The symptom is daytime sleepiness. Severe sleepiness: what causes increased sleepiness

“I fall asleep on the go”, “I sit at a lecture and sleep”, “I struggle with sleep at work” - such expressions can be heard from many people, however, as a rule, they cause more jokes than compassion. Sleepiness is mainly due to lack of sleep at night, overwork, or simply boredom and monotony in life. However, fatigue after rest should pass, boredom can be dispelled by other methods, and monotony can be diversified. But for many, drowsiness from the measures taken does not go away, a person sleeps enough at night, but in daytime constantly holding back a yawn, he looks where it would be “more convenient to nestle”.

The feeling when you feel an irresistible desire to sleep, but there is no such possibility, frankly, disgusting, capable of causing aggression towards those who interfere with this, or in general towards the whole world around. In addition, problems do not always arise only in the daytime. Imperative (irresistible) episodes throughout the day create the same intrusive thoughts: "I'll come - and immediately sleep." Not everyone succeeds, an irresistible desire can disappear after a short 10-minute sleep, frequent awakenings in the middle of the night do not give rest, nightmares often come. Tomorrow, everything will start all over again...

The problem can become the butt of jokes

With rare exceptions, watching a sluggish and apathetic person day after day, striving to constantly “snack”, someone seriously thinks that he is not healthy. Colleagues get used to it, perceive it as indifference and indifference, and consider these manifestations more of a character trait than a pathological condition. Sometimes constant drowsiness and apathy generally become the subject of jokes and all sorts of "jokes".

Medicine "thinks" differently. She calls excessive sleep duration hypersomnia. and its variants are named depending on the disorders, because constant drowsiness during the day does not always mean a good night's rest, even if a lot of time has been spent in bed.

From the point of view of experts, such a condition requires research, because daytime sleepiness that occurs in a person who seems to have slept enough time at night can be a symptom of a pathological condition that is not perceived by ordinary people as a disease. And how can one regard such behavior if a person does not complain, says that nothing hurts him, he sleeps well and, in principle, is healthy - just for some reason he constantly wants to sleep.

Outsiders here, of course, are unlikely to help, you need to delve into yourself and try to find the cause, and, possibly, contact a specialist.

It is not difficult to detect signs of drowsiness in oneself, they are quite “eloquent”:

• Fatigue, lethargy, loss of strength and constant obsessive yawning - these signs of poor health, when nothing hurts, prevent you from plunging into work;
• Consciousness is somewhat dulled, surrounding events do not particularly excite;
• The mucous membranes become dry;
• The sensitivity of peripheral analyzers drops;
• The heart rate is reduced.

We should not forget that the norm of sleep - 8 hours, is not suitable for all age categories. For a child under six months constant sleep counts normal state. However, as he grows and gains strength, priorities change, he wants to play more and explore the world, so there is less and less daily time for sleep. In the elderly, on the contrary, the older the person, the more he needs not to go far from the sofa.

Still fixable

The modern rhythm of life predisposes to neuropsychic overloads, which, to a greater extent than physical ones, can lead to sleep disorders. Temporary fatigue, although manifested by drowsiness (the same temporary), but quickly passes when the body rests, and then sleep is restored. M It can be said that in many cases people themselves are to blame for overloading their bodies.

When does daytime sleepiness not cause concern for one's health? The reasons may be different, but, as a rule, these are transient problems of a personal nature, periodic “work rush” at work, a cold, or a rare stay at work. fresh air. Here are a few examples where the desire to organize a “quiet hour” is not considered a symptom of a serious illness:

• Lack of night sleep due to banal reasons: personal experiences, stress, caring for a newborn, a session with students, an annual report, that is, circumstances to which a person devotes a lot of time and energy to the detriment of rest.
• Chronic fatigue, about which the patient himself speaks, meaning permanent job(mental and physical), endless household chores, lack of time for hobbies, sports, outdoor activities and entertainment. In a word, a person was dragged into a routine, he missed the moment when the body recovered in a couple of days, with chronic fatigue, when everything has gone so far, perhaps, in addition to rest, long-term treatment will also be needed.
• Fatigue makes itself felt faster with insufficient oxygen supply to the body, Why does the brain begin to experience starvation ( hypoxia). This happens if a person works for a long time in unventilated areas, there is little fresh air in his free time. What if he smokes too?
• Lack of sunlight. It's no secret that cloudy weather, the monotonous tapping of raindrops on the glass, the rustle of leaves outside the window greatly contribute to daytime drowsiness, which is difficult to cope with.
• Lethargy, loss of strength and the need for longer sleep appears when "the fields are compressed, the groves are bare", and nature itself is about to fall into a long sleep - late fall, winter(it gets dark early, the sun rises late).
• After a hearty lunch there is a desire to bow the head to something soft and cool. This is all the blood circulating through our vessels - it tends to the digestive organs - there is a lot of work, and at this time less blood flows to the brain and, along with it, oxygen. So it turns out that when the stomach is full, the brain is starving. Fortunately, this does not last long, so the afternoon nap passes quickly.
• Fatigue and drowsiness during the day may appear as a protective reaction of the body with psycho-emotional stress, stress, prolonged excitement.
• Taking medicines in the first place, tranquilizers, antidepressants, antipsychotics, hypnotics, certain antihistamines that have either direct action or side effects of lethargy and drowsiness can cause similar symptoms.
• mild cold, which in most cases is carried on the legs, without a sick leave and drug treatment(the body copes on its own), it is manifested by rapid fatigue, therefore, during the working day, it does not weakly fall asleep.

• Pregnancy in itself, of course, the state is physiological, but the changes taking place in the body of a woman cannot be ignored, primarily regarding the ratio of hormones, which are accompanied by sleep disturbance (it is difficult to fall asleep at night, and during the day it is not always possible).
• Hypothermia- a decrease in body temperature as a result of hypothermia. From time immemorial, people have known that, being in unfavorable conditions (blizzard, frost), the main thing is not to succumb to the temptation to rest and sleep, and from fatigue in the cold it tends to sleep incredibly: often there is a feeling of warmth, it begins to seem to a person that he is in a good place. heated room and warm bed. This is a very dangerous symptom.

However, there are conditions that are often included in the concept of "syndrome". How to perceive them? In order for the presence of such a disease to be confirmed, it is necessary not only to pass some tests and go to some fashionable examination. A person, first of all, must himself identify his problems and present specific complaints, but, unfortunately, in most cases people consider themselves healthy, and doctors, to be honest, often dismiss the “insignificant claims” of patients to their health.

Disease or normal?

Lethargy, drowsiness, daytime fatigue can give various pathological conditions, even if we do not consider them as such:

1. Apathy and lethargy, as well as a desire to sleep at the wrong time for this, appears when neurotic disorders and depressive states which are within the competence of psychotherapists, it is better for amateurs not to meddle in such subtle matters.
2. Weakness and drowsiness, irritability and weakness, loss of strength and decreased ability to work, often in their complaints are noted by people suffering sleep apnea(breathing problems during sleep).
3. Loss of energy, lethargy, weakness and drowsiness are symptoms , which at the present time is often repeated by both doctors and patients, but few people have seen it recorded as a diagnosis.
4. Often, lethargy and a desire to sleep during the day are noted by patients whose outpatient card contains such a “semi-diagnosis” as or , or whatever else is called such a state.
5. I want to stay longer in bed, sleep at night and during the day for people who have recently had infection - acute, or having it in a chronic form. The immune system, trying to restore its defenses, requires rest from other systems. During sleep, the body inspects the condition of the internal organs after the disease (what damage has been caused by it?), in order to correct everything if possible.
6. Keeps you awake at night and makes you sleepy during the day "restless leg syndrome". In such patients, doctors do not find any specific pathology, and night rest becomes a big problem.
7. Fibromyalgia. Due to what reasons and circumstances this disease appears, science is not known for certain, since, apart from excruciating pain in the whole body, disturbing peace and sleep, doctors do not find any pathology in a suffering person.
8. Alcoholism, drug addiction and other abuses in the status of "former" - in such patients, sleep is often disturbed forever, not to mention the states after withdrawal and "withdrawal".

And already without long list the causes of daytime sleepiness that occurs in people who are considered practically healthy and able-bodied could be continued, which we will do in the next section, designating conditions that are officially recognized as pathological as causes.

Cause in sleep disorder or somnological syndromes

The functions and tasks of sleep are programmed by human nature and consist in restoring the body's strength spent in the process of daytime activities. As a rule, an active life takes 2/3 of the day, about 8 hours are allotted for sleep. healthy body, for whom everything is safe and calm, life support systems are working normally, this time is more than enough - a person wakes up cheerful and rested, goes to work in order to return to a warm soft bed in the evening.

