Daytime sleepiness can indicate serious health problems

Is it normal to have a drop in energy during the afternoon and not be able to overcome it unless you have another cup of coffee ? Many would say that, given the lifestyles we lead today, it's quite common to feel this drowsiness during the day, but is it really harmless?

“Sleepiness is a serious health problem with far-reaching consequences,” said AASM President Eric Olson , a pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester , Minnesota.

According to Olson, it's important to recognize when repeated daytime yawning and nodding off could be symptoms of an underlying sleep deficit . He and other researchers highlight how a lack of rest contributes to long-term physical risks and illnesses that can impair an individual's well-being.

“From drowsy driving accidents to workplace errors and long-term health risks , the effects of excessive daytime sleepiness impact individuals and society daily,” Olson stated in her research. Not getting a good night’s rest—at least seven to eight hours— has been linked to the development or worsening of diabetes, depression , heart and kidney disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and stroke, among other health problems.

Health problems

Falling asleep during a work meeting , a college class, etc., is not something to be downplayed. Rather than considering it a trivial problem, it should be seen as a sign of a potentially dangerous sleep deficit. Yawning during the day can be easy to ignore, but experts suggest considering it a warning , and anyone experiencing these symptoms should see a doctor as soon as possible to rule out more serious health problems.

This is an underlying danger, as the body reacts in strange ways when it's persistently sleepy. "The unfortunate thing is that the data show that with chronic partial sleep deprivation, our ability to perceive our own level of impairment is no longer accurate; we think we're fine when we're not," said AASM board member and second author Indira Gurubhagavatula , a professor of sleep medicine at Penn Medicine's VA Medical Center in Philadelphia .

Underlying hazards

For example, one of the immediate risks of daytime sleepiness is that it can cause a traffic accident. Nearly 100,000 traffic accidents each year are caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel . These microsleeps, which can even occur in other dangerous circumstances such as operating heavy machinery, alter the way the brain perceives its own fatigue. No, we're not okay if we yawn constantly.

“The brain enters brief microsleeps of two, three, or ten seconds, and then wakes up again , and you may not even realize it. This can be very dangerous if you're driving or doing any safety-related activity . So, if you feel like you're going to fall asleep, pay attention, as it's a sign that it's not safe to drive,” the researchers explain.

Have you ever fallen asleep shortly after sitting down after a meal or while reading in a quiet environment ? To measure this tendency, they use the Epworth Sleepiness Scale . It's a simple questionnaire that assesses your likelihood of nodding off in eight everyday situations: from a leisurely walk to a chat on the couch. If your score exceeds 10 points , specialists usually investigate further. But it's not enough to simply report whether you're overcome with sleeplessness: doctors also examine other common causes of poor rest, such as sleep apnea , restless legs syndrome, or that insomnia that steals your nights. This way, they can identify any disorder that affects daytime and nighttime well-being in a timely manner.

Certain lifestyle habits can also contribute to chronic sleepiness, experts say, such as drinking alcohol before bed , the amount of exercise we do, or excessive caffeine.