Lifestyle changes and remedies can sometimes help with excessive daytime sleepiness. But if it’s due to a medical condition, you may need medication.
Most adults should sleep for at least 7 hours a night, but for many reasons, that may not always be possible. This can contribute to excessive daytime sleepiness, also known as hypersomnia.
The following information can help you manage your daytime sleepiness. However, you can also feel sleepy during the day because of an underlying medical condition. For this reason, consulting with a doctor is a good idea in case you need more specialized treatment.
In addition to sleepiness or fatigue throughout the day, excessive daytime sleepiness can also be associated with:
- forgetfulness
- mood changes
- inattentiveness
If your sleepiness is ongoing and you’re experiencing symptoms like the ones above, it’s time to see a doctor.
Some days you may feel tired because you haven’t been sleeping well. Once you’re able to get enough sleep, you usually feel better.
But when sleep alone doesn’t fix your sleepiness and fatigue, it can indicate poor quality sleep or an underlying medical cause that needs to be addressed.
Three major sleep disorders that cause excessive daytime sleepiness are narcolepsy, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome.
Narcolepsy is a central nervous system disorder that causes excessivedaytime sleepiness, visual hallucinations, sleep paralysis, muscle weakness, and disturbed sleep at night.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a breathing disorder in which the air passage is blocked by the tissues of the throat and the roof of the mouth. This results in snoring and disturbed sleep.
Apnea translates to “cessation of breathing.” This means that you stop breathing intermittently during sleep for at least
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by unexplained pain or crawling and other uncomfortable feelings in your legs. Symptoms often manifest during periods of restfulness, usually while trying to fall asleep. As a result, it can cause excessive daytime sleepiness.
A doctor will evaluate you by carefully reviewing your sleep history and medical history for clues to an underlying sleep disorder or other explanation.
The best way to treat excessive sleepiness is to address its underlying cause. Often, this means improving your sleep hygiene.
If your daytime sleepiness is due to an underlying condition, you may require more specific treatment. A doctor may prescribe treatments for the condition itself, but they may also suggest therapies to address the specific symptom of daytime sleepiness.
For example, doctors often recommend CPAP devices and weight management for people with OSA to address the issue of airflow obstruction. However, because many people with OSA continue to experience daytime sleepiness even with CPAP treatment, doctors may also prescribe medication to help with that symptom.
If a doctor recommends medication for your daytime sleepiness, they’ll likely prescribe a wakefulness-promoting agent or stimulant. These medications work by affecting neurotransmitters in the brain, which, in turn, affect your sleep-wake cycle.
The medication a doctor prescribes will depend on the specific condition. Commonly prescribed medications for excessive daytime sleepiness include:
| Medication | Indication |
|---|---|
| solriamfetol (Sunosi) | OSA, narcolepsy |
| modafinil (Provigil) | OSA, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder |
| armodafinil (Nuvigil) | OSA, narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder |
| methylphenidate (Ritalin) | narcolepsy |
If your treatment is working, you’ll see improvements in your symptoms and feel rested. Regardless, make sure to follow up closely with your doctor to make sure you’re on track.
Medications for excessive sleepiness are meant to increase your level of wakefulness and alertness. However, you should still avoid things like driving or other dangerous activities until you know for sure that your medication is working.
Before considering treatment for excessive sleepiness, you should first try to make some lifestyle changes:
- Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Avoid watching TV, playing video games, and using a laptop computer or smartphone before bed.
- Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning, including weekends and holidays.
- Work with a doctor to establish a healthy exercise routine and nutrition plan. Getting 30 minutes of exercise each day could help you sleep more soundly at night.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.
- Quit smoking if you smoke.
- Create a “relaxation routine” for yourself each night before bed. Try meditating, soaking in a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a book. Avoid your tablet or smartphone to read.
Using energy drinks and coffee to manage your tiredness may help in the short term, but the sugar in these types of beverages can cause you to crash later on. They may also lead to dehydration. It’s best to avoid these types of drinks and stick with water.
Most people can manage daytime sleepiness by improving their sleep hygiene and ensuring they get enough sleep each night. If you have an underlying condition, like OSA or narcolepsy, that’s causing daytime sleepiness, you may still be able to manage it with lifestyle changes. However, medications are available if other treatments don’t help.
Raj Dasgupta is currently a faculty member at the University of Southern California. He’s quadruple board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. He’s the assistant program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program and the associate program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship. He’s an active clinical researcher and has been teaching all around the world for 16 years. His first book is part of a series called, “Medicine Morning Report: Beyond the Pearls.” Learn more on his website.
