Why you always want to sleep: reasons and how to treat it

Drowsiness is a feeling of lethargy, fatigue, desire to sleep or, at least, to do nothing. This is a condition that normally occurs as a result of severe physical or mental fatigue.

Physiological drowsiness is a signal from the brain that it needs a break from the flow of information, that the inhibitory systems have turned on the protective mode and reduce the speed of reaction, dull the perception of all external stimuli and block the senses and cerebral cortex into a dormant mode.

Signs of drowsiness are:

• decreased acuity, yawning
• decreased sensitivity of peripheral analyzers (blunted perception)
• decrease in heart rate
• decreased secretion of the exocrine glands and dryness of the mucous membranes (lacrimal - sticking of the eyes, salivary - dry mouth).

But there are also situations or conditions in which drowsiness turns into a pathological deviation or even a serious problem in a person’s life.

So why do you always want to sleep?

The main causes of constant drowsiness:

• Fatigue, both physical and mental
• Oxygen starvation of the cerebral cortex
• Increased inhibitory reactions in the central nervous system and their predominance over excitation, including against the background of medications or toxic substances
• Brain pathologies with damage to sleep centers
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Endocrine pathologies
• Diseases of internal organs leading to the accumulation in the blood of substances that suppress the activity of the cerebral cortex

Pay attention to the type of home you live in: whether there are cell towers or power lines nearby, and how often and for how long you talk on your cell phone (see how cell phones and electromagnetic radiation affect your health).

Stress

People often lose sleep due to troubles. Their reasons may be different. Fail the exam. Overload at work. Parting with a loved one. Whatever the reason, stress coupled with fatigue can lead to serious complications.

One of them is impaired brain function. It is very difficult to get out of this state on your own. Drug treatment is often required. In severe cases, you should consult a psychotherapist. He will prescribe medications. Neuroprotectors are usually prescribed. They improve brain function. Protects its cells. Prevents their damage. At the same time they help get rid of fatigue. Helps restore mental abilities reduced by stress.

Physiological drowsiness

When a person is forced to stay awake for a long time, his central nervous system forcibly turns on the inhibition mode. Even within one day:

• when the eyes are overloaded (sitting for a long time at the computer, TV, etc.)
• auditory (noise in the workshop, office, etc.)
• tactile or pain receptors

a person may repeatedly fall into short-term drowsiness or the so-called “trance”, when his normal daytime alpha rhythm of the cortex is replaced by slower beta waves typical of the rapid phase of sleep (during falling asleep or dreaming). This simple technique of immersion in a trance is often used by hypnotists, psychotherapists and scammers of all stripes.

Drowsiness after eating

Many people are drawn to sleep after lunch - this can also be explained quite simply. The volume of the vascular bed exceeds the volume of blood that circulates in it. Therefore, a system of blood redistribution according to a system of priorities is always in effect. If the gastrointestinal tract is filled with food and works hard, then most of the blood is deposited or circulates in the area of ​​the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and liver. Accordingly, during this period of active digestion the brain receives less oxygen carrier and, switching to economy mode, the cortex begins to work less actively than on an empty stomach. Because, in fact, why move if your stomach is already full.

Trivial lack of sleep

In general, a person cannot live without sleep at all. And an adult should sleep at least 7-8 hours (although historical colossi like Napoleon Bonaparte or Alexander the Great slept for 4 hours, and this did not prevent one from feeling invigorated). If a person is forcibly deprived of sleep, he will still switch off and may even sleep for a few seconds. To avoid wanting to sleep during the day, sleep at least 8 hours at night.

Stress

Another variant of physiological drowsiness is the body’s reaction to stress. If in the early stages of stress people often suffer from increased excitability and insomnia (against the background of the release of adrenaline and cortisol by the adrenal glands), then with prolonged exposure to stress factors, the adrenal glands are depleted, the release of hormones decreases, and the peak of their release shifts (for example, cortisol, released in the 5th 6 am, begins to secrete maximum by 9-10 o'clock). Similar conditions (loss of strength) are observed in chronic adrenal insufficiency or against the background of long-term use of glucocorticoids, as well as in rheumatic diseases.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women in the first trimester, against the background of hormonal changes, toxicosis, and in the last trimester, when the cortex is naturally inhibited by placental hormones, there may be episodes of prolonged night sleep or daytime drowsiness - this is the norm.

