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Drowsiness refers to feeling abnormally sleepy during the day. People who are drowsy may fall asleep in inappropriate situations or at inappropriate times.
See also: Idiopathic hypersomnia
Alternative NamesSleepiness - during the day; Hypersomnia; Somnolence
ConsiderationsExcessive daytime sleepiness (without a known cause) suggests that you have a significant sleep disorder. It is different from fatigue.
Depression, anxiety, stress, and boredom can all contribute to excessive sleepiness, but these conditions more typically cause fatigue and apathy.
Common Causes- Having to work long hours or different shifts (nights, weekends)
- Medications (tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines)
- Medical conditions (such as hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia, and hyponatremia/hypernatremia)
- Not sleeping for long enough
- Sleep disorders (such as sleep apnea syndrome and narcolepsy)
You can relieve drowsiness by treating the cause of the problem. First, determine whether your fatigue is due to depression, anxiety, boredom, or stress. If you are not sure, talk with your health care provider.
For drowsiness due to medications, talk to your health care provider about switching or stopping your medications. DO NOT CHANGE MEDICATIONS WITHOUT FIRST TALKING TO YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.
Your health care provider can treat hypothyroidism, hypercalcemia, and hypo/hypernatremia.
For drowsiness due to narcolepsy, your doctor may prescribe stimulants (such as Ritalin).
For drowsiness due to other causes, seek medical help.
Call your health care provider ifContact your health care provider if you think the cause of your drowsiness is from any of the above conditions.
What to expect at your health care provider's officeThe doctor will examine you to determine the cause of your drowsiness. The doctor will investigate your sleep patterns, and you'll have a psychological profile taken.
You may be asked the following medical history questions about your drowsiness:
- Sleep pattern
- How well do you sleep?
- How much do you sleep?
- Do you snore?
- Do you have episodes in which you do not breathe during sleep (sleep apnea)?
- Do you fall asleep during the day when you are not intending to nap (such as when watching TV or reading)?
- If so, do you awake feeling refreshed?
- How often does this happen?
- Emotional state
- Are you depressed?
- Are you anxious or feeling stressed?
- Are you bored?
- Other
- What medications do you take?
- What have you done to try to relieve the drowsiness?
- How well did it work?
- What other symptoms do you have?
Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
- Blood tests (such as a CBC and blood differential, electrolytes, and thyroid hormone levels)
- CT scan of the head
- EEG
- Sleep studies
- Urine tests (such as a urinalysis)
If your health care provider makes a diagnosis related to drowsiness, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.
ReferencesMorgenthaler T, Kramer M, Alessi C, Friedman L, Boehlecke B, Brown T, et al. Practice parameters for the psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia: an update. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine report. Sleep. 2006;29:1415-1419.
Schwartz JR, Roth T. Shift work sleep disorder: burden of illness and approaches to management. Drugs. 2006;66:2357-2370.
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In general, drowsiness is feeling the need to sleep. Or many of these are known to cause fatigue and daytime drowsiness.
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By and by a drowsiness overcame him, and Venters began to nod, half asleep, with his back against a spruce.
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Drowsiness seized me.
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I walked dizzily with drowsiness all over me.
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"She felt alot of drowsiness during the lecture and almost fell asleep."
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Gonorrhea does not cause drowsiness. Talk to your health care provider if you are not feeling well.
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Yes, just like any other opiate it can cause drowsiness in some people.
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The abstract noun form for the adjective drowsy is drowsiness.
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tse tse fly which is usually found in Africa in the Sharan region
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It means the same as sleepiness; the state where you are falling asleep.
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Alcohol and marijuana are both depressants and can increase drowsiness, confusion and anxiety.
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Drowsiness can indirectly affect your sense of smell by potentially decreasing your overall alertness and ability to focus on sensory inputs, including smells. However, drowsiness itself may not directly impair the sense of smell.
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It is possible that birth control can cause drowsiness. If this is a persistent issue it is best to consult a health care provider.
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High altitudes do cause drowsiness because there is less oxygen in the air, so you can't breathe normally.
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Yes it can. I have experienced severe drowsiness from Gabapentin and even worse from Lyrica which are, according to my doctor, in the same drug family.
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In general, ibuprofen does not cause drowsiness. There are some people who might be affected by the medication in a way that is not standard, so it is possible that it could cause drowsiness in rare cases.
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Ketoprofen is a medication which is used to treat the inflammation of arthritis. It is known to cause drowsiness and dizziness in some people. Check with your doctor if it is severe.
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Narcolepsy is a disorder of the central nervous system that is characterised by drowsiness and sleep attacks at inappropriate times.
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Certain drinks such as alcohol, caffeine, and some herbal teas can cause drowsiness or make you feel tired.
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narcolepsy
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Yes, it does. Be prepared to sleep if you take enough of it.
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