Meanwhile, the order that has been established since the birth of life on Earth can be destroyed by problems that are invisible at first glance, which do not allow a person to sleep at night and force him to fall asleep on the go during the day:

• • (insomnia) at night very quickly forms signs indicating that a person is not doing well: nervousness, fatigue, impaired memory and attention, depression, loss of interest in life and, of course, lethargy and constant sleepiness during the day.
  • Sleeping Beauty Syndrome (Kleine-Levin) the reason for which is still unclear. Almost no one considers this syndrome to be a disease, because in the intervals between attacks, patients do not differ from other people in any way and do not resemble patients. This pathology is characterized by periodically occurring (intervals from 3 months to six months) episodes of prolonged sleep (on average, 2/3 days, although it can be a day or two, or even longer). The most interesting thing is that people wake up to go to the toilet and eat. In addition to prolonged sleep during exacerbations, patients also notice other oddities: they eat a lot without controlling this process, some (males) show hypersexuality, become aggressive towards others if they try to stop voracity or hibernation.
  • Idiopathic hypersomnia. This disease can haunt people up to 30 years old, so it is often mistaken for a healthy sleep of young people. It is characterized by drowsiness during the day, which occurs even in situations requiring high activity(study, for example). Without looking at a long and full night's rest, awakening is difficult, a bad mood and anger do not leave a person who "got up so early" for a long time.
  • Narcolepsy- a rather severe sleep disorder that is difficult to treat. It is almost impossible to get rid of drowsiness forever, having such a pathology, after the symptomatic treatment has been carried out, it will again declare itself. Surely, most people have not even heard a term such as narcolepsy, but such a disorder is considered by sleep experts to be one of the worst variants of hypersomnia. The thing is that it often does not give rest either during the day, causing an irresistible desire to fall asleep right at the workplace, or at night, creating obstacles to uninterrupted sleep (inexplicable anxiety, hallucinations when falling asleep that wake up, frighten, provide a bad mood and a breakdown over the next day).

• Pickwick syndrome(specialists also call it obese hypoventilation syndrome). The description of the Pickwickian syndrome, oddly enough, belongs to the famous English writer Charles Dickens (“The Posthumous Notes of the Pickwick Club”). Some authors argue that it was the syndrome described by C. Dickens that became the ancestor new science- somnology. Thus, having nothing to do with medicine, the writer unwittingly contributed to its development. Pickwickian syndrome is predominantly observed in people who have an impressive weight (grade 4 obesity), which puts a huge strain on the heart, presses on the diaphragm, makes it difficult respiratory movements, resulting in blood clotting ( polycythemia) and hypoxia. Patients with Pickwick's syndrome, as a rule, already suffer from sleep apnea, their rest looks like a series of episodes of stopping and resuming respiratory activity (the starving brain, when it becomes completely unbearable, makes you breathe, interrupting sleep). Of course, during the day - fatigue, weakness and an obsessive desire to sleep. By the way, Pickwick's syndrome is sometimes observed in patients with less than the fourth degree of obesity. The origin of this disease has not been clarified, perhaps a genetic factor plays a role in its development, but the fact that all sorts of extreme situations for the body (craniocerebral trauma, stress, pregnancy, childbirth) can become an impetus for a sleep disorder is already, in general , proven.

A mysterious disease, also coming from a sleep disorder - hysterical lethargy(lethargy) is nothing more than a protective reaction of the body in response to strong shock, stress. Of course, for drowsiness, lethargy, slowness, you can take a mild course of a mysterious illness, manifested by periodic and short-term attacks that can catch you anywhere in the daytime. Lethargic sleep, which inhibits all physiological processes and lasts for decades, certainly does not fit the category we are describing (daytime sleepiness).

Is sleepiness a sign of a serious illness?

Such a problem as constant drowsiness accompanies many pathological conditions, so you don’t need to put it off until later, perhaps it will turn out to be the symptom that will help you find true reason ailments, namely a specific disease. Complaints of weakness and drowsiness, loss of strength and bad mood may give reason to suspect:

1. - a decrease in the content, which entails a drop in the level of hemoglobin - a protein that delivers oxygen to cells for respiration. The lack of oxygen leads to hypoxia (oxygen starvation), which is manifested by the above symptoms. Diet, fresh air and iron supplements help to get rid of this kind of drowsiness.
2. , , some forms - in general, conditions in which cells do not receive the amount of oxygen necessary for full functioning (basically, erythrocytes, for some reason, cannot carry it to their destination).
3. below normal values(usually blood pressure is taken as the norm - 120/80 mm Hg). Slow blood flow through dilated vessels also does not contribute to the enrichment of tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Especially under such circumstances, the brain suffers. Patients with low blood pressure are often dizzy, they cannot stand attractions such as swings and carousels, they are motion sick in the car. Blood pressure in hypotensive people decreases after intellectual, physical and psycho-emotional overstrain, with intoxication, lack of vitamins in the body. Hypotension often accompanies iron deficiency and other anemias, but people suffering from it are most prone to it. (VSD of hypotonic type).
4. Diseases thyroid gland with a decrease in its functional abilities ( hypothyroidism). Insufficiency of thyroid function, naturally leads to a drop in the level thyroid-stimulating hormones, which gives quite a variety clinical picture, among which: fatigue even after minor physical exertion, memory impairment, absent-mindedness, lethargy, sluggishness, drowsiness, chilliness, bradycardia or tachycardia, hypotension or arterial hypertension, anemia, damage to the digestive system, gynecological problems and much more. In general, the lack of thyroid hormones makes these people quite sick, so you can hardly expect them to be very active in life, they, as a rule, always complain of a breakdown and a constant desire to sleep.
5. Pathology of the cervical spine vowel (, hernia), which leads to feeding the brain.
6. Various hypothalamic lesions, since it contains zones that take part in regulating the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness;
7. respiratory failure with(decreased oxygen levels in the blood) and hypercapnia(blood saturation carbon dioxide) is a direct path to hypoxia and, accordingly, its manifestations.

When the reason is already known

Chronic patients, in most cases, are well aware of their pathology and know why symptoms periodically occur or constantly accompany symptoms that are not attributed to direct signs of a specific disease:

• , which disrupts many processes in the body: the respiratory system, kidneys, brain suffer, as a result - a lack of oxygen and tissue hypoxia.
• Diseases of the excretory system(nephritis, chronic renal failure) create conditions for the accumulation in the blood of substances that are toxic to the brain;
• Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dehydration because of acute disorders digestion (vomiting, diarrhea), characteristic of the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract;
• Chronic infections(viral, bacterial, fungal), localized in various bodies, and neuroinfections that affect brain tissue.
• . Glucose is a source of energy for the body, but without insulin, it will not enter the cells (hyperglycemia). It will not get it in the right amount and with normal insulin production, but low sugar intake (hypoglycemia). Both high and low glucose levels for the body threaten with starvation, and, therefore, poor health, loss of strength and a desire to sleep more than the allotted time.
• Rheumatism if glucocorticoids are used for its treatment, they reduce the activity of the adrenal glands, which cease to provide the patient with a high vital activity.
• Condition after epileptic seizure (epilepsy) the patient usually falls asleep, waking up, notes lethargy, weakness, loss of strength, but he absolutely does not remember what happened to him.
• Intoxication. Stunning of consciousness, loss of strength, weakness and drowsiness are often among the symptoms of exogenous (food poisoning, poisoning with toxic substances and, most often, alcohol and its surrogates) and endogenous (liver cirrhosis, acute renal and liver failure) intoxication.

Any pathological process localized in the brain, can also lead to oxygen starvation of its tissues, and, therefore, to a desire to sleep during the daytime (which is why they say that such patients often confuse day with night). Difficulty blood flow in the GM, bringing it into a state of hypoxia, diseases such as head vessels, hydrocephalus, traumatic brain injury, dyscirculatory, brain tumor and many other diseases, which, along with their symptoms, have already been described on our website.

Sleepiness in a child

Many of the conditions listed above can cause weakness and drowsiness in a child, however you can not compare newborns, infants up to a year and older children.

Almost round-the-clock hibernation (with breaks only for feeding) in babies up to a year is happiness for parents, if the baby is healthy. During sleep, he gains strength for growth, forms a full-fledged brain and other systems that have not yet completed their development until the moment of birth.

After six months, the duration of sleep in an infant is reduced to 15-16 hours, the baby begins to be interested in the events taking place around him, shows a desire to play, so the daily need for rest will decrease every month, reaching 11-13 hours by the year.

Abnormal drowsiness in a small child can be considered if there are signs of the disease:

• Loose stools whether its prolonged absence;
• Dry diapers or diapers for a long time (the child has stopped urinating);
• Lethargy and desire to sleep after a bruise on the head;
• Pale (or even cyanotic) skin;
• Fever;
• Loss of interest in the voices of loved ones, lack of response to affection and stroking;
• Prolonged reluctance to eat.