How to solve a problem?

To get rid of the desire to sleep that haunts you all day or arises periodically, you need to eliminate the causes of doubt. The first step for an adult is to visit a clinic and see a general practitioner. He will prescribe an examination, including blood tests and diagnostic procedures: ECG, ultrasound of internal organs, MRI or CT. Based on the diagnostic results, the specialist will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Therapy will depend on why drowsiness began and what causes the symptom. If the hemoglobin level decreases, it should be increased with the help of iron supplements. For vitamin deficiencies, multivitamin complexes are recommended. For endocrine diseases and hormonal imbalances, hormonal drugs or agents that suppress hormone production are prescribed. Infections require immediate treatment with immunomodulators or antibiotics, depending on the pathogen. The resulting injuries require medical attention: the affected limb is immobilized, and painkillers are prescribed for pain.

There is no point in delaying contacting a specialist: the sooner you start acting, the greater the chances of curing the disease and solving the problem. Meticulousness in relation to your health and a serious attitude towards it will allow you to prevent dangerous consequences and live a full and energetic life.

Important! If everything is fine with your health, but the problem persists, you should immediately consult a psychologist.

Emergency measures

When you start to feel very sleepy and want to go to bed, but you need to continue working or doing business, you can use methods to eliminate drowsiness. The following methods will help you overcome the desire to sleep:

1. An effective temporary measure is to solve crossword puzzles or scanword puzzles. You will force your brain to work and forget about sleep for a while.
2. On the forums they advise washing your face with cool water or taking a contrast shower.
3. Move actively, do exercises, warm up.
4. Open the window and get some fresh air.
5. Change your activity, take a break from monotonous duties that make you sleepy.
6. Roll an ice cube over your ears, neck and face.
7. Try drinking citrus juice or water with lemon.

If drowsiness persists, the doctor will prescribe pharmaceuticals. Potent drugs used for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders - Longdaisin, Modafinil. They are available by prescription and cannot be used for self-treatment. There are products containing vitamin supplements and herbal ingredients: Pantocrine, Berocca Plus, Bion 3. Some try to treat doubtfulness with the help of homeopathy, but its effectiveness has not been proven, as confirmed by videos with stories from doctors. In any case, any pills should be taken under the supervision of a doctor.

Lifestyle change

Changing your lifestyle for the better will help you get rid of periodically occurring drowsiness:

1. You need to start getting rid of bad habits.
2. Eat a nutritious and varied diet, including healthy foods rich in vitamins, macro- and microelements, and minerals.
3. Maintain a balance of rest and wakefulness, try to go to bed on time and not late, and get enough sleep.
4. In order not to get tired and avoid excessive stress, give yourself rest during the working day. If this is not possible, do not burden yourself with activities after work.
5. It is important to spend more time in the fresh air and go for walks. This will increase the concentration of oxygen in the blood and prevent hypoxia. A light jog in the morning will help you cheer up and finally wake up.
6. In the evening, get ready for sleep: do not overexert yourself, relax, avoid overexcitation, suppress irritability, protect yourself from events and actions that can bring negative emotions. But pleasure and pleasant sensations are useful.
7. Avoid stress and try not to get nervous.
8. If the room is stuffy, open a window or turn up the air conditioner.

Folk remedies

Folk and home remedies for combating drowsiness, included in the list of the most effective:

• Ginseng can help suppress the desire to sleep. Infusions and decoctions are prepared from the plant.
• Many people start drinking coffee when they feel sleepy: the drink really gives you energy and suppresses the desire to sleep.
• You can relieve drowsiness with green tea, which contains caffeine. Add lemon to your drink for a boost.
• Combine two tablespoons of peeled chopped walnuts, dried apricots, natural honey and raisins. Eat the mixture and drink water.
• You can drink a decoction of Chinese lemongrass for a month: pour a tablespoon of the raw material with a glass of boiling water, cook the mixture for ten minutes and strain. Divide the volume into two parts and drink them after breakfast and dinner.

