30 Days to Better Sleep: Consider If You Are Too Sleepy

In the grand scheme of improving your sleep, it is important to assess the gains and recognize if you are simply too sleepy during the day. The irony is that the sleepier you are, the less you might recognize the degree of impairment in yourself. What are the causes of persistent excessive daytime sleepiness? How might being too sleepy affect your daytime function in regards to memory, focus, and mood? Take a moment and consider whether you may still be too sleepy and why. Remember the difference between sleepiness and fatigue. Sleepiness or drowsiness is a strong compulsion to fall asleep. When it occurs during the day, it is marked by the ability to take naps. It may contribute to accidents if coupled with driving. It may lead to cognitive performance issues, including poor concentration, attention, and short-term memory. It may contribute to mood complaints, including depression and irritability. Perhaps it is easy to recognize when you feel sleepy, but how do you know when you are too sleepy? There are a few measures used to assess excessive daytime sleepiness. The most common is the Epworth sleepiness scale. It assesses your ability to fall asleep in passive situations. Scores higher than 10 are consider to be pathological and should prompt an evaluation for sleep disorders. You may be too sleepy if you take daily, especially prolonged naps. If you fall asleep in less than 5 minutes at night, you may also be too sleepy. In addition, there are other objective tests avai...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news