The appearance of one of the listed symptoms should alert the parents and force them to call an ambulance without hesitation - the child must have been in trouble.

In an older child, drowsiness is unnatural if he sleeps normally at night and nothing, as it seems at first glance, does not get sick. Meanwhile, the body of children better feels the influence of invisible adverse factors and responds accordingly. Weakness and drowsiness, loss of activity, indifference, loss of strength, along with “adult diseases” can cause:

• Worm infestations;
• Traumatic brain injury (), which the child preferred to keep silent about;
• poisoning;
• Astheno-neurotic syndrome;
• Pathology of the blood system (anemia - deficient and hemolytic, some forms of leukemia);
• Diseases of the digestive, respiratory, circulatory organs, pathology of the endocrine system, occurring latently, without clear clinical manifestations;
• Lack of trace elements (iron, in particular) and vitamins in food;
• Permanent and prolonged stay in unventilated rooms (tissue hypoxia).

Any decrease in daily activity, lethargy and drowsiness in children are signs of ill health, which should be noticed by adults and become a reason for going to the doctor, especially if the child, due to his infancy, cannot yet formulate his complaints correctly. You may only have to enrich the diet with vitamins, spend more time in the fresh air or "poison" worms. But is it still better to be safe than to overlook?

Sleepiness treatment

Treatment for drowsiness? It may be, and is, but in each specific case - a separate one, in general, this treatment of the disease that causes a person to struggle with sleep during the day.

Given the long list of causes of daytime sleepiness, there is no one-size-fits-all recipe for how to get rid of daytime sleepiness. Perhaps a person just needs to open windows more often to let in fresh air or walk outside in the evenings and spend weekends in nature. Maybe it's time to reconsider your attitude to alcohol and smoking.

It is possible that it will be necessary to streamline the regime of work and rest, to switch to healthy eating, take vitamins or conduct ferrotherapy. And, finally, to pass tests and undergo an examination.

In any case, there is no need to rely too much on medications, but such is human nature - to look for the easiest and shortest ways to solve all issues. So it is with daytime sleepiness, because it is better to get some kind of medicine, take it when your eyes start to stick together, and everything will pass. However, here are a few examples:

Suppose drowsiness is caused reduced pressure(), that is, a person knows exactly the reason for his constant falling asleep. Such people, undoubtedly, more than others can afford to love coffee or strong tea, which, in general, hypotensive people do. I drank coffee - there was cheerfulness and a desire to work, but the main thing is not to overdo it. Even for patients with low blood pressure, excessive doses of these drinks and their intake in evening time may not have a very good effect. In addition, people suffering from hypotension can turn to herbal pharmaceutical products. These are tinctures of Eleutherococcus, lure, ginseng. They increase pressure and performance, give a surge of vitality and relieve daytime sleepiness.

Another common cause of drowsiness is low. In this case, we can advise you to buy at the pharmacy only vitamin complex, and iron, if it turns out that there is indeed iron deficiency anemia, the doctor will prescribe. But first you have to go through an examination and install specific reason decrease in hemoglobin levels.

Or, say, hypoxia. What kind of person can be prescribed treatment if his body requires a medicine called "oxygen"? Of course, it happens that professional activity and leisure are somehow structured in such a way that a person does not get much fresh air and is overwhelmed by drowsiness for days. The only advice is to take care of the nutrition of your brain yourself. In connection with hypoxia, one cannot ignore such bad habit like smoking. And what can be recommended in this case? Of course - quit smoking, sleep in the daytime, for sure, will be less.

It is difficult to give one recipe that satisfies everyone to combat daytime sleepiness for people with completely different problems: thyroid disease, cardiovascular pathology, respiratory or digestive diseases. It will also not be possible to prescribe the same treatment for those suffering from depression, sleep apnea or chronic fatigue syndrome. Everyone has their own problems, and, accordingly, their own therapy, so you can’t do without an examination and a doctor.

Video: drowsiness - expert opinion

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Increased sleepiness - basic information

Increased drowsiness- perhaps the most common symptom. The number of diseases that occur with severe drowsiness is so great that it is simply impossible to fit them in this article.

And this is not surprising, since drowsiness is the first manifestation of depression of the central nervous system, and the cells of the cerebral cortex are unusually sensitive to the effects of external and internal adverse factors.

Nevertheless, despite the non-specificity, this symptom is of great importance in the diagnosis of many pathological conditions.

First of all, this applies to severe diffuse brain damage, when sudden severe drowsiness is the first alarming sign of an impending disaster. We are talking about such pathologies as:

• traumatic brain injury (intracranial hematomas, cerebral edema);
• acute poisoning (botulism, opiate poisoning);
• severe internal intoxication (renal and hepatic coma);
• hypothermia (freezing);
• preeclampsia of pregnant women with late toxicosis.

Since increased drowsiness occurs in many diseases, this symptom has diagnostic value when considered against the background of pathology (drowsiness in late pregnancy toxicosis, drowsiness in traumatic brain injury) and/or in combination with other symptoms (posyndromic diagnosis).

So, drowsiness is one of the important signs of asthenic syndrome (nervous exhaustion). In this case, it is combined with increased fatigue, irritability, tearfulness and a decrease in intellectual abilities.

Increased drowsiness combined with headache and dizziness is a sign of cerebral hypoxia. In such cases, the lack of oxygen can be caused by both external (staying in a poorly ventilated room) and internal reasons(diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular vascular systems s, blood systems, poisoning with poisons that block the transport of oxygen to cells, etc.).

The intoxication syndrome is characterized by a combination of drowsiness with a breakdown, headache, nausea and vomiting. The intoxication syndrome is characteristic of external and internal intoxications (poisoning with poisons or waste products of the body in case of renal and hepatic insufficiency), as well as for infectious diseases (poisoning with microorganism toxins).

Many experts separately distinguish hypersomnia - a pathological decrease in wakefulness, accompanied by severe drowsiness. In such cases, sleep time can reach 12-14 or more hours. This syndrome is most typical for some mental illnesses (schizophrenia, endogenous depression), endocrine pathologies (hypothyroidism, diabetes, obesity), lesions of brain stem structures.

And finally, increased drowsiness can be observed in absolutely healthy people with lack of sleep, increased physical, mental and emotional stress, as well as when moving, associated with crossing time zones.

The physiological state is also increased drowsiness in pregnant women in the first trimester, as well as drowsiness when taking medications, the side effect of which is depression of the nervous system (tranquilizers, antipsychotics, antihypertensive drugs, antiallergic drugs, etc.).

90% of the time a person is indoors.

Increased sleepiness?- First of all, pay attention to the house. Health is affected by environmental factors:

The presence of harmful substances in the air: house building materials, chipboard, gas stoves, indoor smoking.

Increased radiation background: house building materials, tile, central heating radiators.

Electromagnetic radiation: computers, mobile phones, microwave ovens, wi-fi routers, sockets, as well as power lines, tram and trolleybus networks.

Mercury vapor

An environmental impact assessment of housing is an affordable procedure that will help identify the invisible causes of ailments.

Increased sleepiness - our specialist will give recommendations on what is important to pay attention to in your home.

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Constant fatigue, weakness and drowsiness, as signs of a nervous
exhaustion

Most often, drowsiness, combined with constant fatigue and weakness, occurs with such a common pathology as nervous exhaustion (neurasthenia, cerebrosthenia).

In such cases, drowsiness can be associated with both sleep disorders and increased fatigue caused by exhaustion of the nervous system.

The morphological basis of cerebrosthenia can be both organic and functional damage to the central nervous system caused by the following conditions:

• severe, long-term chronic diseases;
• alimentary starvation ("fashionable" diets; anorexia nervosa);
• increased physical activity that exceeds the physiological norm for a given person;
• nervous stress (chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.).

Constant fatigue, weakness and drowsiness in case of nervous exhaustion is combined with other symptoms of a violation of higher nervous activity, such as irritability, emotional weakness (tearfulness), a decrease in intellectual abilities (memory impairment, decreased creative performance, etc.).

The clinical picture of nervous exhaustion is supplemented by signs of the disease that led to the development of cerebrovascular disease.

The treatment of drowsiness in neurasthenia consists, first of all, in the elimination of the pathology that caused the depletion of the nervous system, as well as in restorative measures.

Commonly prescribed drugs that improve cerebral circulation and increasing the energy balance in the cells of the cerebral cortex (Cavinton, Nootropil, etc.).

The prognosis for cerebrosthenia is associated with the disease that caused nervous exhaustion. In case of functional disorders, it is always favorable. However, as a rule, rather long treatment is required.

