Excessive Sleepiness

Are you always tired due to excessive sleepiness and need more energy throughout the day? At Midwest Respiratory, Ltd. in Joliet and New Lenox, Illinois, the board-certified sleep medicine specialists diagnose and treat numerous sleep disorders to restore your physical and mental well-being. Schedule a sleep evaluation at Midwest Respiratory, Ltd. by phone or request one online today.

What is excessive sleepiness?

Excessive sleepiness is extreme tiredness, often due to a sleep disorder or poor-quality sleep. Being excessively tired puts you at risk of accidents, mental health challenges, and physical health problems. It drains your energy levels, reducing your ability to maintain healthy habits.

What can cause excessive sleepiness?

The following conditions often cause excessive sleepiness:

Obstructive sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea can cause periods of paused breathing, snoring, and poor airflow during sleep. It diminishes sleep quality and is a common cause of sleep deprivation.

Insomnia

Insomnia is a disorder that causes difficulty falling or staying asleep at night. Numerous genetic and environmental factors can contribute to insomnia.

Primary Hypersomnia 

Primary Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by persistent sleepiness in spite of long sleep time. 

Central sleep apnea

Central sleep apnea causes impaired breathing because your brain doesn’t send the proper signals to muscles that control breathing.

Restless legs syndrome

If you have restless legs syndrome, you may have difficulty falling or staying asleep due to uncontrollable urges to move your legs. 

Narcolepsy

People with narcolepsy typically feel very drowsy. They may fall asleep suddenly during the day, develop hallucinations, loss of muscle tone, or sleep paralysis, and have difficulty staying awake for long periods.

What may increase the risk of excessive sleepiness?

Excessive sleepiness may stem from a sleep disorder, medical condition, medications, or unhealthy sleep habits. Risk factors for poor sleep include drinking caffeine or alcohol before bed, eating large meals before going to sleep, stress, late-night workouts, and smoking. 

How is the cause of excessive sleepiness diagnosed?

Diagnosing excessive sleepiness involves a review of your symptoms, medications, medical history, and lifestyle habits. Your pulmonologist listens to your breathing, checks your vital signs, and completes a physical exam.

Midwest Respiratory, Ltd. offers in-lab and home sleep studies that screen for sleep disorders. You might need tests that record brain activity during sleep, a neurologic exam, and an MRI or a CT scan. 

How do you treat excessive sleepiness?

Your personalized treatment plan for excessive sleepiness may include one or more of the following:

• Lifestyle changes
• Medications
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
• Other airway pressure devices
• Supplemental oxygen
• Oral appliances
• Surgery 

It’s vital to maintain a healthy weight, eat nutritious foods, get regular exercise, and reduce stress to maximize sleep quality. Sleep in a cool, dark room, avoid alcohol and caffeine at night, and set a regular bedtime routine that allows at least seven hours of sleep each night. 

Schedule a sleep evaluation at Midwest Respiratory, Ltd. by phone or request one online today to treat excessive sleepiness.