Knowing the answers to questions about the causes and elimination of drowsiness, you can get rid of doubt. But remember that a symptom sometimes signals serious abnormalities, so you need to deal with it in a timely, effective manner and under the supervision of a doctor.

Why does my baby sleep all the time?

As you know, newborns and children up to six months spend most of their lives sleeping:

• newborns - if the baby is about 1-2 months old, he has no special neurological problems or somatic diseases, he typically spends up to 18 hours a day in his sleep
• 3-4 months - 16-17 hours
• up to six months - about 15-16 hours
• up to a year - how much a baby up to a year should sleep is decided by the state of his nervous system, the nature of nutrition and digestion, the daily routine in the family, on average it is from 11 to 14 hours per day.

A child spends so much time sleeping for one simple reason: his nervous system is underdeveloped at the time of birth. After all, the complete formation of the brain, completed in utero, simply would not allow the baby to be born naturally due to the head being too large.

Therefore, while in a state of sleep, the child is maximally protected from overloads of his immature nervous system, which has the opportunity to develop further in a calm mode: somewhere to correct the consequences of intrauterine or birth hypoxia, somewhere to complete the formation of the myelin sheaths of the nerves, on which the speed of nerve impulse transmission depends .

Many babies can even eat in their sleep. Children under six months of age wake up more and more from internal discomfort (hunger, intestinal colic, headache, cold, wet diapers).

A child's sleepiness may no longer be normal if he or she is seriously ill:

• if the baby vomits, has frequent loose stools, or prolonged absence of stool
• heat
• he fell or hit his head, after which some weakness and drowsiness, lethargy, pale or bluish skin appeared
• the child stopped responding to voices and touches
• does not suckle or bottle for too long (much less urinate)

It is important to urgently call an ambulance or take (carry) the child to the emergency room of the nearest children's hospital.

As for children older than one year, their causes of sleepiness that go beyond the usual are practically the same as in infants, plus all the somatic diseases and conditions that will be described below.

Folk recipes

Try preparing and taking the following remedies:

1. Grind a glass of walnuts. Pass one lemon through a meat grinder with the peel. Mix these ingredients with 200 ml of honey. Eat a tablespoon of the mixture three times a day.
2. 1 tsp. pharmaceutical chamomile pour a glass of homemade milk. Bring to a boil, simmer over low heat for a quarter of an hour. Cool, add 10 grams of honey, drink 30 minutes before going to bed.
3. Pour 5 grams of Icelandic moss into 200 ml of water, boil for five minutes, cool. Drink 30 ml at a time all day long. By evening the glass should be empty.

Pathological drowsiness

Pathological drowsiness is also called pathological hypersomnia. This is an increase in sleep duration without an objective need for it. If a person who previously got eight hours of sleep begins to nap during the day, sleep longer in the morning, or nod off at work for no objective reason, this should lead to thoughts about problems in his body.

Acute or chronic infectious diseases

Asthenia or depletion of physical and mental strength of the body is characteristic of acute or severe chronic, especially infectious diseases. During the period of recovery from the disease, a person with asthenia may feel the need for longer rest, including daytime sleep. The most likely reason for this condition is the need to restore the immune system, which is facilitated by sleep (during it, T-lymphocytes are restored). There is also a visceral theory, according to which during sleep the body tests the functioning of internal organs, which is important after an illness.

Anemia

Close to asthenia is the condition experienced by patients with anemia (anemia, in which the level of red blood cells and hemoglobin decreases, that is, the transport of oxygen to organs and tissues by the blood deteriorates). In this case, drowsiness is included in the program of hemic hypoxia of the brain (together with lethargy, decreased ability to work, memory impairment, dizziness and even fainting). Iron deficiency anemia most often manifests itself (with vegetarianism, bleeding, against the background of hidden iron deficiency during pregnancy or malabsorption, with chronic foci of inflammation). B12-deficiency anemia accompanies stomach diseases, stomach resections, fasting, and tapeworm infection.

Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels

Another cause of oxygen starvation of the brain is cerebral atherosclerosis. When the vessels supplying the brain become overgrown with plaques by more than 50%, ischemia appears (oxygen starvation of the cortex). If these are chronic cerebrovascular accidents:

• then, in addition to drowsiness, patients may suffer from headaches
• tinnitus
• hearing and memory loss
• unsteadiness when walking
• in case of acute disturbance of blood flow, a stroke occurs (hemorrhagic when a vessel ruptures or ischemic when it thromboses). The harbingers of this formidable complication can be disturbances in thinking, noise in the head, and drowsiness.

