It is not normal for a person to be sleepy at times when he or she expects to be awake.
Problem sleepiness may be associated with difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, and loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy, and emotional instability.
The prevalence of problem sleepiness is high and has serious consequences, such as drowsy driving or workplace accidents and errors.
Lifestyle factors and undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders can cause problem sleepiness. Lifestyle factors include not getting enough sleep, having an irregular sleep schedule, and using alcohol or certain medications.
Of the more than 70 known sleep disorders, the most common are obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.
Large numbers of individuals suffering from these sleep disorders are unaware of—and have not been diagnosed or treated for—their disorder.
Issues affecting sleep
Many people have trouble sleeping, which may stem from a number of issues, including:
- uncomfortable sleep furnishings
- stress from family, job and/or personal issues
- environmental conditions (excessive heat, cold, pollution, noise, bright light, loud noises)
- environmental surroundings (tidyness of room, abnormal surroundings, cleanliness of room)
- poor body positioning
- illness
- sleeping pattern
- sleep timing, as sleep is easier to achieve if one takes ones chronotype into consideration.
A study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania has confirmed that the more one works, the less one sleeps – and that work is the single biggest factor troubling sleep.