Dizziness, weakness and drowsiness, as symptoms of vegetovascular
dystonia

Vegetovascular (neurocirculatory) dystonia is described by general practitioners as a functional impairment of activity of cardio-vascular system, which is based on multiple systemic disorders of neuroendocrine regulation.

Today, vegetovascular dystonia is the most common disease of the cardiovascular system. Women of young and mature age are ill more often.

In the clinic of vegetovascular dystonia, as a rule, "cardiac" symptoms and disorders of the central nervous system come to the fore:

• pain in the region of the heart;
• lability blood pressure with a tendency to hypotension or hypertension;
• dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• weakness;
• lethargy;
• irritability;
• respiratory disorders in the form of a feeling of lack of air (the so-called "dreary sighs");
• cold and damp extremities.

Neurocirculatory dystonia refers to polyetiological diseases, that is, it is caused by a complex of reasons. As a rule, we are talking about the implementation of a hereditary-constitutional predisposition under the influence of a complex of unfavorable factors: stress, unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, alcohol abuse, improper daily routine, physical inactivity), some occupational hazards (vibration, ionizing radiation).

Dizziness, weakness and drowsiness in vegetative-vascular dystonia have a multiple mechanism of development:
1. The impact of factors that provoked the development of neurocirculatory dystonia (smoking, stress, etc.).
2. Neuroendocrine changes underlying the disease.
3. Violation of blood circulation (actual dystonia) of the vessels of the brain.

Treatment of drowsiness in vegetovascular dystonia is to eliminate the factors that caused the pathology. Of great importance is psychotherapy, restorative measures, acupuncture.

In severe cases, drugs are prescribed that correct the activity of the autonomic nervous system, and thus eliminate pronounced vascular disorders (metoprolol, atenolol).

Increased drowsiness as an alarming symptom in acute lesions
central nervous system

Severe diffuse lesions of the brain lead to inhibition of higher nervous activity, which is manifested in increased drowsiness.

At the same time, several stages of development of oppression of consciousness are distinguished: stunning of consciousness, stupor and coma.

Drowsiness with stunning consciousness is combined with symptoms such as lethargy, impaired active attention, impoverishment of facial expressions and speech, disorientation in place, time and one's own personality.

Patients answer questions in monosyllables, sometimes repetition is required, while only the most elementary tasks are performed. Often, patients are in a kind of half-asleep, and open their eyes only when directly addressed to them.

Sopor (hibernation) is a pathological condition in which the patient opens his eyes only in response to a super-strong impact (pain, a strong push), while a coordinated defensive reaction (repulsion) or a groan is observed. Speech contact is impossible, the pelvic organs are not controlled, but unconditioned reflexes and swallowing are preserved.

In the future, sopor passes into a coma (deep sleep) - an unconscious state in which there is no reaction even to strong pain effects.

Such a symptom as increased drowsiness can be especially valuable with the gradual development of a coma. In such cases, even before the development of a state of stunning, patients complain of severe drowsiness, often combined with headache, nausea and dizziness.

Nausea, weakness, drowsiness and headache as symptoms
intoxication of the central nervous system

Increased drowsiness may be a sign of poisoning of the central nervous system with exogenous (external) or endogenous (internal) poisons. In such cases, it is usually associated with symptoms such as weakness, nausea, and headache.

The mechanism of occurrence of these symptoms is a direct toxic damage to the cerebral cortex, which can vary in degree from reversible metabolic disorders to massive cell death.

Acute exogenous intoxication of the central nervous system

Increased drowsiness in acute poisoning of the central nervous system is associated with inhibition of higher nervous activity. At the same time, even poisons that excite the central nervous system (alcohol), at a sufficiently high concentration, cause increased drowsiness, which is very an alarming symptom, since further development of a deep coma is possible.

Acute exogenous poisoning can be caused by chemical and plant poisons, as well as toxins of bacterial origin (acute infectious diseases, food poisoning).

In addition to increased drowsiness, the clinic of this kind of poisoning is supplemented by general symptoms of intoxication, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lethargy. Many intoxications have characteristic symptoms that help to make a diagnosis: a sharp constriction of the pupils with opiate poisoning, difficulty swallowing and double vision with botulism, etc.

Increased drowsiness as a harbinger of coma in acute endogenous
intoxications

Increased drowsiness, as a harbinger of a coma, is of great importance in pathologies such as uremic (renal) and hepatic coma. They develop gradually, so timely diagnosis is of particular importance.

Hepatic coma occurs with severe liver damage (cirrhosis, hepatitis), when the detoxification function of this main laboratory of the human body is sharply reduced. The appearance of drowsiness is often preceded by motor and speech excitement.

Uremic coma develops against the background of acute or chronic renal failure. The main mechanism for the development of renal coma is the poisoning of the body by the end products of protein metabolism against the background of a violation of the water and electrolyte balance.

The causes of chronic renal failure are usually severe kidney pathology (chronic glomerulonephritis, renal amyloidosis, congenital anomalies etc.). Acute renal failure can be caused by both kidney damage and acute severe extrarenal pathology ( burn disease, poisoning, shock, collapse, etc.).

Increased drowsiness, as a harbinger of the development of renal coma, is often combined with headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and itching, which are symptoms of uremia (increased levels of toxic products of nitrogen metabolism in blood plasma).

Nausea, vomiting, dizziness and drowsiness in craniocerebral
injury

With a traumatic brain injury, several factors act on the central nervous system: direct damage (concussion, bruise, destruction of brain tissue with an open injury), impaired blood circulation and circulation cerebrospinal fluid, secondary disorders associated with cerebral edema.

At the same time, the most dangerous early complication of traumatic brain injury is an increase in intracranial pressure and cerebral edema. The threat to life in this case is associated with the possibility of secondary damage to the respiratory and vasomotor centers, leading to respiratory arrest and heartbeat.

It should be noted that the general condition of the patient in the first hours after the injury may not correspond to the severity of brain damage. Therefore, all victims must undergo a thorough examination for intracranial hematomas. In addition, it is necessary to monitor general condition sick.

Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and increased drowsiness indicate a serious pathology, so if they appear, you should urgently seek specialized medical help.

hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is a pathological condition characterized by an increase in sleep time (night and daytime). The ratio of time for sleep and wakefulness, necessary for normal well-being, is purely individual, and varies within a fairly wide range. In addition, this ratio depends on age, season, occupation and many other factors.

Therefore, we can talk about a pathological increase in sleep time in cases where prolonged night sleep associated with increased daytime sleepiness.

On the other hand, hypersomnia is distinguished from increased drowsiness in asthenic syndromes, which are often not accompanied by a real lengthening of sleep time, as well as from sleep disorders, when daytime sleepiness is combined with nighttime insomnia.

The most common causes of hypersomnia are the following pathological conditions:

• some mental illnesses (schizophrenia, severe depression);
• severe endocrine pathologies (diabetes mellitus, thyroid insufficiency);
• renal, hepatic and multiple organ failure;
• focal lesions of the brain stem structures.

In addition, hypersomnia is characteristic of Pickwick's syndrome. This pathology occurs much more often than it is diagnosed. Pickwickian syndrome is characterized by a triad of symptoms: obesity, associated with endocrine disorders, more or less pronounced respiratory failure and hypersomnia.

Patients (mainly men 30-50 years old) complain of severe drowsiness, respiratory disorders of central origin (snoring during sleep, leading to awakening; respiratory rhythm disturbances), headache after sleep.

Treatment of drowsiness with hypersomnia consists in the treatment of the underlying disease.

Weakness, lethargy and drowsiness with a decrease in body temperature

Severe drowsiness when freezing is associated with profound metabolic disorders in the cells of the cerebral cortex. A decrease in body temperature leads to a decrease in the rate of all biochemical reactions, impaired oxygen uptake and intracellular hypoxia.

Respiratory arrest occurs when body temperature drops to 15-20 degrees. It should be noted that in this state, the time interval between respiratory arrest and the state of biological death greatly increases, so that cases of rescuing the dead 20 or more minutes after the onset of death have been recorded. clinical death(stay in ice water). Therefore, timely resuscitation with hypothermia, they can save in seemingly hopeless cases.

Often, increased drowsiness when freezing is accompanied by euphoria, when the victim cannot correctly assess his condition. If general cooling is suspected, the patient should be given warm tea to drink (alcohol is contraindicated because it depresses the central nervous system) and sent to the nearest medical facility.

Loss of strength, irritability, frequent drowsiness with endocrine
failures in women

Frequent drowsiness is a constant symptom of such common endocrine disorders in women, as premenstrual syndrome and pathological menopause.

