What is excessive daytime sleepiness?
Almost Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) Diagnosis everyone feels tired or sleepy during the day at some point. However, when you feel excessively sleepy or unable to stay awake for most of your waking hours, it may be a sign of a medical condition called excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). EDS means you feel excessively sleepy even after adequate or prolonged nighttime sleep. People with EDS have trouble concentrating, maintaining wakefulness and staying alert during daytime activities like working, studying and driving.
Causes of EDS
There can be many potential underlying causes for excessive daytime sleepiness. Some of the common causes include:
Obstructive sleep apnea – This is one of the major causes of EDS. In obstructive sleep apnea, breathing is interrupted repeatedly during sleep due to the throat muscles relaxing and blocking the airway. This prevents restorative deep sleep and causes daytime drowsiness.
Insufficient or non-restorative sleep – Not getting enough high-quality sleep over a period of time can leave you feeling excessively sleepy during the day. Common reasons for insufficient sleep include poor sleep hygiene, late nights, shift work and lack of sleep.
Narcolepsy – It is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by EDS and episodes of daytime lapses into sleep without warning. People with narcolepsy experience fluctuations in levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin which regulates sleep-wake cycles.
Idiopathic hypersomnia – This is a neurological sleep disorder whose exact cause is still unknown. Patients experience excessive daytime sleepiness without any abnormality detected during sleep studies.
Medication or drug use – Certain medications including antidepressants, antihistamines and blood pressure medications are known to cause drowsiness and sleepiness as a side effect. Illicit drugs and alcohol use can disrupt normal sleep patterns too.
Psychiatric conditions – Depression, anxiety disorders and bipolar disorder are known to increase daytime sleepiness in some patients. These conditions may affect mood and quality of sleep.
Medical conditions – Conditions like hypothyroidism, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, chronic lung diseases can cause EDS as a symptom. Rarely, tumors in parts of the brain regulating sleep can also contribute to excessive sleepiness.
Diagnosing Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
To accurately diagnose excessive daytime sleepiness, your doctor will perform a thorough medical evaluation and may order some sleep tests. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) Diagnosis involves ruling out other possible causes and confirming presence of underlying sleep disorder. Here are some common diagnostic tests done:
Polysomnography (sleep study) – An overnight observation in a sleep lab is done to record brain waves, breathing, oxygen levels and more during sleep. This helps identify sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) – This test measures how quickly you fall asleep during multiple daytime nap opportunities to test sleep tendency in narcolepsy.
Physical exam and blood tests – Examination checks for signs of other conditions. Blood tests are done to check hormones, medications or substances that could cause daytime sleepiness.
Neurological assessments – Doctors examine reflexes, eye movements and conduct neurological cognitive tests to determine if narcolepsy or other neurological issue could be the cause.
Diagnostic tests assist doctors to understand and identify the root cause responsible for excessive daytime sleepiness in each individual. This helps provide the right treatment depending on the underlying disorder. Getting evaluated promptly reduces risks of accidents, lack of productivity and improves overall quality of life.
Treatment depends on Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) Diagnosis
Once an underlying cause is identified, treatment is focused on managing that specific condition. For example, treatment would include:
– Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea
– Lifestyle changes like regular exercise, stress management and sleep hygiene practices for insufficient sleep
– Medications approved by the FDA to help control symptoms for narcolepsy/hypersomnia like modafinil, sodium oxybate
– Medication changes or removal of offending drugs causing side effects
– Treatment of any underlying psychiatric or medical conditions
– Sleeping during natural sleepy periods with scheduled naps for short term relief
The goal is to treat both the root cause as well as reducing daytime sleepiness through appropriate therapies. Patients need to work closely with their doctor to find an individualized treatment regimen for long-term management of their Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) Diagnosis. With prompt treatment, excessive daytime sleepiness can be significantly improved restoring normal energy levels.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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