How does sleepiness effect you?
WHAT IS PROBLEM SLEEPINESS?
Everyone feels sleepy at times. However, when sleepiness interferes with daily routines and activities, or reduces the ability to function, it is called “problem sleepiness.” A person can be sleepy without realizing it. For example, a person may not feel sleepy during activities such as talking and listening to music at a party, but the same person can fall asleep while driving home afterward. You may have problem sleepiness if you:
- consistently do not get enough sleep, or get poor quality sleep
- fall asleep while driving
- struggle to stay awake when inactive, such as when watching television or reading
- have difficulty paying attention or concentrating at work, school, or home
- have performance problems at work or school
- Are often told by others that you are sleepy
- have difficulty remembering
- have slowed responses
- have difficulty controlling your emotions
- must take naps on most days
What Causes Problem Sleepiness?
Sleepiness can be due to the body’s natural daily sleep-wake cycles, inadequate sleep, sleep disorders, or certain drugs. Sleep-Wake Cycle Each day there are two periods when the body experiences a natural tendency toward sleepiness: during the late night hours (generally between midnight and 7 a.m.) and again during the mid-afternoon (generally between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.). If people are awake during these times, they have a higher risk of falling asleep unintentionally, especially if they haven’t been getting enough sleep.
Inadequate Sleep
The amount of sleep needed each night varies among people. Each person needs a particular amount of sleep in order to be fully alert throughout the day. Research has shown that when healthy adults are allowed to sleep unrestricted, the average time slept is 8 to 8.5 hours. Some people need more than that to avoid problem sleepiness; others need less.
If a person does not get enough sleep, even on one night, a “sleep debt” begins to build and increases until enough sleep is 2 obtained. Problem sleepiness occurs as the debt accumulates. Many people do not get enough sleep during the work week and then sleep longer on the weekends or days off to reduce their sleep debt. If too much sleep has been lost, sleeping in on the weekend may not completely reverse the effects of not getting enough sleep during the week.
If a lack of sleep continues it is recommended that you contact your doctor and talk to them about whether a sleep aid might be right for you. Often times prescription sleep remedies can have worse side effects than not getting any sleep at all. For prolonged insomnia it is best to try a natural sleep aid that will work with your body and not make you feel like a zombie the next morning.
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