Are you tired all the time? Do you feel like you could sleep for hours and still not feel refreshed? If so, read on.
What is Excessive Daytime Sleepiness?
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or exhaustion may be the cause of your constant tiredness. EDS is so frequent that it affects up to 20% of the adult population at least three times each week.
Clinical fatigue is a medical term for a lack of physical or mental energy that has become a problem. Rest does not help, and it’s difficult to cure or diagnose because there are so many possible causes.
EDS and weariness that interferes with your daily life are explained in this article. It covers symptoms, a variety of possible underlying causes, and treatment options for these varied ailments.
Symptoms of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Sleep deprivation and excessive drowsiness can have serious health consequences. Fatigue is usually unrelated to a major illness such as cancer. However, it could indicate serious health concerns or be linked to other hazards and issues.
Poor sleep quality, for example, can increase your chances of falling asleep while driving. Hormonal abnormalities, weight gain, and a rise in chronic pain are all possible outcomes.
Sleep deprivation can lower your quality of life. Sleep deprivation can cause the following symptoms:
- Clumsiness
- Depression
- Difficulty learning
- Drowsiness
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Increased carbohydrate cravings
- Irritability
- Less interest in sex
- Loss of motivation
- Moodiness
- Trouble concentrating
- Weight gain
Almost anyone can feel this way after a night or two of bad sleep, more stress, or more exertion than normal. When it’s a consistent or regular state, it’s most often due to:
- Lifestyle factors
- Common medical causes
- Sleep disorders
- Medication side effects
Here’s What To Do About It
Diet
Food provides the majority of your body’s energy. Poor nutrition might result from not eating a balanced diet or skipping meals. This could be contributing to your tiredness.
- The following are some diet-related reasons for excessive sleepiness:
- Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, particularly iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D3.
- Blood sugar fluctuations impair your body’s capacity to deliver energy to its cells.
- Drinking too much alcohol.
- Too much caffeine consumption.
EDS and exhaustion can be reduced with simple dietary adjustments and/or nutritional supplementation.
Sleeping Disorders
Perhaps you’re not getting enough sleep, which may seem obvious. Improved sleep hygiene can help you get more sleep and sleep better. Among these habits are:
- Failure to get the appropriate quantity of sleep for your age.
- Trying to sleep in a hot, noisy, or uncomfortable setting.
- You don’t have a bedtime routine to assist you to fall asleep.
- Exercising just before going to bed.
- Late afternoon napping.
Your fatigue symptoms may be alleviated by adopting a better sleep regimen and sleeping environment.
Not having an active Lifestyle
Sedentary behavior—not obtaining enough physical activity—increases the likelihood of disturbed, low-quality sleep. Snoring and short breath pauses may exacerbate the condition. Other inactivity-related issues that can cause sleep disorders to include:
- Higher rates of depression
- Increased rates of metabolic syndrome
- Screen time and exposure to light from your devices
Exercising Excessively
Exercising excessively or overexerting oneself in other ways might exhaust your body to the point where it cannot recuperate overnight. This can make you tired and unmotivated, as well as make sleeping difficult. Overexertion might also cause the following symptoms:
- A decline in your ability to perform
- Depression or mood swings
- Sore, heavy limbs
- Overuse injuries
- Getting sick more often
- Anxiety
- Unintended weight loss
Cutting back on an activity or taking a week or two off to rest and recover could help you get rid of your EDS and sleep issues.
Stress
Psychological stress can have a significant impact on the amount and quality of sleep you get. Worse yet, not getting enough sleep might make you feel even more anxious.
Lowering your stress levels or using better stress management techniques may help you feel less tired and have less EDS. Consult your healthcare practitioner if you are unable to do so on your own.
Typical Medical Causes
Many medical problems are associated with fatigue, overall weakness, and sleepiness. Your EDS symptoms could be linked to underlying issues such as:
- Anemia
- Autoimmune disease
- Cancer
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart disease
- Infection
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Thyroid disease
So, if you’re feeling run down and like you can’t keep your eyes open during the day, it might not be all in your head.
Fatigue and EDS are common symptoms of many illnesses, both minor and serious. But don’t worry – most cases of fatigue can be treated, so start by talking to your healthcare provider.
They may want to do a routine physical to check for any treatable causes of fatigue, such as iron or vitamin D deficiencies.
And don’t forget to share this post with your friends – chances are at least one of them is also dealing with unexplained fatigue.