In such cases, constant sleepiness is combined with other symptoms of nervous exhaustion, such as:

• prostration;
• irritability;
• tendency to depression;
• emotional weakness (tearfulness);
• decrease in mental and physical performance;
• reversible deterioration in intellectual abilities (decrease in the ability to learn and creative thinking).

Constant drowsiness with endocrine disruptions in women is combined with other sleep disorders. Often, increased daytime sleepiness is caused by nocturnal insomnia. Sometimes, during a pathological menopause, develop severe depression- in such cases, hypersomnia often develops.

Treatment of drowsiness in case of endocrine disruptions consists in restorative measures. In many cases, herbal medicine and reflexology have a good effect. At severe course pathology shows hormonal correction.

Extreme drowsiness, increased fatigue and apathy in depression

The word "depression" literally means "depression". This is a severe mental pathology characterized by a triad of symptoms:
1. General decrease in emotional background.
2. Decreased motor activity.
3. Inhibition of thought processes.

Severe drowsiness in depression, depending on the severity of the pathology, is combined with other sleep disorders. So, with a mild degree of situational depression, that is, a pathology caused by external causes(divorce, job loss, etc.), increased daytime sleepiness is often caused by nighttime insomnia.

With endogenous depressions (manic-depressive psychosis, involutional melancholia, etc.), increased drowsiness is a symptom of hypersomnia, and is combined with sharp decline motor, speech and mental activity, which are outwardly perceived as apathy.

It should be noted that drowsiness can be one of the symptoms of latent depression. In such cases, sleep disturbances resemble the "owl" mode - a long wakefulness in the evening and a late rise in the morning. However, attention is drawn to the complaints of patients that it is extremely difficult for them to get out of bed in the morning, even when they have already had enough sleep. In addition, latent depression is especially characterized by a bad morning mood (by the evening, the emotional background always improves somewhat). Increased drowsiness in these cases is also characteristic of the first half of the day.

Treatment of drowsiness in depression is to treat the underlying disease. In mild cases, psychotherapy and restorative measures are very effective; in severe depression, drug therapy is indicated.

Increased drowsiness, lethargy, weakness, loss of strength with latent depression are often mistaken for symptoms of a somatic disease. In addition, depression has somatic symptoms, such as increased heart rate, palpitations, pain in the region of the heart, a tendency to constipation, etc. Therefore, such patients are sometimes treated for long and unsuccessfully for non-existent diseases.

It should be noted that chronic depression is quite difficult to treat, so if you suspect this pathology, it is best to contact a specialist (psychologist or psychiatrist).

Increased drowsiness in acute and chronic hypoxia of the brain
brain

Increased drowsiness is also characteristic of hypoxia of the central nervous system. Depending on the strength and nature of the acting factor, the degree of hypoxia may be different. With a mild degree of hypoxia, manifestations such as lethargy, weakness, increased fatigue and drowsiness are possible.

Symptoms of chronic hypoxia are fatigue, lethargy, weakness, irritability, sleep disturbances (drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night), and a decrease in intellectual abilities. At the same time, depending on the degree and duration of hypoxia, damage to the cells of the cerebral cortex can be reversible or irreversible, up to the development of severe organic pathology (atherosclerotic dementia).

Drugs that cause drowsiness

There are several groups of medications, the side effect of which is increased drowsiness.

First of all, substances that have a calming effect on the central nervous system - antipsychotics and tranquilizers have such a side effect.

Narcotic analgesics and the related antitussive drug codeine have a similar effect.

Increased drowsiness is also caused by a number of medications used for arterial hypertension (clophelin, clonidine, amlodipine, etc.)

In addition, severe drowsiness is a side effect of many drugs used in the treatment of allergic diseases (the so-called antihistamines, especially diphenhydramine).

Beta-blockers (drugs used for various diseases of the cardiovascular system) can cause both increased drowsiness and insomnia.

Severe drowsiness is a side effect of drugs that lower uric acid (allopurinol) and plasma lipids (atorvastatin).

Much less often, drowsiness is caused by some drugs from the group of non-narcotic analgesics (Analgin, Amidopyrine) and used for peptic ulcer stomach H2-blockers (Ranitidine, Cimetidine, etc.).

And finally, increased sleepiness can be an unpleasant side effect when using hormonal contraceptives (pills, injections, patches, spirals). Such side effect is quite rare, and manifests itself in the first days of using the drug.

How to get rid of drowsiness?

Of course, if drowsiness is caused by a particular pathology, then it should be treated promptly and adequately. However, in the vast majority of cases, increased daytime sleepiness is associated with lack of sleep.

The average sleep rate is 7-8 hours per day. As statistics show, most modern people between the ages of 20 and 45 sleep much less.

Constant lack of sleep adversely affects the nervous system, causing its exhaustion. Thus, over time, drowsiness takes on chronic form becoming a symptom of the disease.

It should be noted that for a normal rest, not only a long, but also a good sleep is necessary. Unfortunately, surveys have shown that many people consider themselves "owls" and go to bed well after midnight. Meanwhile, scientific research has proven that, regardless of individual biorhythms, it is sleep before midnight that has the greatest value.

In addition, clean, cool air and silence are necessary for good sleep. It is not recommended to sleep with music and TV - this adversely affects the quality of sleep.

How to get rid of drowsiness - video

Sleepiness during pregnancy

Constant daytime sleepiness during first trimester pregnancy

Sleepiness during pregnancy in the first trimester is a physiological phenomenon. This is a more or less pronounced individual reaction to deep endocrine changes in the body.

Working women sometimes find it extremely difficult to deal with drowsiness at work. It is highly undesirable to use tea, coffee and, especially, energy during pregnancy.

Experts advise trying to take frequent short breaks from work to combat drowsiness. Breathing exercises help a lot.

Increased sleepiness in the second and third trimester of pregnancy

In the second trimester, the general well-being of pregnant women improves. If a woman continues to complain of increased drowsiness, lethargy and weakness, this may indicate a complication such as anemia in pregnant women.

Increased drowsiness is an alarming symptom if it occurs against the background of late pregnancy toxicosis - a pathology characterized by a triad of symptoms:
1. Edema.
2. Increased blood pressure.
3. The presence of protein in the urine.

The appearance of severe drowsiness during late toxicosis of pregnant women may indicate the development of a severe complication - eclampsia (convulsive seizures caused by brain damage). Especially warning sign- a combination of increased drowsiness with such characteristic symptoms as nausea, vomiting, headache, visual disturbances.

If you suspect the threat of eclampsia, you must urgently seek help from specialists.

Increased sleepiness in a child

Severe drowsiness in children is much more common than in adults. This is due to both greater lability of the central nervous system and increased sensitivity to adverse factors.

Therefore, in children, drowsiness and lethargy in infectious diseases appear earlier and brighter than in adults, and may be the first signs of the disease, warning of danger.

In addition, with a sudden onset of lethargy and drowsiness in a child, traumatic brain injury and poisoning should be excluded.
If increased drowsiness is not so pronounced, but is chronic, then the following pathologies should be suspected first of all:

• blood diseases (anemia, leukemia);
• diseases respiratory system(bronchiectasis, tuberculosis);
• pathology of the cardiovascular system (heart defects);
• nervous diseases (neurasthenia, vegetative-vascular dystonia);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract ( helminthic infestations, hepatitis);
• endocrine pathology (diabetes mellitus, decreased thyroid function).

Thus, the list of pathologies that occur in children with increased drowsiness is quite long, so it is best to seek help from a doctor and undergo a full examination.

Answers to the most popular questions

Are there sedatives that do not cause drowsiness?

Increased drowsiness is the so-called expected side effect when prescribing drugs that have a calming effect on the nervous system. In other words, it is almost impossible to completely eliminate such a side effect. Of course, the severity of the side effect depends on the strength of the drug.

Therefore, the safest in this regard are "light" tranquilizers, such as Adaptol and Afobazol. Both drugs are indicated for neuroses, which are accompanied by a feeling of fear, anxiety. They relieve irritability, while observing the dosage, they do not have a hypnotic effect.

However, if you have a tendency to hypotension (low blood pressure), you need to be especially careful, because even mild antidepressants can lower blood pressure, and thus cause severe drowsiness.

Herbal sedatives (valerian, motherwort) are considered safe if you do not buy drugs containing alcohol. Ethyl alcohol in itself depresses the central nervous system, and can have a hypnotic effect.

However, when it comes to driving vehicle, it is best to weigh the pros and cons, since all sedative drugs can reduce the speed of reaction.

How to deal with sleepiness while driving?

Of course, to avoid an attack of drowsiness while driving, you should get a good night's sleep before a long road trip. In addition, it is necessary to take care of the purity of the air in the cabin, since hypoxia causes depression of the central nervous system.

