Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMedical CausesNon-Medical CausesTreatmentComplicationsDiagnosisImproving Sleep HabitsWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Medical Causes
Non-Medical Causes
Treatment
Complications
Diagnosis
Improving Sleep Habits
When to See a Provider
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a symptom in which extreme sleepiness occurs during the day, even when you’ve gotten enough sleep at night. EDS is more than feeling groggy and fatigued; the need to sleep interferes with daily activities and increases the risk of health issues and traffic accidents.
Possible causes for EDS include sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, and medication use. Excessive daytime sleepiness affects up to 20% of the population.
This article will examine the medical and nonmedical causes of EDS, its symptoms and impact, and when to see a healthcare provider.
Maskot / Getty Images
Medical Causes of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
The most common cause of EDS is not getting enough sleep. Medical causes for EDS can include the following conditions.
Hypersomnia Sleep Disorders
Hypersomniasleep disorders happen when something goes wrong with parts of the brain or nervous system that signal the body to be asleep or alert.
Hypersomnia sleep disorders include:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Restless Leg Syndrome
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
Circadianrhythm sleep disorders occur when thebody’s internal clock, which controls the sleep-wake cycle, isn’t functioning properly.There are medical and nonmedical reasons circadian rhythm sleep disorders can occur, including:
Depression and Other Mental Health Conditions
Medications
A number of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications can cause EDS. Some of the most common include:
Other Medical Conditions
Other medical conditions less commonly associated with EDS include:
Nonmedical Causes of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Nonmedical causes of EDS are typically ones that cause chronic lack of sleep. They include:
How Much Sleep Do You Need?For optimal health, adults should get seven hours or more of sleep per night, while teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
For optimal health, adults should get seven hours or more of sleep per night, while teenagers should get eight to 10 hours of sleep per night.
How to Stop and Manage EDS With Treatment
Treatment for EDS will depend on whether it’s due to a primary sleep-related cause or a secondary cause, such as another medical or psychiatric condition or medication use. If another condition is causing your EDS, that condition will need to be identified and treated first.
Behavioral treatments such as naps, getting more exercise, andsleep hygienemeasures are often used to treat EDS.
Depending on the cause of EDS, medications that promote wakefulness or other types of medication might also be used.For obstructive sleep apnea, devices such as acontinuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machinemay be prescribed.
Effects and Impact of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
One of the most dangerous impacts of EDS is the increased risk of work and traffic accidents. EDS increases reaction time, which in the case of driving can affect the ability to quickly correct a vehicle’s path when necessary.
Lack of sleep is particularly associated with crashes in which the driver is unable to keep the vehicle in its lane, especially on monotonous roads.
EDS and Vehicle AccidentsEDS is estimated to cause almost one-fifth of motor vehicle accidents in the United States.
EDS and Vehicle Accidents
EDS is estimated to cause almost one-fifth of motor vehicle accidents in the United States.
Sleep deprivationaffects the entire body. EDS is associated with an increased risk of:
In addition to an increased risk of health issues and accidents, EDS can affect quality of life. It can make regulating emotions or moods difficult, limit work or school performance, and cause social or relationship problems.
How Do You Know You Have EDS Symptoms?
EDS is different from feeling tired. If you have EDS, you might regularly nap or fall asleep during the day, even though you’ve slept enough at night.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Excessive Daytime Sleepiness?
The two conditions can overlap, and about 20% of those with EDS disorders also meet diagnostic criteria for CFS.
Common Symptoms of EDS
In addition to daytime sleepiness, other common symptoms of EDS include:
Getting an EDS Diagnosis
An EDS diagnosis usually begins with your healthcare provider giving you a physical exam and taking a history of your sleep habits and patterns and any medications you’re taking. You might also have your sleep assessed throughmedical questionnairesto determine how well you’re sleeping.
You might also be asked to keep asleep log or diaryand get referred to asleep specialistfor further testing and evaluation.
Sleep Habits With Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Practicing good sleep hygiene andhealthy sleep habitscan help improve sleep quantity and quality. Good sleep hygiene practices include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider About Sleep
You should contact a healthcare provider if EDS is affecting your daily life, you are constantly tired or fall asleep during the day, or you think you might have an underlying health condition that’s causing your excessive sleepiness.
Summary
Excessive daytime sleepiness can interfere with your daily life and increase your risk of accidents and certain health conditions. Because EDS can have a number of possible causes, you should see a healthcare provider if you are experiencing excessive sleepiness during the day.
A healthcare provider can help determine what’s causing your EDS, work with you on steps toward getting better sleep, and prescribe medications and other treatments if necessary.
