Some Possible Causes of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

It is not at all uncommon to feel kind of run-down and tired during the middle of the day. It is, however, uncommon to have excessive daytime sleepiness on a regular basis, and if this type of problem is experienced it should be addressed immediately through a doctor. There are a number of possible causes of excessive daytime sleepiness, and the key is determining with issue it is that is affecting you. As someone who had this problem, that is not always the easiest thing to do!

Something that runs in our family is a condition called hypothyroidism, which can cause a feeling of excessive daytime sleepiness. My sister had it for a number of years before it was ever officially diagnosed, and everyone in our family just thought that she was remarkably lazy. It was not until we found out that she had this disorder and got it treated that we realized there was more to it than just that. She got on medication, and within the next two to three weeks her thyroid hormone level started to shoot up and she had a lot more energy.

My father had a heart condition that caused excessive daytime sleepiness that he did not know about until his early 50s. It was great that he discovered it when he did, which was through a regular doctor's check up, because he was taking so many naps that we became quite worried about him. We later learned that he was probably on the verge of having a massive heart attack if the condition had not been discovered, and the fact that it was found in all likelihood saved his life.

Now, I don't want to give the impression that it is all doom and gloom when it comes to excessive daytime sleepiness. It could be something quite benign, such as not getting enough sleep at night or not getting enough of the right vitamins and nutrients. I know that a friend of mine went to the doctor one time because he was feeling run down and worn out all throughout the day and learned he was deficient in a couple of vitamins. He started taking a multivitamin and cleared the problem right up!

There are many other possibilities, but these are definitely some of the causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. When experiencing such a problem, one should contact his or her doctor immediately. It may be nothing, or something that is not very serious, but if it is a serious medical condition, it should be dealt with swiftly. I truly believe that was the only reason my father survived the incident with his heart.