{"id":19828,"date":"2020-08-11T11:40:48","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T04:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nksleepcenter.com\/?p=19828"},"modified":"2026-08-27T17:05:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:05:32","slug":"what-cause-excessive-sleepiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nksleepcare.com\/en\/what-cause-excessive-sleepiness\/","title":{"rendered":"What causes excessive daytime sleepiness, and what can I do about it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you find yourself forcing yourself to stay awake at work, unintentionally dozing off while reading, attending meetings, or traveling, this problem may be more than just general fatigue. "Drowsiness" refers to a tendency to fall asleep or difficulty maintaining alertness, while "fatigue" is feeling exhausted or lacking energy, but not necessarily needing to sleep. Both can occur simultaneously, but they shouldn't always be used interchangeably.1<\/a><\/sup>,3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a symptom, not a disease. Causes can range from common issues like insufficient sleep, irregular sleep schedules, shift work, alcohol consumption, or certain medications, to sleep disorders and other health problems. Assessment therefore requires considering sleep patterns, medications used, co-occurring symptoms, and the impact on quality of life; a single symptom should not be used to conclude the cause.1<\/a><\/sup>,3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

How is excessive drowsiness different from fatigue?<\/h2>\n

Ask yourself: \u201c"If I had the chance to sit still right now, would I likely fall asleep?"\u201d<\/strong> If the answer is yes, or you've accidentally fallen asleep, that's closer to drowsiness than fatigue.3<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n