday difficulties arise, and it is not always possible to get enough rest. A lot of tasks and responsibilities fall on your shoulders, weakness and drowsiness arise, which often do not go away. Why do you always want to sleep, and what are the main reasons for fatigue?

Factors leading to chronic weakness

There are various causes of sleepiness in women. Various mental or somatic diseases of the female population often appear due to apathy and excessive fatigue during the day. Below we will discuss the most common causes of constant fatigue and drowsiness.

Medicines

Some women, when experiencing stress, fear or other worries, often cannot sleep well at night, so they take sleeping pills. Lungs sedatives, for example, lemon balm, mint, Persen are quickly eliminated from the body, they do not affect performance during the day or well-being. But if you take strong sleeping pills or tranquilizers, for example, Donormil, Phenazepam, then it is important to consider that they have negative adverse reactions, for example, increased desire to sleep, fatigue, apathy, dizziness, nausea, and others. These symptoms lead to hypersomnia and prevent you from living normally during the day.

Insufficient sunlight

Many people notice that in summer and spring it is much easier to wake up in the morning when there is bright sun outside and the birds are singing. This has a beneficial effect on mood and performance, since the blood contains a small level of melatonin - this is a hormone that, when elevated, makes you want to sleep. In winter, the sun often doesn’t shine in the morning and it’s cold outside. At a time like this, few people want to get up and go to work. In winter, there is much more melatonin in the body, so the body cannot understand why it needs to wake up, because there is no sunlight. In offices and schools, this problem is solved by turning on fluorescent lamps.

Anemia

One of the reasons for severe weakness and drowsiness in women is a lack of iron in the blood and tissues of the body. Iron is one of the most important microelements that is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. With low hemoglobin, the blood carries an insufficient amount of oxygen to the internal organs, as a result of which hypoxia develops and oxidative processes are disrupted. Signs of anemia associated with iron deficiency are:

daytime sleepiness;
fairly quick fatigue;
increased heart rate;
dizziness;
low blood pressure;
nausea, problems with bowel regularity;
brittle nails;
weakening and hair loss.

This problem is diagnosed very quickly and simply; you just need to take a blood test. If the hemoglobin level is less than 115, then anemia has begun to develop. However, why does it appear? This may be due to various factors, the culprits may be, for example, insufficient consumption of meat products, gastritis, anorexia, too much menstruation, approaching menopause. A hematologist or therapist will prescribe the necessary medications to treat anemia; first of all, iron supplements are prescribed, thanks to which severe weakness will pass quite quickly.

Low blood pressure

This is a common reason increased sleepiness among women. Hypotension occurs even in young girls who have low body weight. With low blood pressure, you begin to feel dizzy, feel nauseous, and cause fatigue and weakness. Hypotension can be a genetic pathology when the pressure is below 110 over 70.
Reduced blood pressure during a sudden rise is very clearly observed; this phenomenon is called orthostatic hypotension, when with a sharp change in body position from lying or sitting to vertical, the pressure rapidly decreases, which is why you can even faint.
Hypotension, which causes weakness and drowsiness in women, can be a temporary problem that occurs due to heavy menstruation, pregnancy, mental or physical fatigue, nervousness, and constant stress. To improve vascular tone and normalize blood pressure, it is necessary to observe the time of rest and work, take cold and hot shower, consume lemongrass, ginseng, spend more time in the fresh air, do exercises in the morning, play sports, and periodically drink vitamin and mineral complexes.

Sleep apnea syndrome

Both men and women snore during sleep, at this time Airways can temporarily overlap, causing a person to completely stop breathing for a couple of seconds; this syndrome is called apnea. During the night there can be a lot of such short-term stops in breathing, even several hundred! Snoring during sleep and periodic pauses in breathing can be another cause of constant fatigue and drowsiness in women during the day. Apnea leads to chronic hypoxia, the body constantly receives oxygen in insufficient quantities, this phenomenon is dangerous for the brain.

