Why Am I Falling Asleep All The Time? 15 Causes & Solutions
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Intus Healthcare’s writers, customer service team, and sleep experts review and ensure this information is accurate.
Last updated on November 25th, 2024 at 08:59 am
Tiredness can be caused by several factors, including stress, poor lifestyle choices, an unhealthy diet, and not getting enough sleep.
So, why are you always tired? The list of reasons is endless, but there are steps you can take to reduce your sleepiness.
This article will discuss the common reasons and ways to stop yourself from falling asleep all the time.
Table of Contents
Falling Asleep Randomly? – Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) occurs when an individual experiences an overwhelming sense of drowsiness during daytime hours.
This often leads to difficulty staying awake or alert in situations that require attention, such as working, driving, or engaging in daily activities.
EDS is more than occasional tiredness—it involves persistent sleepiness that interferes with normal functioning despite what appears to be adequate nighttime sleep.
If you are constantly tired because of EDS, it is essential to determine the root cause.
Symptoms of EDS
- Difficulty staying awake
- Frequent napping during the day
- Trouble concentrating or performing tasks
- Irritability and mood changes
- Lack of motivation
- Falling asleep when driving
15 Reasons Why You Might Be Tired All the Time
EDS can result from various underlying conditions and factors, including lifestyle choices and sleep disorders. Here are 15 possible reasons why you are tired all the time.
Sleep Disorders Causing Sleepiness
- Insomnia: This condition makes it difficult for a person to fall asleep and stay asleep at night, resulting in tiredness during the day.
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): RLS is distinguished by uncomfortable sensations in the legs and an overwhelming urge to move them, disrupting sleep.
- Narcolepsy: This is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles, causing a person to have sudden and uncontrollable sleep episodes during the day.
- Circadian Rhythm Disorder: This refers to a group of sleep disorders that affect sleep timing. People with these disorders have a disrupted internal body clock, leading to sleep and wake times that are out of sync with the external environment’s day-night cycle.
- Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH): This condition causes a person to feel excessively sleepy all the time, even after a whole night of sleep.
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: OSA is one of the most common sleep disorders that results from the upper airway closing during sleep, blocking the airflow. This results in breathing stopping and starting during sleep, causing fragmented sleep and daytime sleepiness.
The Sleep Apnoea Test – On Sale Now, Get £40 Off
A quick and easy way to confirm if you do or do not have Sleep Apnoea is by taking a sleep test.
The test requires one night of sleep data, and the results are sent to you within two working days.
If Sleep Apnoea is detected, our in-house clinicians can walk you through your treatment options and answer any questions you may have.
Other Reasons You’re Always Tired
Other health conditions and lifestyle choices can also impact your tiredness levels; these can include:
7. Lifestyle: Work-related lifestyle factors, including shift work, irregular working hours or night shifts, can disrupt your circadian rhythm. This can cause difficulty staying awake during the day.
Similarly, working away from home and travelling across multiple time zones can temporarily misalign the body’s internal clock, leading to daytime drowsiness.
8. Anaemia: This disorder happens when you don’t have enough red blood cells, or they do not function as they should, which makes it hard for your blood to deliver oxygen around the body. This can result in tiredness and dizziness.
9. Deficiencies: Certain nutrient deficiencies can lead to feeling tired, these include:
- Iron
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B12
10. Medications: You may be taking certain medications that cause fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Examples of these medications include antihistamines, antidepressants, and some blood pressure medications, which can cause drowsiness as a side effect.
11. Diabetes: Frequent changes in blood sugar levels can reduce energy levels and cause tiredness.
12. Thyroid problems: The thyroid is a gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate energy levels. If the thyroid gland is underactive, known as hypothyroidism, it can make you feel tired.
13. Heart disease: This condition is characterised by the heart not pumping as it should and can cause sufferers to feel tired.
14. Menopause: As hormone levels change during menopause, it can cause night sweats that may interrupt your sleep. Another way menopause disrupts your sleep quality is by increasing the risk of snoring and Sleep Apnoea due to hormonal imbalances.
15. Depression: Mental health disorders can affect both the quality of sleep and lead to daytime fatigue.
It is also important to note that many of these conditions and factors are often associated with Sleep Apnoea.
Take our free Sleep Apnoea risk assessment, which assesses your sleepiness levels and takes just 20 seconds to complete.
Related Articles:
Sleep Apnoea in women: Symptoms, causes and treatment
Can high blood pressure make you tired?
10 Ways to Stop Falling Asleep During the Day
The first step to getting better sleep and staying awake during the day is understanding why you feel this way.
