It is normal for one to feel groggy after a long night, or when not getting adequate sleep for through a series of days. Being sleepy all the time may also be due to having disrupted sleep.
However, it may very well be that you sleepy despite getting a full night’s sleep. That is not just because you are being lazy, but there might be issues with your mental and physical health.
If you are suffering from excessive sleepiness, you should not make lightly of it, but seek medical help from an expert like those at Agha Khan University Hospital.
Some possible causes of being perpetually sleepy include:
Autoimmune problems
Autoimmune problems like RA, MS, occur when our immune system starts attacking ourselves. This then causes the immune system to overwork, leading to fatigue. It also causes problems with sleep, amongst other issues, and thus cause excessive daytime sleep.
Being sedentary
Being sedentary leads to poor sleep quality. If you are not getting enough exercise, you at risk of weight gain, and the subsequent obesity causes problems with sleep. Moreover, inactivity also increases the risk of mental health problems that then cause problems with sleep.
Infections
The time when you have the infection may be marked by an erratic sleep schedule and fatigue, but even after the infection has cleared up, you might feel a lot of fatigue, known as post-viral fatigue. It then causes daytimes grogginess.
Poor diet
If you do not take good diet with adequate nutrition, you can then run into feeling fatigued, that might then make you feel sleepy all the time. Skipping meals and eating low-nutrient meals may also then lead to nutrient deficiencies, that can also cause sleepiness.
Ironically, if you take too much caffeine, it also will cause you to feel drowsy all the time. People who have iron-deficiency anemia are also more likely to suffer from fatigue, lethargy, and sleepiness. While there are other factors for being anemic, your diet also plays a central role.
Not having proper sleep hygiene
You might also feel groggy all the time on account of your poor sleep hygiene. You may do things that then prevent you from sleeping on time, thus decreasing the rest period that then causes you to feel sleepy.
Exercising few hours before sleeping, using screens before bedtime, taking naps late in the day, eating in bed or just before bedtime are some things that cause poor sleep.
Similarly, you all need a good environment for a comfortable sleep. Noise, light, inadequate temperature –either it’s too hot or too cold –are some reasons why you might not get proper sleep.
Overtaxing yourself
If you exert your physical self too much, you also then have the risk of sleep problems. You therefore need to moderate your physical exertion, as otherwise, it will lead to too much fatigue that your body will need more time to recover from it. Sleeplessness then is the collateral damage.
Mental health issues
Being depressed can cause changes in sleep pattern, and thus may also then cause you to feel sleepy all the time. Similarly, stress is also an important factor that disrupts quality sleep. It then leads to sleepless nights worrying, therefore causing daytime drowsiness.
Sleep disorders
People who have sleep disorders like insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep apnea etc. are also more likely to feel sleepy all the time, as naturally, their sleep-system is under duress.
Diabetes
Diabetes is remarked by body’s inability to regulate the sugar levels properly, as the storage mechanism fails. It may then cause fatigue in people, as the body runs low on energy with haywire sugar levels.
The lethargy can also then make you feel drowsy and tired. If you have diabetes and are feeling groggy all the time, then visit the Best General Physician in Islamabad as you might need to update your medication.