18 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gandhi KD, Mansukhani MP, Silber MH, Kolla BP.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(5):1288-1301. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.033Carlton R, Lunacsek O, Regan T, Carroll CA.Healthcare costs among patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, or narcolepsy.Am Health Drug Benefits. 2014;7(6):334-340.Bollu PC, Manjamalai S, Thakkar M, Sahota P.Hypersomnia.Mo Med.2018;115(1):85-91.Hypersomnia Foundation.What are hypersomnia sleep disorders?Sleep Foundation.Sleep apnea.Sleep Foundation.Restless legs syndrome (RLS).Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders: types and treatments.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders.American Family Physician.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Sleep Foundation.Managing excessive daytime sleepiness.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep.Sleep Foundation.Treatment for excessive sleepiness.Philip P.Excessive daytime sleepiness versus sleepiness at the wheel, the need to differentiate global from situational sleepiness to better predict sleep-related accidents.Sleep.2023;46(11):zsad231. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad231Sleep Foundation.Sleep deprivation: symptoms, treatments, & effects.Goodman MO, Dashti HS, Lane JM, et al.Causal association between subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of cardiovascular diseases.JAHA. 2023;12(24):e030568. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.030568NHS.Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia).Hypersomnia Foundation.Ask the doctor: IH, CFS and fibromyalgia—How do they differ?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.
18 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Gandhi KD, Mansukhani MP, Silber MH, Kolla BP.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(5):1288-1301. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.033Carlton R, Lunacsek O, Regan T, Carroll CA.Healthcare costs among patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, or narcolepsy.Am Health Drug Benefits. 2014;7(6):334-340.Bollu PC, Manjamalai S, Thakkar M, Sahota P.Hypersomnia.Mo Med.2018;115(1):85-91.Hypersomnia Foundation.What are hypersomnia sleep disorders?Sleep Foundation.Sleep apnea.Sleep Foundation.Restless legs syndrome (RLS).Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders: types and treatments.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders.American Family Physician.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Sleep Foundation.Managing excessive daytime sleepiness.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep.Sleep Foundation.Treatment for excessive sleepiness.Philip P.Excessive daytime sleepiness versus sleepiness at the wheel, the need to differentiate global from situational sleepiness to better predict sleep-related accidents.Sleep.2023;46(11):zsad231. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad231Sleep Foundation.Sleep deprivation: symptoms, treatments, & effects.Goodman MO, Dashti HS, Lane JM, et al.Causal association between subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of cardiovascular diseases.JAHA. 2023;12(24):e030568. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.030568NHS.Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia).Hypersomnia Foundation.Ask the doctor: IH, CFS and fibromyalgia—How do they differ?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gandhi KD, Mansukhani MP, Silber MH, Kolla BP.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(5):1288-1301. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.033Carlton R, Lunacsek O, Regan T, Carroll CA.Healthcare costs among patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, or narcolepsy.Am Health Drug Benefits. 2014;7(6):334-340.Bollu PC, Manjamalai S, Thakkar M, Sahota P.Hypersomnia.Mo Med.2018;115(1):85-91.Hypersomnia Foundation.What are hypersomnia sleep disorders?Sleep Foundation.Sleep apnea.Sleep Foundation.Restless legs syndrome (RLS).Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders: types and treatments.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders.American Family Physician.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Sleep Foundation.Managing excessive daytime sleepiness.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep.Sleep Foundation.Treatment for excessive sleepiness.Philip P.Excessive daytime sleepiness versus sleepiness at the wheel, the need to differentiate global from situational sleepiness to better predict sleep-related accidents.Sleep.2023;46(11):zsad231. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad231Sleep Foundation.Sleep deprivation: symptoms, treatments, & effects.Goodman MO, Dashti HS, Lane JM, et al.Causal association between subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of cardiovascular diseases.JAHA. 2023;12(24):e030568. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.030568NHS.Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia).Hypersomnia Foundation.Ask the doctor: IH, CFS and fibromyalgia—How do they differ?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.
Gandhi KD, Mansukhani MP, Silber MH, Kolla BP.Excessive daytime sleepiness.Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2021;96(5):1288-1301. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.033
Carlton R, Lunacsek O, Regan T, Carroll CA.Healthcare costs among patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea, shift work disorder, or narcolepsy.Am Health Drug Benefits. 2014;7(6):334-340.
Bollu PC, Manjamalai S, Thakkar M, Sahota P.Hypersomnia.Mo Med.2018;115(1):85-91.
Hypersomnia Foundation.What are hypersomnia sleep disorders?
Sleep Foundation.Sleep apnea.
Sleep Foundation.Restless legs syndrome (RLS).
Sleep Foundation.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders: types and treatments.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Circadian rhythm sleep disorders.
American Family Physician.Excessive daytime sleepiness.
Sleep Foundation.Managing excessive daytime sleepiness.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep.
Sleep Foundation.Treatment for excessive sleepiness.
Philip P.Excessive daytime sleepiness versus sleepiness at the wheel, the need to differentiate global from situational sleepiness to better predict sleep-related accidents.Sleep.2023;46(11):zsad231. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad231
Sleep Foundation.Sleep deprivation: symptoms, treatments, & effects.
Goodman MO, Dashti HS, Lane JM, et al.Causal association between subtypes of excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of cardiovascular diseases.JAHA. 2023;12(24):e030568. doi:10.1161/JAHA.122.030568
NHS.Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia).
Hypersomnia Foundation.Ask the doctor: IH, CFS and fibromyalgia—How do they differ?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tips for better sleep.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