But there are some ways you can help to improve your energy levels at home:
1. Move around: Getting up and moving around can significantly boost energy levels, as can regular exercise. This is because it can release endorphins, help regulate hormones and reduce muscle stiffness. Even brief activities like walking or stretching can help break the cycle of sedentary fatigue, enhance focus, and lift your mood, providing immediate and long-term energy benefits (1).
2. Lose weight: Being overweight can reduce your energy levels. Obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with abnormally elevated basal levels of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, which may fragment sleep and contribute to daytime sleepiness (2).
3. Improve your sleep hygiene: Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe good sleeping habits; some ways you can do this include:
Following a consistent sleep schedule, creating a comfortable sleep environment, and avoiding stimulants like caffeine before bed.
4. Reduce caffeine: As mentioned above, caffeine is a stimulant that makes falling asleep difficult when consumed close to bedtime. Consider switching your coffee to herbal teas such as green tea or chamomile to encourage sleep.
5. Get enough sleep: You should prioritise your sleep by not overworking yourself and taking time to unwind. Choosing relaxing hobbies such as meditation or reading before bed can help you fall asleep.
6. Reduce stress: Removing stressful situations from your life is easier said than done; however, reducing the amount of stress within your life can significantly improve the quality of your sleep.
7. Drink more water: Staying hydrated is essential for regulating your body temperature, helping your metabolism and helping you sleep. Drinking enough water can help you sleep more efficiently and get deeper sleep (3).
8. .Drink less alcohol: Consuming alcohol close to bedtime can negatively affect your sleep in multiple ways: reducing your deep sleep, increasing apnoea episodes and increasing the risk of insomnia by keeping you awake.
9. Speak to your doctor: If you believe your sleepiness significantly affects your daily life and may be related to your medication. Please speak to your healthcare provider; they could offer an alternative treatment method with fewer side effects.
10. Treat your sleep disorder: Getting to the root cause of your tiredness is the key to improving your sleep quality .
If you have symptoms of Sleep Apnoea, such as choking during sleep and snoring, you should consider taking a home sleep test to determine if you have the condition.
Once you are diagnosed, you can begin treatment to help regain your energy levels. The gold-standard treatment method is CPAP therapy, which consists of a machine and mask that delivers pressurised airflow to keep your airways open.
The continuous flow of air ensures you receive adequate oxygen during sleep, preventing airway closures so you wake up feeling refreshed.
The benefits of CPAP are endless; many users report to our clinical team their life-changing experiences since starting treatment.
Learn more: Before and After CPAP Therapy: How your body changes
Intus Plus – CPAP therapy for just £49 per month
Our Intus Plus subscription service includes leading CPAP equipment, regular clinical consultations, remote monitoring, a success guarantee and more!
Our affordable service makes treating Sleep Apnoea simple. With our support, we’re confident that you will start enjoying your sleep and daily life again.
Summary
We hope this article has helped you understand why you could fall asleep randomly so you can start progressing towards better sleep.
Should you need any help or advice regarding Sleep Apnoea, please reach out to us. We are experts in Sleep Apnoea testing and treatment and are more than happy to help.
With our quality equipment and expert guidance, we have helped thousands of people breathe better and sleep better.
Feeling sleepy during the day after a full night of sleep is a sign of an underlying problem, so seeking a healthcare professional’s advice is essential.
About Our Editorial Team block
Written By,
Danielle Mahri, Staff Writer
Danni is a degree-educated content writer who works closely with our clinical and customer services teams to ensure every article is well-researched and accurate. Each article is written to educate, help, and advise on Sleep Apnoea, spread awareness, and encourage treatment.
Medically Reviewed By,
Jay Gadher, Clinical Manager
Jay is an experienced Respiratory and Sleep Clinical Scientist. He completed his BSc in Healthcare Science, which has allowed him to gain expertise in scoring sleep studies. His knowledge and insights about sleep science and human health ensure every article reflects the latest data.
References
- Alnawwar MA, Alraddadi MI, Algethmi RA, Salem GA, Salem MA, Alharbi AA. (2023). The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10503965/. Accessed: 21.10.2024.
- Panossian LA, Veasey SC. (2012)Daytime sleepiness in obesity: mechanisms beyond obstructive sleep apnea–a review. Sleep. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3321419/. Accessed: 21.10.2024.
- Rosinger AY, Chang AM, Buxton OM, Li J, Wu S, Gao X. (2019). Short sleep duration is associated with inadequate hydration: cross-cultural evidence from US and Chinese adults. Sleep. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30395316/. Accessed: 21.10.2024.