Trapped in Tiredness: When Hypersomnia Disrupts Daily Life

By Rajeshwaari Kalla | July 21, 2025 | Images: Canva

What is hypersomnia

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Hypersomnia, also known as the disorder of excessive somnolence, refers to excessive sleepiness, sleep attacks or sleep drunkenness

Daytime sleep attacks explained

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A part of hypersomnia is sleep attack which can occur during the day  when the person falls asleep at  any time unintentionally

Confusion on waking up

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Sleep drunkenness is seen when a person needs a lot more time to awaken and feels confused or disoriented when they’re woken up

Narcolepsy link to hypersomnia

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25% of all patients who have hypersomnia have it because of narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that  causes excessive daytime sleepiness

Sleep loss and long hours

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Long working hours in any way or form may lead to sleep deprivation, which is one of the causes for hypersomnia

Low thyroid and sleepiness

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A reduction in the level of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) can cause increased sleepiness, along with weight gain and reduced metabolism

Alcohol and medication effects

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Alcohol intoxication or any use of medicines that cause the depression of the central nervous system can  lead to hypersomnia

Daytime naps for relief

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Taking forced naps during the day may help in dealing with this condition. You can try finding some time from your schedule to take naps

Caffeine and exercise help

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Some may use caffeine as a remedy to stay awake more and avoid sleeping so much. Daily exercise can help to manage the number of hours one sleeps

Weight and posture matters

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Losing excess weight, bringing the body mass index in the normal range and sleeping in a correct posture  have also been recommended  to control hypersomnia

Next: Is It Just Confusion or Delirium? Here’s What You Should Know
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