In this Article

• What is problem sleepiness?
• What are the symptoms of problem sleepiness?
• What causes problem sleepiness?
• Sleep-wake cycle
• Inadequate sleep
• Sleep disorders
• Medical conditions/drugs
• Problem sleepiness and adolescents
• Shift work and problem sleepiness
• What can help for problem sleepiness?
• Problem Sleepiness Glossary
• Problem Sleepiness Index

Medical conditions/drugs

Certain medical conditions and drugs, including prescription medications, can also disrupt sleep and cause problem sleepiness. Examples include:

• Chronic illnesses such as asthma, congestive heart failure, rheumatoid arthritis, or any other chronically painful disorder;

• Some medications to treat high blood pressure, some heart medications, and asthma medications such as theophylline;

• Alcohol-Although some people use alcohol to help themselves fall asleep, it causes sleep disruption during the night, which can lead to problem sleepiness during the day. Alcohol is also a sedating drug that can, even in small amounts, make a sleepy person much more sleepy and at greater risk for car crashes and performance problems;

• Caffeine-Whether consumed in coffee, tea, soft drinks, or medications, caffeine makes it harder for many people to fall asleep and stay asleep. Caffeine stays in the body for about 3 to 7 hours, so even when taken earlier in the day it can cause problems with sleep at night; and

• Nicotine from cigarettes or a skin patch is a stimulant and makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Problem sleepiness and adolescents

Many U.S. high school and college students have signs of problem sleepiness, such as:

• difficulty getting up for school;

• falling asleep at school; and/or

• struggling to stay awake while doing homework.

The need for sleep may be 9 hours or more per night as a person goes through adolescence. At the same time, many teens begin to show a preference for a later bed time, which may be due to a biological change. Teens tend to stay up later but have to get up early for school, resulting in their getting much less sleep than they need.

Many factors contribute to problem sleepiness in teens and young adults, but the main causes are not getting enough sleep and irregular sleep schedules. Some of the factors that influence adolescent sleep include:

• social activities with peers that lead to later bedtimes;

• homework to be done in the evenings;

• early wake-up times do to early school start times;

• parents being less involved in setting and enforcing bedtimes; and

• employment, sports, or other extracurricular activities that decrease the time available for sleep.

Teens and young adults who do not get enough sleep are at risk for problems such as:

• automobile crashes;

• poor performance in school and poor grades;

• depressed moods; and

• problems with peer and adult relationships.

Many adolescents have part-time jobs in addition to their classes and other activities. High school students who work more than 20 hours per week have more problem sleepiness and may use more caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol than those who work less than 20 hours per week or not at all.

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Sleep Apnea - Learn about sleep apnea, including a description of types of sleep apnea, causes, complications, diagnosis, evaluation, treatments (surgical and non-surgical), and importance of treatment.
• Restless Leg Syndrome - Read about restless leg syndrome (RLS) causes, symptoms and treatments. RLS is more noticeable while sleeping and is associated with caffeine, alcohol and pregnancy.
• Sleep - Read about how to get a healthy nights sleep, how much sleep is enough, and why skimping on sleep can lead to poor performance, health, and moods.

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