Thyroid diseases

When this gland begins to function incorrectly, the following symptoms begin to appear:

muscle weakness, apathy, fatigue, both mental, emotional and physical;
the appearance of constipation, chills, constantly wanting to sleep;
menstruation is disrupted;
swelling of the upper, lower extremities and face occurs, the skin becomes dry.

Diabetes

It is quite common these days endocrine disease, which can cause constant drowsiness and fatigue in women. With this pathology, glucose absorption is impaired, so the body lacks insulin. When blood sugar drops rapidly, hypoglycemia occurs, which is life-threatening. If it becomes known about the appearance diabetes mellitus, which is the cause of nausea, weakness and drowsiness in a woman, then it is necessary to start treatment as early as possible, take antidiabetic drugs, constantly monitor blood glucose levels, and regularly go to appointments with an endocrinologist so that there are no complications.

Narcolepsy

This pathology is quite rare, when a person suddenly falls asleep anywhere. At the same time, he can be cheerful and feel good. Out of the blue, a short-term sleep begins, lasting a couple of minutes, after which a quick awakening occurs. This can happen anywhere, even on the street, on public transport or at work. Sometimes this pathology can be preceded by catalepsy - severe weakness in the arms and legs, as well as paralysis. This pathology is quite dangerous, since you can get injuries to the limbs and other parts of the body, but it can be treated quite well with the help of psychotherapeutic medications.

Klein-Levin syndrome

It is a very rare disease, most often observed in adolescents before adulthood, sometimes in women. It manifests itself in the fact that a person falls into deep sleep for one or several days. When he wakes up, he feels excited, hungry and cheerful. This syndrome is not treated in our time, since it is not clear why it occurs.

Various brain injuries

You can injure your head at any age, as a result of, for example, a fall, a strong blow, an accident, or a car accident. Injuries can have varying degrees of severity, often resulting in constant drowsiness and fatigue, which can occur even after not difficult or very long work, and also rapid emotional fatigue. In case of brain injuries, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive diagnostic examination, after which a course of drug treatment will be prescribed.

Mental disorder

There are many different mental illness and deviations affecting the emotional state. These include the appearance of psychosis, depression, manic syndrome, neurotic disorder, neurasthenia, and others. Almost all mental illnesses lead to lethargy and fatigue in women, and night sleep is often disrupted. Many pathologies can be cured medications, which are prescribed by a psychotherapist or neurologist.

Carrying out diagnostic procedures

Since there are completely different causes of daytime sleepiness in women, it is quite difficult for doctors to diagnose and understand what caused it. this state. The first thing the patient needs to do is contact a local therapist or a neurologist. The doctor will first prescribe standard examination methods to determine the physical disease.
Usually a referral is issued for urine and blood tests, an electrocardiogram, and a biochemical blood test is performed. If the doctor suspects any neurological diseases or endocrine pathologies, the patient will be referred to a specialist, for example, an endocrinologist, neurologist or psychotherapist. If you have suffered a brain injury, you will most likely need to undergo magnetic resonance imaging or other procedures to examine the brain and blood vessels heads.
Very rarely, doctors direct you to undergo polysomnography, during which the indicators of the brain and other internal organs of a woman are studied during sleep; this requires specialized equipment. If disturbances in the sleep structure are detected, treatment will be carried out by a somnologist.

How to deal with chronic fatigue

If, as a result of diagnostic procedures, the doctor discovered any pathologies or diseases, he will prescribe effective treatment. It is necessary to strictly adhere to the doctor’s recommendations at all times and take everything medications in accordance with its purpose.
However, if after a thorough examination no abnormalities or diseases were found in the body, if the patient does not have any mental or physical problems, and the doctor has not identified the causes of weakness and drowsiness, then you can try the following simple tips and recommendations:

strictly adhere to the daily routine: go to bed every day and wake up at the same time in the morning, in the evenings do not sit late in front of the TV or on the Internet;
do not overwork while working, always adhere to the rest and work schedule; if you feel tired, be sure to take a break for a short rest;
in the morning, do exercises, warm-up, a walk in the fresh air or jogging is very good for adding energy and lifting your mood; in the evening, it is also useful to walk along the street before going to bed;
In the morning, before work, drink a cup of coffee, because caffeine stimulates many processes in the body, adds vigor, but you should not get too carried away with coffee;
stop drinking alcohol, carbohydrates, and smoking;
drink a high-quality vitamin and mineral complex, which quickly eliminates the desire to sleep during the day, saturates the body with useful microelements and charges the body with energy;
control arterial pressure, with low vascular tone, make drinks from ginseng and lemongrass, which are adaptogens.