If, despite all the precautions, you suddenly feel an attack of drowsiness while driving, it is best to follow the following tips:
1. At the first opportunity, stop the car at the curb and get out of the passenger compartment. Sometimes it’s enough just to walk and breathe fresh air to get a charge of vivacity. Light gymnastics helps a lot.
2. Wash your face with cool liquid (soda is especially good).
3. If possible, drink hot tea or coffee.
4. When you return to the salon, put on some uplifting music.
5. Subsequently, make short stops to prevent drowsiness, as an attack can recur and take you by surprise.

Daytime sleepiness after eating - is this normal?

Pathological drowsiness after eating occurs with the so-called dumping syndrome - a disease of the operated stomach. It is caused by the accelerated entry of food into duodenum, and is accompanied by symptoms such as increased sweating, fever, tinnitus, decreased vision, dizziness up to fainting.

Increased drowsiness after eating, not accompanied by any unpleasant sensations – physiological phenomenon. After a heavy meal, blood rushes to the stomach, so the flow of oxygen to the brain is somewhat reduced. Mild hypoxia can cause a state of pleasant sleepiness.

If severe drowsiness appeared for the first time, then, first of all, such a common disease as vegetative-vascular dystonia should be excluded, in which increased drowsiness after eating may be associated with impaired vascular tone.

This disease is also characterized by other symptoms of dysregulation of cerebrovascular tone, such as: dizziness when moving from a horizontal to a vertical position, increased meteosensitivity, lability of blood pressure and heart rate.

If increased drowsiness after eating is combined with symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, tearfulness, then we are talking about asthenia (exhaustion of the nervous system).

Increased sleepiness after eating in perfectly healthy people may be associated with the following factors:
1. Sleep deprivation.
2. Binge eating .
3. Nervous and physical fatigue.

In any case, you have to think about the daily routine, and eat more often in small portions.

Please advise an allergy medicine that does not cause drowsiness

Drowsiness is one of the expected side effects of antihistamine antiallergic drugs. Therefore, absolutely safe drugs do not exist.

The last generation drug loratadine (Claritin) has the least sedative effect. However, recent studies have shown that this medicine causes increased drowsiness in 8% of patients.

Can extreme sleepiness be a sign of pregnancy?

Yes maybe. Increased drowsiness in the first trimester is a consequence of complex hormonal changes in the body.

Characteristically, drowsiness may be the first and only sign of pregnancy. A fertilized egg, moving through the fallopian tubes, releases special substances that activate the hypothalamic-pituitary system - the center of neuroendocrine regulation.

So an increase in the synthesis of chorionic gonadotropin (the so-called pregnancy hormone) occurs already in the first week after conception. At the same time, that is, even before the delay of the next menstruation, women who are sensitive to hormonal changes may develop increased drowsiness.

Why do I constantly feel chronically sleepy at work? Are there any
sleeping pills?

If you feel drowsiness exclusively at the workplace, then most likely it is associated with the characteristics of your production area, therefore, in this case, you do not need pills for drowsiness, but the elimination of the causes that depress the central nervous system.

Predisposing factors for drowsiness at work:

• lack of oxygen, causing brain hypoxia (dusty, stuffy, poorly ventilated room);
• admixture of toxic substances in the air of the room (including those that come from finishing materials);
• increased noise level;
• monotonous work.

If possible, try to eliminate harmful factors, since poor occupational health not only reduces productivity and adversely affects the quality of work, but can also cause significant harm to health.

Take regular breaks from work, as long-term engagement in one type of activity is perceived as monotonous and contributes to increased drowsiness.

Can a state of constant sleepiness in winter be a sign of illness? Will they help
sleepiness vitamins?

Constant sleepiness can be a symptom of many diseases. Therefore, combinations of symptoms should be considered. If drowsiness is combined with symptoms of depression, such as a bad mood, a decrease in motor and speech activity, especially in the morning, then we are most likely talking about winter depression caused by a seasonal lack of the "hormone of happiness" - serotonin.

In addition, diseases leading to increased meteosensitivity, primarily neurocirculatory dystonia and hypotension (low blood pressure), should be excluded. In such cases, in addition to drowsiness, there are signs such as headache, irritability, dizziness with a sharp change in body position.

And finally, increased sleepiness in winter can be a symptom of exhaustion of the nervous system. The likelihood of developing this pathology in the winter increases due to seasonal hypovitaminosis. Cerebrosthenia is characterized by increased fatigue, irritability, tearfulness, reduced emotional background.

Drowsiness is a sleep disorder characterized by a constant or intermittent desire to fall asleep at a time not intended for sleep.
Drowsiness, like insomnia, is a reckoning modern man for the lifestyle he leads. A huge amount of information, an increasing daily number of cases not only increase fatigue, but also reduce sleep time.

Causes of sleepiness

The causes of drowsiness in terms of medicine are varied. This is the main symptom of diseases such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea syndrome in a dream, Kleine-Levin syndrome. These are severe neuropsychiatric diseases that greatly change the normal course of life of a person suffering from them.

Drowsiness accompanies other diseases, most often, these are pathologies of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.

Medications that a person accepts about concomitant diseases may have a sedative (hypnotic, sedative) side effect. If this negatively affects the patient's life, then such drugs must be canceled, and if this is not possible, then with the help of the attending physician, choose an analogue with minimal side effects.

Another reason commonly associated with drowsiness is lack of sunlight. Sleepiness is less in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. To make up for this shortfall, try to buy fluorescent lights (regular incandescent bulbs are not suitable). Pay attention to the required wavelength - 420 nanometers.

It is also impossible not to mention the most common causes drowsiness - chronic fatigue, lack of sleep and psychological causes.

A person "runs away" to sleep from boredom, stress and trouble. Therefore, when you get into such situations, drowsiness appears. In this case, help is only in solving the problem, not avoiding it. If this is not possible on your own, you should resort to the help of a psychologist.

And if chronic sleep deprivation or stressful situations easy to prevent on their own, then more serious diseases should be treated only under the supervision of a doctor. Let's consider the main ones.

Diseases associated with drowsiness

Iron-deficiency anemia is a state of iron deficiency in the body late stage manifested by iron deficiency in blood cells. Along with a pronounced anemic syndrome (anemia), a hidden iron deficiency in the body (sideropenic syndrome) is noted. Hemoglobin iron decreases last, this is a protective reaction of the body against a lack of oxygen. For more early stage iron deficiency is detected by determining the total iron-binding function of serum and ferritin. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are weakness, drowsiness, taste perversion (desire to eat spicy, spicy dishes, chalk, raw meat, etc.), hair loss and brittle nails, dizziness. It is worth noting that anemia cannot be cured by changing the diet or using other folk remedies. To do this, you must use iron supplements recommended by your doctor.

Hypotension- This is a decrease in blood pressure below normal, most often the cause of which is low vascular tone. Drowsiness in this disease is due to a decrease in blood supply to the brain. Patients also note lethargy and weakness, dizziness, motion sickness in transport, etc. Hypotension can be a sign of conditions such as increased mental and physical stress, intoxication and stress, anemia, beriberi, depressive disorders.

Hypothyroidism is a syndrome caused by a decrease in thyroid function. There are no specific symptoms of this disease, it is usually masked behind other diseases. Most often primary hypothyroidism appears in output autoimmune thyroiditis or as a result of treatment for thyrotoxicosis. It is also possible to develop hypothyroidism as a side effect of amiodarone therapy in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and cytokines in the treatment of infectious hepatitis. Symptoms of this disease, in addition to drowsiness, include fatigue, dry skin, slow speech, swelling of the face and hands, constipation, chilliness, memory loss, depressive states, in women violation menstrual cycle and infertility.

A separate group of diseases in which drowsiness is noted is associated with obesity and impaired breathing during sleep. These are sleep apnea and Pickwick's syndrome. Most often, these pathologies are inseparable from each other.

Sleep apnea syndrome This is a potentially deadly disease during which there are multiple pauses in breathing during sleep of varying duration. At the same time, sleep fragmentation occurs, the brain has to “wake up” every time to give the command to breathe again. A person at this time may not wake up completely, sleep becomes superficial. This explains the lack of satisfaction with sleep and daytime sleepiness. Also, the sleep apnea syndrome is accompanied by increased motor activity of the limbs, snoring, nightmares, headaches in the morning after waking up. During episodes of respiratory arrest, an increase in blood pressure is noted. At first, it returns to normal after the restoration of breathing, but then it begins to rise constantly. Heart rhythm disturbances are also possible. During episodes of the disease, the blood supply to the brain decreases, up to critical values, which is fraught with a violation of its function.

Pickwick syndrome includes, in addition to daytime sleepiness, symptoms such as obesity of 3-4 degrees (the highest), slowness, swelling, cyanosis of the lips and fingers, increased blood viscosity.

