Drowsiness

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Overview

Treatment

Drowsiness

Definition:

Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day -- often with a strong tendency to actually fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.

Alternative Names:

Sleepiness - during the day; Hypersomnia; Somnolence

Considerations:

Excessive daytime sleepiness (without a known cause) suggests the presence of a significant sleep disorder and is different from fatigue. Although depression,anxiety, stress, and boredom can contribute to excessive sleepiness, these conditions more typically cause fatigue and apathy.

Common Causes:

Self-imposed short sleep time
Medications (tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines)
Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy)
Other medical conditions (such as hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia, and hypo/hypernatremia)

Review Date: 2/9/2006
Reviewed By: Frederic F. Little, M.D., Department of Allergy and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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