It is also very important to listen to the body, if you pay attention to important signals, changes in well-being, deterioration of the condition, the appearance of pain, and also seek timely treatment. medical care, then the occurrence of serious diseases can be prevented.

Conclusion

So, there are many different factors that lead to daytime fatigue and apathy. In order to accurately determine the root cause due to which the condition is worsening, it is important to undergo an examination and those diagnostic procedures recommended by the therapist or attending physician. To prevent lethargy and weakness of the body, it is necessary to eat a healthy, balanced diet, so that the diet contains a sufficient amount of fats, proteins, carbohydrates, microelements and vitamins. Also, you don’t need to be physically and mentally overtired, you need to do morning exercises and be in the fresh air more often, then the body will be filled with vital energy and strength.

Have you ever literally struggled to sleep during the day? In fact, this problem occurs in many people, but for some it goes away the next day, while others live with it for years. Does this condition indicate a simple malaise, or does daytime sleepiness warn of a serious illness?

Causes of drowsiness

In reality, there may be several factors why you are so tempted to sleep during the day. Often the culprits are the medications we take. For example, these could be anti-inflammatory drugs or antihistamines. But if you are not taking any medications, then perhaps daytime sleepiness warns of a serious illness associated with disruption of this process. These may be narcolepsy, catalepsy, sleep apnea, endocrine system disorders or depression. Often this condition is associated with meningitis, diabetes, cancer or poor nutrition. In addition, such drowsiness may occur due to any injury. For symptoms that last several days, the best option for the patient is to see a doctor.

But not in all cases, sleepiness during the day warns of a serious illness; often the reason for this is ordinary lack of sleep at night, associated with lifestyle, worries or work. In addition, boredom and idleness can put pressure on your eyelids. Also, a poorly ventilated room can provoke an attack of drowsiness due to lack of oxygen. But often the desire to constantly sleep causes anxiety for your health, so it’s worth finding out how you can deal with this condition in different cases.

Narcolepsy

This disease may be hereditary. In this state, a person is unable to control himself, and sleep can overtake him completely suddenly. At the same time, he may have dreams. A person suddenly experiences muscle weakness and simply falls, dropping everything in his hands. This condition does not last long. This disease mainly predominates among young people. The causes of this condition have not yet been identified. But such “attacks” can be controlled with the help of the drug Ritalin. In addition, you can set aside some time for daytime sleep, this will reduce the number of unexpected attacks.

Sleep apnea

Daytime sleepiness in older people often occurs precisely because of this disease. Overweight people are also prone to it. With this disease, a person stops breathing during night sleep, and due to lack of oxygen, he awakens. Usually he cannot understand what happened and why he woke up. As a rule, the sleep of such people is accompanied by snoring. This condition can be controlled by purchasing a mechanical breathing apparatus for night time. There are also special holders that do not allow the tongue to sink. Moreover, if there is excess weight, it is important to strive to get rid of it.

Insomnia

This is one of the types of sleep disorders. It is very common and occurs in people of all ages. Insomnia can manifest itself in different ways. Some people have trouble falling asleep at all, while others suffer from constant awakenings. This disorder is accompanied by the fact that a person experiences regular sleepiness during the day and insomnia at night. Due to constant lack of sleep, the patient’s general state and mood. This problem can be solved by lifestyle adjustments and medications.

Thyroid

Often, daytime sleepiness warns of a serious illness associated, for example, with the functioning of the endocrine system. This disease is often accompanied by weight gain, bowel dysfunction, and hair loss. At the same time, you may feel chills, cold and fatigue, although it seems to you that you have had enough sleep. In this case, it is important to support your thyroid gland, but not on your own, but to ask for help from a specialist.

