Those who are tired more often during the day, usually do not see it as an illness, because physical and mental efforts cost energy and can make tired. In this case, daytime fatigue can severely interfere with a normal daily routine and should be treated by a doctor.
What is daytime sleepiness?
Daytime sleepiness is an abnormal need for sleep and physical fatigue during the day despite quantitatively adequate sleep. Daytime sleepiness is the term used to describe an abnormal need for sleep and physical fatigue during the day despite quantitatively adequate sleep. Affected persons often feel listless, unfocused, physically exhausted during the day and find it difficult to motivate themselves for daily tasks. Some hardly manage to fight the excessive need for sleep, and even close their eyes for a short time at work. It is very bad in darker rooms and when they do not have to be active. Daytime sleepiness becomes particularly dangerous when it leads to microsleep in road traffic, which can have fatal consequences not only for the drivers themselves but also for other road users. There are different forms of daytime sleepiness: Some people are chronically exhausted, but can still fulfill their daily obligations. Others feel so dull and drained that they can accomplish almost nothing, as in chronic fatigue syndrome or the rare disease narcolepsy.
Causes
Daytime sleepiness can have a variety of causes. Today we are exposed to a variety of physical and especially mental and emotional stresses that exhaust the body and mind. Another cause can be a non-restorative night sleep. One cause could be snoring, especially the sleep apnea syndrome with breathing pauses during sleep. Those who cannot switch off internally also do not sleep restfully. Respiratory infections can make it difficult to breathe while sleeping. Depression, iron deficiency and hypothyroidism can also promote daytime sleepiness. In restless legs syndrome, sufferers feel sensations of discomfort and an urge to move their legs and are unable to rest internally, repeatedly getting up and at some point falling asleep completely exhausted and feeling as if they are exhausted in the morning. A special, rare form of daytime sleepiness is narcolepsy, in which sufferers have a compulsion to sleep and drift off more frequently during activities.
Diseases with this symptom
- Narcolepsy
- Restless Legs Syndrome
- Burnout Syndrome
- Anxiety disorder
- Sleep apnea
- Hypothyroidism
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Respiratory infection
- Iron deficiency
- Mineral deficiency
- Anemia
Diagnosis and course
When a doctor is consulted because of increasing suffering, the first thing he does is to get an idea of the extent of the fatigue. He wants to know whether the patient only feels tired or whether he actually falls asleep during the day while doing various activities. Do the first signs of extreme fatigue already appear in the morning or do they only appear during the course of the day? How long do these periods of fatigue last? The patient’s family and professional situation and the duration and quality of sleep are also important for assessment. Are there weight fluctuations up or down? Does the patient snore? Can environmental factors play a role in fatigue? The medical history is followed by a physical examination, especially of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. In addition, the heart, lungs, respiratory tract and mucous membranes are also examined to find out the cause of the fatigue. If nocturnal snoring is a possible cause, the physician refers the patient to a sleep laboratory, where it is investigated whether sleep apnea syndrome is a possible cause.
Complications
Daytime sleepiness most often results from sleep deprivation. Acute sleep deprivation causes irritability and headaches in the affected person. In addition, the affected person cannot concentrate properly and his or her performance may decrease as a result. This severely restricts especially the execution of the profession. Social life can also take a hit, as the affected person tends to keep a distance from his or her fellow human beings and thus becomes socially isolated. Especially if the lack of sleep is chronic, this can lead to depression and anxiety, which also intensify the lack of sleep.Depression usually also leads to alcohol and drug abuse. In the worst cases, the depressive has suicidal thoughts. Chronic sleep deprivation also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, a heart attack or a stroke becomes more likely. In addition, the affected person usually has increased blood pressure. In addition to daytime fatigue, anemia also leads to a severe decrease in performance and weakness, which can also end in depression if left untreated. Cancer also frequently leads to sleep deprivation, as it primarily affects the psyche. Depending on the type of cancer, for example, there is severe weight loss and a weakness and decrease in performance. In addition, some types of cancer cannot be treated and usually end fatally within a year. Cancer can additionally spread by metastasizing and affecting other body organs.
When should you see a doctor?
