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- DictionaryDrow·si·ness/ˈdrouzēnəs/
noun
- 1. a feeling of being sleepy and lethargic; sleepiness: "this drug can cause drowsiness"
Oct 31, 2022 · Drowsiness is excessive sleepiness during the day, often caused by sleep disorders, depression, or medications. Learn how to diagnose, treat, and prevent drowsiness and its complications.
- Katy Wallis
- Drowsiness refers to feeling sleepy or tired or unable to keep your eyes open. Drowsiness, also called "excess sleepiness" or "somnolence," can be...
- The following medications may cause drowsiness: antihistamines or other allergy medications antidepressants anticonvulsants (used to treat epilepsy...
- Some drinks, such as caffeinated beverages or energy drinks, may help you stay awake. However, these are only short fixes, and it can often take up...
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What is drowsiness?
What does drowsy mean?
What causes drowsiness?
Drowsiness is a tired state, between sleeping and being awake. Learn how to use this word in different contexts, such as seasickness, driver drowsiness, and nutrition, with examples and translations.
Drowsy means ready to fall asleep, inducing or tending to induce sleep, or indolent. See synonyms, examples, word history, and related entries for drowsy.
- Overview
- What are the causes of drowsiness?
- How is drowsiness treated?
- When to seek emergency care
- How can drowsiness be prevented?
- What’s the outlook for untreated drowsiness?
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Overview
Feeling abnormally sleepy or tired during the day is commonly known as drowsiness. Drowsiness may lead to additional symptoms, such as forgetfulness or falling asleep at inappropriate times.
Lifestyle factors
Certain lifestyle factors may lead to increased drowsiness, such as working very long hours or switching to a night shift. In most cases, your drowsiness will subside as your body adapts to your new schedule.
Mental state
Drowsiness can also be a result of your mental, emotional, or psychological state. Depression can greatly increase drowsiness, as can high levels of stress or anxiety. Boredom is another known cause of drowsiness. If you’re experiencing any of these mental conditions, you’re also likely to feel fatigued and apathetic.
Medical conditions
Some medical conditions can cause drowsiness. One of the most common of these is diabetes. Other conditions that may lead to drowsiness include those that cause chronic pain or affect your metabolism or mental state, such as hypothyroidism or hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is when the level of sodium in your blood is too low. Other medical conditions known to cause drowsiness include infectious mononucleosis (mono) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
Self-treatment
Some drowsiness can be treated at home, especially if it’s the result of lifestyle factors, such as working longer hours, or a mental state, such as stress. In these cases, it may help to get plenty of rest and distract yourself. It’s also important to investigate what’s causing the problem — like if it’s stress or anxiety — and take steps to reduce the feeling.
Medical care
During your appointment, your doctor will try to identify the cause of your drowsiness by discussing the symptom with you. They may ask you about how well you sleep and whether you wake up frequently in the night. Be prepared to answer questions about: •your sleeping habits •the amount of sleep you get •if you snore •how often you fall asleep during the day •how often you feel drowsy during the day Your doctor may ask you to keep a diary of your sleeping habits for a few days, documenting how long you sleep at night and what you’re doing when you feel drowsy during the day. They may also ask for specific details, such as if you actually fall asleep during the day and whether you wake up feeling refreshed. If the doctor suspects that the cause is psychological, they may refer you to a counselor or therapist to help you find a solution. Drowsiness that’s a side effect of medication is often curable. Your doctor may swap the medication for a different type or change your dosage until the drowsiness subsides. Never change your dosage or stop a prescription medication without first talking to your doctor. If no cause for your drowsiness is apparent, you may need to undergo some tests. Most are usually noninvasive and painless. Your doctor could request any of the following: •complete blood count (CBC) •urine tests •electroencephalogram (EEG) •CT scan of the head If your doctor suspects that you may have obstructive sleep apnea, RLS, or another sleep disorder, they may schedule a sleep study test. For this test, you’ll spend the night in the hospital or a sleep center under the observation and care of a sleep specialist. Your blood pressure, heart rate, heart rhythm, breathing, oxygenation, brain waves, and certain body movements will be monitored throughout the night for any signs of a sleep disorder.
You should seek medical attention if you begin to feel drowsy after you:
•start a new medication
•take an overdose of medication
•sustain a head injury
A regular amount of sleep each night can often prevent drowsiness. Most adults require about eight hours of sleep to feel fully refreshed. Some people may need more, especially those with medical conditions or a particularly active lifestyle.
For more sleep support, check out our sleep shop.
You may find that drowsiness goes away naturally as your body becomes used to a new schedule or as you become less stressed, depressed, or anxious.
However, if the drowsiness is due to a medical problem or sleep disorder, it’s unlikely to get better on its own. In fact, the drowsiness is likely to worsen without proper treatment.
Drowsiness is feeling abnormally sleepy or tired during the day. It can be caused by lifestyle factors, mental state, medical conditions, medications, or sleep disorders. Learn how to treat and prevent drowsiness.
- Kati Blake
Jun 29, 2022 · Somnolence, defined as a state of drowsiness or strong desire to fall asleep, may be characterized as either a benign symptom, such as a state of drowsiness prior to falling asleep or, most commonly, as a symptom of an underlying condition, such as a sleep disorder, anxiety, depression, or stress.
- Somnolence is characterized as a state of sleepiness in which an individual may be cognitively impaired and lack the ability to pay attention. Fati...
- Somnolence may be caused by a variety of factors, including acute and chronic medical conditions, medications, and lifestyle factors.Acute medical...
- Treatment of somnolence depends on the underlying cause. Since the exact cause of somnolence may be due to a combination of factors, diagnosis by a...
- Somnolence is defined as a state of drowsiness or strong desire to fall asleep and is commonly associated with an underlying condition. Somnolence...
Drowsiness is the state of being tired and wanting to sleep. Learn how to pronounce, use and synonymize this word with Oxford Learner's Dictionaries online.
Drowsiness is feeling more sleepy than normal during the day. It can be caused by various factors, such as medicines, sleep disorders, or health conditions. Learn how to diagnose and treat drowsiness from Mount Sinai Health System.