In older people, cerebral atherosclerosis can develop relatively slowly, gradually worsening the nutrition of the cerebral cortex. That is why, for a large number of elderly people, drowsiness during the daytime becomes an obligatory companion and even somewhat softens their departure from life, gradually worsening cerebral blood flow so much that the respiratory and vasomotor automatic centers of the medulla oblongata are inhibited.

Idiopathic hypersomnia

Idiopathic hypersomnia is an independent disease that often develops in young people. It has no other cause, and the diagnosis is made by exclusion. A tendency to daytime sleepiness develops. There are moments of falling asleep during relaxed wakefulness. They are not so sharp and sudden. Like narcolepsy. Time to fall asleep in the evening is shortened. Waking up is more difficult than normal and there may be aggression. Patients with this pathology gradually weaken social and family ties, they lose professional skills and ability to work.

Narcolepsy

• This is a variant of hypersomnia with increased daytime sleep
• more restless night's sleep
• episodes of irresistible falling asleep at any time of the day
• with loss of consciousness, muscle weakness, episodes of apnea (stopping breathing)
• patients are haunted by a feeling of lack of sleep
• hallucinations may also occur when falling asleep and waking up

This pathology differs in that, unlike physiological sleep, the REM sleep phase occurs immediately and often suddenly without prior slow sleep. This is a lifelong disease.

Anemia and fatigue

Why do you always have no energy and want to sleep? Anemia (also called anemia) may be the cause of these typical symptoms. The most common type of anemia is caused by iron deficiency.

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Its main reason is the loss of this element along with the blood, and its consumption is too small in relation to the needs of your body.

With anemia, there is a decrease in the concentration of hemoglobin and the number of red blood cells, which leads to a worse supply of oxygen to the body.

Other symptoms characteristic of anemia are: pallor of the skin and mucous membranes (or their slightly yellow discoloration), painful cracks in the corners of the lips, drowsiness, brittle hair and nails, decreased tolerance to physical activity, and an increased need for rest.

If you notice any symptoms of anemia, you should consult a doctor to study the morphology of peripheral blood to confirm the diagnosis and begin appropriate treatment.

It is worth noting that signs of anemia can develop in women who have heavy periods. Then PMS, that is, premenstrual syndrome, constant fatigue and drowsiness can be a very unpleasant illness for a woman.

Increased drowsiness due to intoxication

Acute or chronic poisoning of the body, to which the cortex and subcortex are most sensitive, as well as stimulation of the reticular formation, which provides inhibitory processes with various medicinal or toxic substances, leads to severe and prolonged drowsiness not only at night, but also during the daytime.

• Alcohol is the most popular household poison. After the stage of excitement during moderate intoxication (1.5-2.5%0 alcohol in the blood), as a rule, the sleep stage develops, before which there may be severe drowsiness.
• Smoking, in addition to vascular spasm, leads to a deterioration in the supply of oxygen to the cerebral cortex, promotes constant irritation and inflammation of the inner choroid, which provokes not only the development of atherosclerotic plaques, but also potentiates their cracking with thrombosis of the vascular bed, including cerebral arteries. Therefore, for about 30% of smokers, constant drowsiness and loss of energy are constant companions. But when quitting a bad habit, drowsiness can also be a concern.
• Psychotropic substances (neuroleptics, tranquilizers, antidepressants) cause severe drowsiness, which becomes chronic with prolonged use of drugs or addiction to them. Also, long-term use of sleeping pills (especially barbiturates) and high doses of sedatives leads to drowsiness due to the activation of inhibitory processes in the central nervous system.
• Drugs (especially morphine-like) also cause drowsiness.

CNS depression due to diseases of internal organs

• Chronic heart failure

Heart failure in the systemic circulation leads to depletion of cerebral blood flow, chronic oxygen starvation of the cortex and severe daytime drowsiness, worsening night sleep, and difficulty falling asleep.

