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Resolving impact of excessive sleepiness By MUHAMMED EYAD DUGHLY for The Maryland Gazette Subscribe to the Maryland Gazette Excessive sleepiness is a serious problem because of its impact on the person and society. Imagine the sleepy driver on the road or the sleepy pilot in the sky. Those few seconds of sleep behind the wheel could mean the life and death of many people, including a patient's life and safety. Excessive sleepiness can have dangerous consequences on many professions such as nurses, physicians, construction workers, machinery operators and railway workers, etc. On the other hand, the effects of sleepiness on the sleepy person are also significant and include his or her well being, feelings, life enjoyments, and productivity. Excessive sleepiness is associated with tiredness, fatigue, impairment of memory and concentration. How could anyone expect this tired, sleepy person to finish his work in good standing, return home and do work around the house, or get engaged in sports, social and community activities or exercise? Excessive sleepiness affects people of all ages, including children. Children usually do not complain of being tired or sleepy but will have hyperactivity, behavioral changes, irritability as well as learning impairment. The causes for excessive sleepiness are many and it could be related to sleep deprivation, medication effect, shift work or other sleep disorders or disease. These include: sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, periodic leg movements of sleep, poor sleep hygiene, and impairment of the internal human sleep cycle such as advanced or delayed sleep phase. Other medical conditions can cause excessive sleepiness and these include depression, kidney failure, heart failure, diabetes mellitus, general illness and some neurological disease such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, brain tumors and Multiple Sclerosis. If you experience excessive sleepiness, ask yourself, "Am I getting enough sleep?" Each of us needs about eight hours of sleep a night. The second question is, "Am I taking any medications that cause sleepiness such as sedative mediation, narcotics or psychiatric drugs?" If the answer to these questions is no, you may need to consult with your physician to rule out medical or psychiatric disease or other sleep disorders. --- Dr. Muhammed Eyad Dughly is a neurologist at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. He can be reached at 410-761-3900. Published 08/06/08, Copyright © 2008 Maryland Gazette, Glen Burnie, Md. | ||
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