Diabetes- this is a disease of the endocrine system with a decrease in the production of the hormone insulin by the pancreas or resistance of body tissues to insulin. Insulin is a conductor of glucose into cells. This disaccharide is their main source of energy. In diabetes, there is an imbalance between the intake of glucose and its utilization by the body. Drowsiness can be a sign of both an excess of glucose in the body, and a lack of it. And the progression of drowsiness may indicate a formidable complication of diabetes - to whom. It is worth paying attention to such symptoms as thirst, weakness, increased amount of urine, itching of the skin, lowering blood pressure, dizziness, the smell of acetone in the inhaled air. If you suspect diabetes mellitus, you should consult a general practitioner or endocrinologist. Each person should know their blood sugar level, for this you need to pass a simple test at your clinic or any diagnostic center.

Narcolepsy- This is one of the sleep disorders in which a person falls asleep without feeling tired for a few minutes. Awakening them is as easy as diving into the realm of Morpheus. Their sleep is no different from usual, with the only difference being that a sick person cannot predict where, when and how long he will fall asleep next time. Catalepsy is often a precursor to narcoleptic sleep. This is a state of severe weakness and inability to move the arms and legs for a short period before falling asleep, which is completely reversible. Sometimes this condition can take the form of hearing, vision or smell paralysis. It is worth noting that this is an infrequent disease and quite a lot has been developed for control. effective drug, which is prescribed by a psychotherapist or a somnologist.

Apart from other diseases associated with drowsiness, is Klein-Levin syndrome. This is a rather rare condition in which a person occasionally experiences irresistible (imperative) drowsiness and falls asleep at any time for a period of several hours to several days. Such intervals alternate with a feeling of complete health with a frequency of 3 to 6 months. Upon waking from sleep, patients feel alert, experience extreme hunger, and sometimes symptoms such as aggression, hypersexuality, and general arousal appear. The cause of the disease is unknown. Most often it is observed in young men from 13 to 19 years old, that is, during puberty (puberty).

brain injury can also cause drowsiness. Headaches, dizziness, bruising under the eyes, and an episode of previous traumatic brain injury should alert the patient and prompt immediate medical attention.

Examination for sleepiness

For all sleep disorders, which include drowsiness, the most accurate examination will be polysomnography. The patient spends the night in a hospital or a specialized clinic, where during sleep the performance of his brain, respiratory and cardiovascular systems is determined and recorded. After interpretation of the data, treatment is prescribed. Since this examination does not yet belong to the public group, it is carried out only if it is impossible to find out the cause of drowsiness in another way.

If sleep apnea syndrome is suspected, it is possible to register respiratory parameters by respiratory monitoring at home using a special device. Pulse oximetry is used to determine the efficiency of breathing and blood oxygen saturation.

For exclusion somatic diseases that cause drowsiness, you should be examined by a therapist who, if necessary, will prescribe laboratory examination or advice from a specialist.

Remedies for drowsiness

While waiting for a doctor's consultation, you can do the following yourself:

Figure out your sleep routine and stick to it. This is best done during the holidays, when you are not limited by the schedule. Determine how many hours a day you need to take to sleep in order to feel alert and rested. Try to stick to these data for the rest of the time.
Stick to a sleep and rest schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time on weekdays and weekends.
Do not neglect rest, walks in the fresh air and physical activity.
Include multivitamins, fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet, drink enough clean water.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol
Reduce the proportion of carbohydrates in your diet.
Don't get carried away with coffee. During drowsiness, coffee spurs the brain to work hard, but the brain's reserves are quickly depleted. After a fairly short time, the person feels even more sleepy. In addition, coffee leads to dehydration of the body and leaching of calcium ions. Replace coffee with green tea, it also carries a good portion of caffeine, but at the same time saturates the body with vitamins and antioxidants.

As you can see, shrugging off drowsiness is not so easy. Pay attention to how you feel. The danger of the symptom is obvious. In addition to a decrease in the quality of life due to a decrease in the working capacity of memory and attention, this can lead to workplace injuries, accidents and disasters.

Which doctor to contact

First of all - to a therapist who, depending on the results of the examination, will refer you to a neurologist, endocrinologist, cardiologist, psychotherapist or somnologist.

Moskvina Anna Mikhailovna, therapist

Hypersomnia means excessive sleepiness. There are many different causes, but the most common in our society is inadequate sleep. This may be due to a change in job, changes in the family (birth of a child), studies or social life. Other factors are medication, medical indicators and psychiatric illnesses. The causes of drowsiness and weakness in women can be corrected, but if the source indicates serious health problems, then it is best to seek advice from a doctor or sleep disorder clinic.

Sleepiness symptoms

The characteristics of lethargy vary from one person to another, depending on age, lifestyle, and any underlying causes.

According to International classification sleep disorders, daytime sleepiness is defined as "the inability to stay awake during the daytime, resulting in an unintentional loss of energy".

In extreme cases, a person with hypersomnia sleeps soundly at night for 12 hours or more, but still feels the need to “sleep” during the day. Drowsiness may not help and consciousness remains foggy.

Depending on the cause, sleepiness symptoms may include:

1. feeling tired throughout the day;
2. need for daytime naps;
3. the need to fall asleep, despite a night's sleep;
4. difficulties in thinking and making decisions ("foggy mind");
5. apathy;
6. problems with memory or concentration;
7. increased risk of accidents, especially traffic accidents due to loss of concentration.

Causes of weakness and lethargy

Excessive daytime sleepiness and weakness can be caused by a wide range of events and conditions, including:

1. Insufficient sleep - excessive work hours and overtime work can be tolerated for several months or years before the symptoms take effect. Teenagers who stay up very late on weekends may be tired during the week.
2. Environmental factors are caused by various things, such as: snoring of a lying husband, a child crying at night, noisy neighbors, a room that is too stuffy or cold, an uncomfortable mattress.
3. Shiftwork - very difficult to get in this situation good dream especially on the night shift. There is a complete failure of the internal biological clock of a person (circadian rhythm), but the living conditions are such that in this case it is rarely possible to change anything.
4. Mental states - anxiety does not allow a person to sleep at night, as a result, the onset of drowsiness and lethargy during the day. Depression drains you mentally.
5. Medications - such as tranquilizers, sleeping pills, and antihistamines.
6. Diseases such as hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function), esophageal reflux, nocturnal asthma and chronic disease states.
7. Time zone changes (Jet lag) such as jet lag when moving to a different time zone can affect the internal biological clock that regulates sleep (occurs in people who often fly planes across multiple time zones).
8. Sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, insomnia - cause disturbances or fragmented sleep.

Sleep disorders

Some of the sleep disorders that cause excessive daytime sleepiness include:

Sleep Apnea- a person's breathing stops or the frequency of breaths regularly decreases during sleep, sometimes holding the breath occurs every minute.

The brain registers the problem and sends a “wake up” command. The person gets up slightly panting, and then goes back to sleep. Sleep in this case is fragmented.

insomnia — frequent occurrence but does not necessarily cause hypersomnia. The person has difficulty falling asleep. Insomnia is a symptom, not a disease.

RESTLE LEG SYNDROME - sensations of cramps or irritation under the skin in the legs. The person feels compelled to move their legs or get out of bed and walk.

SOMNAMBULISM sleepwalking tends to occur more in children than in adults.

NARCOLEPSY is a relatively rare disorder characterized by drowsiness to the point of involuntary drowsiness, muscle paralysis (sleep paralysis), vivid dreaming hallucinations just before falling asleep, and muscle weakness during periods of intense emotion (cataplexy).

IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNIA This disorder is characterized by excessive nighttime sleep and the need for naps during the day. Unlike narcolepsy, it does not include cataplexy or sleep paralysis.

Drowsiness and weakness in women

First, the phases of the reproductive cycle present problems for healthy sleep. Some women find it more difficult to sleep during certain stages of their menstrual cycle.

The period of pregnancy causes hormonal and temperature changes, as well as discomfort that makes it difficult to sleep. The drop in estrogen levels associated with menopause can lead to sudden hot flashes that also disrupt sleep.

Not to mention, for many women, family responsibilities can make it difficult to sleep at night. Feeding an infant or responding to young children at night or working in the evenings. Many women are "torn" between work and home, and rest often takes the last place.

If this sounds familiar, don't let drowsiness become the norm. There are many ways that can help, such as avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, drinking alcoholic beverages, and ways to deal with anxiety and stress that can lead to insomnia.

Women face unique sleep challenges, whether biological or lifestyle related, and it is important to seek help with this problem.

Diagnosis and treatment of hypersomnia

Identifying the causes of sleepiness and weakness in women may include research into lifestyle habits, medications taken, physical health and emotional state.