Daytime sleepiness can be normal in occupations that involve shift work, but it can still be uncomfortable. A person’s natural sleep rhythm is turned upside down and may not adapt as quickly to the particular rhythm needed, resulting in daytime sleepiness. If this happens only occasionally, a visit to the doctor is not necessary. If, on the other hand, daytime sleepiness becomes a burden on a shift worker’s daily routine and job, a doctor should be consulted. Together with the patient, he or she can work out solutions that will enable a sleep rhythm that is more in line with the patient’s needs and causes fewer problems. There are also medicinal remedies, but due to their strong efficacy, they should only be taken under medical supervision. If daytime sleepiness occurs in a person with a normal day-night rhythm, the doctor should be consulted if it occurs regularly or becomes progressively worse. If it is clearly due to a night of drinking and does not become a permanent condition, the doctor does not need to examine it, of course. However, if such a cause cannot be identified, it may be that physical or psychological factors are negatively influencing the sleep rhythm. The triggers may be diseases that will not get better on their own without treatment. An appointment with a doctor at the onset of the first symptoms can allow for prompt treatment and early improvement – and not just in terms of daytime sleepiness.
Treatment and therapy
If no physical cause has been found, the patient can try to stop his daytime fatigue by paying attention to a health-promoting sleep hygiene with a day-night rhythm that is as regular as possible. Since excessive stress leads to exhaustion, those affected should also reduce professional and private stress to a healthy level. To get fit in the morning, alternating showers help to stimulate the circulation. During the day, regular airing provides sufficient oxygen and can banish fatigue. Sumptuous, fatty meals, alcohol and tranquilizers can make you sleepy, so restraint should be exercised here. Sufficient drinking during the day revives the circulation. If the cause is sleep disturbances, the doctor can prescribe a sleeping pill if necessary to ensure more restful sleep. There are various treatment options for sleep apnea. In milder cases with only a few breathing pauses, a change in sleeping position is recommended because sleeping in the supine position promotes snoring. A protusion splint prevents the lower jaw from falling back during sleep. In more severe cases with numerous breathing stops, treatment with a special breathing mask is performed. If there is an organic disease that leads to chronic fatigue, it is treated as a priority. Chronic fatigue syndrome is treated primarily with behavioral therapy and exercise therapy, and possibly also pain therapy. In the case of burnout or depression, patients are advised to seek psychotherapeutic help to find out the causes and cure them with the help of appropriate psychotherapeutic procedures.
Outlook and prognosis
The medical outlook for daytime sleepiness depends greatly on its cause and therefore cannot be universally predicted. If daytime sleepiness is not treated, there is usually a severe limitation of daily life. Thus, the patient can no longer perform certain things because he or she has no strength and simply feels exhausted. Daytime sleepiness therefore also has a negative effect on everyday working life and social contacts.Here, it is not uncommon for social problems and exclusion to occur if the affected person no longer participates in social events due to daytime sleepiness. A specific medical treatment against daytime sleepiness is not possible. However, the sources causing the fatigue must be identified. This includes, above all, abstaining from alcohol and changing the diet. It is not uncommon for fatigue to occur due to burnout, which can be treated by avoiding stress. To avoid daytime fatigue, the affected person should pay attention to a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle. Usually, this can prevent or combat daytime fatigue so that no further discomfort or complications occur.
Prevention
In general, the most important prevention for chronic daytime sleepiness is a balanced lifestyle with sufficient rest periods. A healthy diet rich in vitamins strengthens the body and ensures better resilience. For stress relief, exercise in fresh air, perhaps even a sport that is fun, is a sensible compensation. People who tend to permanently overload themselves at work should work on an appropriate work-life balance. Those who work in an office can ensure sufficient oxygen by ventilating regularly and, in phases where fatigue takes over, get up from the desk and do other work in between.
This is what you can do yourself
Symptoms of fatigue during the day can have different causes. Accordingly, the measures against it, which each person can take himself, can be as different. It is important to provide the body with sufficient oxygen. It is recommended to open the window regularly and to ventilate well. To get the circulation going again, it is also advisable to leave the office chair briefly, stand up and do a few stretching exercises. This only takes a few minutes and works wonders in terms of performance. An important factor is nutrition. The fresher and more varied the food, the more valuable vitamins and minerals it contains and the more power the body can draw from the food. Heavily processed foods may taste delicious, but they only provide energy for a short time and make you sluggish. A natural and healthy stimulant is matcha tea. Getting enough sleep is just as important to keep fatigue in check during the day. Sleep is particularly restful in a well-ventilated, rather colder room. It is important not to drink alcohol or smoke before going to bed. Nicotine and alcohol disturb the natural sleep rhythm and cause fatigue the next day. A power nap in between can also help against daytime fatigue. It is important not to sleep longer than fifteen minutes.