• Encephalopathy

Encephalopathy in the program of symptomatic arterial hypertension and hypertension is a frequent culprit not only of excessive talkativeness, decreased criticism, but also inhibition of the cortex, combined with an increased need for sleep.

• Kidney diseases

Renal pathologies (glomerulonephritis, interstitial nephritis, pyelonephritis, hydronephrosis) accompanied by acute or chronic renal failure and retention of nitrogenous waste in the blood can also cause abnormally long sleep and lethargy (see classification of kidney diseases and their symptoms).

• Liver diseases

Hepatic cell failure in cirrhosis, liver cancer, chronic hepatitis makes it difficult to wash the blood of protein metabolism products (see symptoms of liver disease). As a result, the blood begins to contain high concentrations of substances that are toxic to the brain. Serotonin is also synthesized, and a decrease in sugar in brain tissue is observed. Lactic and pyruvic acids accumulate, causing swelling of the cortex and hyperventilation of the lungs, resulting in a deterioration in blood supply to the brain. As poisoning increases, drowsiness can develop into coma.

• Intoxication due to infections

Intoxication due to viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections is another cause of pathological drowsiness. The most famous is chronic fatigue syndrome due to herpes infection. Constant fatigue is combined with drowsiness, decreased ability to work, and weakened immunity.

• Neuroinfections

Neuroinfections due to influenza, herpes, rabies, tick-borne encephalitis, and fungal infections can be accompanied by headaches, fever, drowsiness, lethargy and specific neurological symptoms.

• Dehydration

Dehydration due to continued loss of water and electrolytes through diarrhea or vomiting reduces the volume of circulating blood and inevitably provokes weakness and drowsiness.

• Bleeding, shock, intestinal obstruction

Massive bleeding, shock of various origins, intestinal obstruction lead to the accumulation of the bulk of blood in the abdominal cavity and depletion of cerebral blood flow, resulting in drowsiness.

• Malignant tumors

Cancer cachexia (exhaustion) and intoxication of the body with tumor decay products also do not add vigor to a person (see how to determine cancer using tests).

• Mental disorders

Mental disorders (cyclothymia, depression) and neurological diseases can lead to drowsiness.

Endocrine causes

• Hypothyroidism is the most characteristic lesion of the endocrine glands, in which severe drowsiness develops, depletion of emotions and loss of interest in life - this is hypothyroidism (after thyroiditis, surgical or radiation removal of the thyroid gland). A drop in the level of thyroid hormones affects all types of metabolism, so the brain is starved, and the accumulation of fluid in the brain tissue leads to swelling of the convolutions and a deterioration in the integrative abilities of the brain.
• Hypocorticism (adrenal insufficiency) leads to low blood pressure, increased fatigue, drowsiness, loss of body weight, decreased appetite and stool instability.
• Diabetes mellitus not only affects vessels of different sizes (including cerebral ones), but also creates conditions for unstable carbohydrate balance. Fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin (with unbalanced therapy) can lead to both hypo- and hyperglycemic, as well as ketoacidotic conditions that damage the cortex and cause an increase in encephalopathy, the program of which includes drowsiness during the daytime.

Chronic fatigue and arterial hypotension

People with low blood pressure (below 90/60 mmHg), as a rule, have low-elastic artery walls. Blood flows in them more slowly and under less pressure, so the body tissues are less well supplied with oxygen.

As a result, various ailments appear. The patient feels tired and weak, and not only when the weather changes.

Sleep disorders appear. People with hypotension cannot concentrate, feel dizzy, and have a scotoma in front of their eyes.

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My hands and feet are constantly freezing. Weakness increases with prolonged standing.

Tips for hypotensive patients - in addition to repeated blood pressure measurements, it is necessary to undergo additional tests (including blood tests, urinalysis, ECG).

In addition, you need to drink 2.5 liters of fluid per day (this increases blood volume and therefore pressure). Eat more often and in small portions (overeating helps lower blood pressure).

You should regularly swim, do aerobics, jog or ride a bike - these sports make the blood vessels of the legs elastic. Get plenty of rest, sleep on a high pillow.

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To stimulate blood circulation, do a cold-warm water massage in the shower. If your blood pressure drops, you can drink a cup of coffee, cola, or an energy drink that contains energizing caffeine.