Sleep disorders need to be diagnosed and treated in a sleep disorder clinic. Treatment depends on the disorder.

Prevention of drowsiness

Hypersomnia can in many cases help with lifestyle adaptations to improve sleep quality, so-called good sleep hygiene. Prevention includes:

1. avoid cigarettes, alcohol, and caffeinated drinks before bed;
2. relax in the evening to prevent anxiety;
3. regularly do minimal physical activity and maintain a normal weight for your height;
4. eat well-balanced meals to prevent nutritional deficiencies;
5. if possible, change the environment to reduce interference - for example, don't watch TV in the bedroom;
6. make sure you don't overheat or sleep in a cold room;
7. regularly follow the regime (no matter how trite it may sound) so that your body "knows" that it's time to sleep;
8. go to bed when you feel sleepy.

If necessary, take naps during the day to stay alert. Brief naps can be very valuable in professional settings and in other situations where concentration is required, such as preparing to drive or taking regular breaks from a long drive. Causes of drowsiness and weakness in women need to be diagnosed and treated in a sleep disorder clinic.

The state when the human body experiences drowsiness, which is accompanied by a breakdown, absent-mindedness, a decrease in intellectual abilities and energy potential, is a consequence of psychological exhaustion, mental or physical fatigue. From a physiological point of view, drowsiness is a characteristic sign of overwork or lack of sleep.

Drowsiness is expressed by the following manifestations:

• dullness of perception to external stimuli;
• impaired concentration;
• slow reaction, distraction;
• frequent urge to yawn;
• decrease in pulse rate;
• heaviness of the eyelids, eye fatigue;
• reduction of salivary fluid;
• decreased moisture in the eyes.

When a person systematically wants to sleep for a long time and there is a general malaise, and for reasons unknown to him, such a condition already indicates a serious syndrome that is directly related to the health of the body. In this case, drowsiness acts as one of the symptoms of a certain pathology.

Why does drowsiness occur?

Chronic drowsiness is a common symptom of a certain failure in the body. A similar condition develops against the background of pathological disorders, which include:

• emotional and mental exhaustion;
• physical and mental exhaustion;
• violation of cerebral blood supply;
• state of hypoxia of the brain;
• activation of inhibitory processes in the central nervous system;
• damage to the hypnogenic zone of the brain;
• the presence of traumatic brain injury;
• diseases of the endocrine system;
• infection with pathogenic microorganisms;
• pathologies of internal organs (kidneys, liver, heart, etc.)
• the presence of malignant tumors.

Sleepiness is a physiological need

In the absence of proper rest, and no matter how many days the body was in a stressful mode - a day, two or more - the main department of the nervous system automatically launches inhibitory processes, which manifests itself in the suppression of excitation. Drowsiness occurs when the organs of perception and sensitive nerve endings are overstrained, for example:

• sensory organs when watching TV for a long time, working at a computer for a long time, reading books, etc.;
• hearing organs if a person works in noisy conditions, for example, in a factory, on stage, at school and kindergarten;
• receptor formations during prolonged contact interaction with stimuli.

Feeling sleepy after eating

A common occurrence - ate, and immediately pulled into a dream, this feeling is familiar to every person. And there is an explanation for that. When food enters gastrointestinal department, the digestive organs, as well as those systems that are responsible for the fermentation of the necessary substances for the digestion of food, begin to function intensively. For the productive work of the gastrointestinal tract, however, as for any organ in the active phase, sufficient enrichment with oxygen and nutrients is required, for which the circulatory system is responsible. So, there is a redistribution of blood to especially needy areas, in our case - to the stomach, pancreas, intestines, liver. Accordingly, less than usual oxygen is delivered to the brain tissues along with the blood flow, from which the main organ switches to work in an economical mode. Due to the reduced level of brain activity, a person tends to sleep.

Drowsiness due to lack of sleep

Sleep is known to promote energy recovery and balanced organ function. And in order to enter the normal phase of activity after the past day, the body needs time to replenish energy reserves. To do this, he will need to “turn off” - take an eight-hour break, during such a period the brain and body compensate for the wasted forces with a new portion of energy, which is enough for the next 15-16 hours of wakefulness. In the absence of proper rest, energy resources are quickly exhausted during the day. The signal about the need to restore them enters the brain, which causes a feeling of drowsiness and even short-term drowsiness. In order not to experience weakness and a strong desire to take a nap during the day, which is bad for working capacity, you should sleep at night according to the established norm, which is at least 8 hours.

Sleepiness due to stress factor

A prolonged stay in a stressful state also acts as a provocateur of the appearance of drowsiness. Although there are completely opposite reactions of the body to mental exhaustion, this is an overexcitation of the nervous system and the development of insomnia due to stimulation of the endocrine glands of the adrenal glands, which produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Excessive release of powerful substances in this case prevents a person from relaxing. But such a picture is observed only in the first stages of mental imbalance. When the human nervous system is chronically stressed, vigorous activity adrenal glands ends with their exhaustion and already a pathological decrease in the secretion of biologically active substances. Hypofunction of the paired endocrine organ causes a state of fatigue, fatigue, drowsiness due to a lack of vital hormones.

Sleepiness during pregnancy

Women who are in a great position know the feeling of wanting to sleep during the day, and this is with an ample night's rest. Such a feeling is quite normal from the point of view of physiology. At the moment the egg enters the uterine cavity, the ovarian glands begin to reproduce in sufficiently large quantities the main hormone responsible for preparing the body for carrying the embryo, progesterone. High levels of this hormone in the blood give similar symptoms, which is a normal reaction of the body at the time of pregnancy.

Long periods of sleep in babies

In infants, for 6 months after birth, the period of sleep prevails over the period of wakefulness. The nervous system of an infant in the first half of the year needs to limit stimuli from the outside in order to continue the formation of the main body part, the brain, without hindrance. In a word, sleep for a baby is an integral part of physiology, contributing to the formation of important systems on which the neuro-impulse relationship of the brain with internal organs will depend.

For babies, a long sleep is not a deviation from the norm, but is an obligatory component of harmonious development. In the first 2-3 months, babies sleep an average of 8 hours during the day and 10 hours at night, at 3-5 months they spend 5 hours sleeping during the daytime, and 11 hours at night. By the year, the period of daytime sleep is reduced to 2 hours.

Drowsiness in any childhood can also be pathological in nature, when it is accompanied by a painful appearance of the child. Parents should be alerted by the lethargic appearance of the baby, if any head injury preceded the pathological condition. A sleepy child requires immediate medical attention if he has the following symptoms:

• bouts of repeated vomiting;
• frequent diarrhea or, conversely, constipation;
• urinary retention;
• lack of appetite, refusal to eat;
• the child is lethargic, inactive;
• shortness of breath, blue skin;
• pallor of the skin;
• lack of response to external stimuli;
• body temperature is extremely high.

Drowsiness is a sign of pathology

In certain cases, such a phenomenon as drowsiness may indicate the development and presence of pathogenesis in the body. Prolonged sleep and an increased need for it during the day are frequent complaints of patients who have problems with blood circulation and vascular formations. And this is not the only pathology.

As can be seen, drowsiness does not develop by itself, it is preceded by necessarily provoking factors, namely, physiological needs and the presence of pathogenesis within the body. And if in the first case it is easy to correct the situation, it is enough just to regulate your own daily routine, then in the second case, the situation is much more complicated. Pathological causes, which disable the body, due to which an intense loss of strength occurs, and the central nervous system is also affected, they also require a determination of where their main source is localized.

When a person loses energy day after day already in the first half of the day, while he experiences an irresistible desire to take at least a little nap, such phenomena should excite him. After all, in this way the body “reports” about its unfavorable condition. Healthy people who have an eight-hour night's sleep do not suffer from chronic fatigue and do not doze off on the go. Drowsiness in this case is not a condition, but a clinical symptom that signals health problems.

If you find unreasonable weakness and an increase in the need for rest, be sure to consult a doctor so as not to start the pathological processes that are hidden inside the body. There are a sufficient number of diseases with similar manifestations - from hypovitaminosis, vegetovascular disorders, nephritis and to oncological diseases, serious damage to the brain and heart. It is possible that the feeling of drowsiness is associated with a slight vitamin deficiency or a recent acute infection, but in any case, it is not difficult to go through medical examination not prevent.

It is important to understand that even seemingly harmless lack of sleep, if it has already entered the system, sooner or later will result in unpleasant consequences for the body. This is especially true for all fans of night wakefulness - those who like to sit until morning at a computer or watching TV. Healthy sleep and good nutrition, walks and feasible physical activity are the main ways to prevent the onset of drowsiness during the daytime.