Drowsiness - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

Drowsiness is the difficulty in staying awake and normally represents a transitional phase of the sleep-wake cycle. It is characterized by a state of numbness and a reduction in the level of consciousness, typical signs of those who are about to give in to sleep.

Drowsiness is manifested by irritability, attention deficit, feeling of heaviness of the eyelids, yawns and rubbing of the eyes. Very many pathological conditions manifest themselves with this symptom. Excessive sleep (hypersomnia) can result from infectious diseases, poisoning, visual disturbances, liver disease, kidney failure, anemia, tumors, head trauma and neurological conditions. Metabolic and endocrine disequilibria, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism, can also manifest this symptom. In some cases, post-prandial drowsiness reflects the presence of gastro-intestinal disorders, which make digestion difficult, or the onset of excessive glycemic peaks. Many times daytime sleepiness can have psychological causes, such as depressive states, stress, irregular rhythms of life and other sleep disorders (eg sleep apnea syndrome, chronic sleep deprivation etc.). In addition to the numerous pathological causes, excessive sleepiness can also be attributed to physiological conditions, such as the intake of certain drugs (eg chemotherapy, antihistamines or antidepressants), seasonal changes, premenstrual syndrome, pregnancy and abuse of alcohol or stimulants (eg coffee, amphetamines, cocaine, etc.).