Hypoventilation

This disease occurs in obese people. It is accompanied by the fact that a person can fall asleep even in a standing position, and, moreover, unexpectedly for himself. Such a dream may last for some time. Doctors call this disease hypoventilation. It occurs due to poor quality of the respiratory process. Some areas of the brain receive very limited amounts of carbon dioxide. For this reason, a person becomes sleepy during the day. Treatment for such people consists mainly of training diaphragmatic breathing. It is also important to make efforts to get rid of extra pounds.

During pregnancy

In a woman who is carrying a baby, her body begins to work in an unusual mode. Therefore, daytime sleepiness during pregnancy is often caused by physiological feature. In addition, such women use up energy faster. Since many stimulants during this period are contraindicated, the woman can change her regimen. To do this, it is important for her to sleep for about nine hours and avoid noisy evening events, because they affect nervous system. If a pregnant woman works, it is better for her to take short breaks and go out into the fresh air, and the room in which she spends most of her time needs constant ventilation. In addition, it will be useful for such a woman to master breathing exercises.

But it happens that along with constant desire sleep at expectant mother there are other symptoms or the condition is causing her a lot of discomfort. In this case, she should tell her doctor everything. Perhaps she simply has a lack of microelements, but it should be replenished immediately.

Drowsiness after eating

Sometimes a person can be healthy and have no obvious reasons for fatigue. But despite this, he may feel drowsy during the day after eating. This should not be surprising, since after eating food there is an increase in glucose in the blood, which affects some brain cells. In this case, he ceases to control the area that is responsible for wakefulness. But how to deal with this problem, because there is still half a working day ahead?

Fight afternoon sleepiness

Method 1. There is a point in the nasolabial fold that you are advised to press at an energetic pace. This action helps you “come to your senses” after lunch.

Method 2. You can massage your eyelids by squeezing and unclenching them. After this, finger movements are performed under the eyebrow and under the eye.

Method 3. Head massage also brings you back to your senses. To do this, you will have to lightly walk your knuckles all over your head. In addition, you can lightly tug on your curls.

Method 4. By working the area of the shoulders and neck with your fingers, you can cause a rush of blood, which will bring with it a portion of oxygen to the brain. It is worth noting that often, due to osteochondrosis, people feel a loss of strength and a desire to rest during the day.

Method 5. You can take restoratives that will help you stay alert. For example, cook for yourself ginger tea. A few drops of eleutherococcus, Schisandra chinensis or ginseng will also work. But coffee will only give short-term results.

But not only because of global diseases or after lunch, daytime drowsiness can set in. There are other reasons, for example, simply lack of sleep due to lifestyle. Therefore, you need to take the following recommendations as a rule:

Don't steal time from sleep. Some people think that during the time needed to sleep, more useful things could be done, for example, cleaning the room, watching a TV series, putting on makeup. But do not forget that for full life You need quality sleep of at least seven hours a day, and sometimes longer. For teenagers, this time should take 9 hours.
Train yourself to go to bed a little earlier. Go to bed, for example, not at 23.00, as usual, but at 22.45.
Eat meals at the same time. This routine will help your body get used to having a stable schedule.
Regular physical exercise makes your sleep deeper, and your body will be more energetic during the day.
Don't waste time being bored. Try to always be doing something.
If you don't feel sleepy, then don't go to bed. Fatigue is different, be able to distinguish between these two sensations. Therefore, it is better not to go to bed just to take a nap, otherwise your night's sleep will be more disturbing, and during the day you will want to rest.
Contrary to what many people think, alcohol in the evening does not improve the quality of sleep.

Lack of sleep doesn't just cause inconvenience. The quality of life deteriorates, side health problems arise, and daytime sleepiness is to blame. It is better to find out the causes of this problem from a specialist, since a person cannot establish a diagnosis on his own. After all, it may not just be insomnia or another sleep disorder. Such problems may indicate liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, infection or other misfortune.