What are the causes of feeling sleepy throughout the day?

Sep 26, 2024 Source: Cainiu Health
Disease description:

I sleep about ten hours at night, but I still feel sleepy during the day. What could be causing constant tiredness throughout the day?

Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Zhiqin

Feeling drowsy throughout the day may be caused by various factors, mainly including:

1. Sleep deprivation: This is one of the most common causes. Excessive fatigue, mental stress, and neurasthenia can all lead to insomnia. Long-term lack of sleep can make a person listless and sleepy during the day.

2. Nutritional deficiency: When the body lacks essential nutrients, it can result in insufficient energy, thereby affecting normal bodily functions and causing fatigue and drowsiness.

3. Hypoglycemia: In cases of low blood sugar, brain tissue lacks glucose as an energy source, leading to reduced oxygen uptake capacity of the brain and resulting in drowsiness.

4. Anemia: Patients with anemia experience reduced oxygen supply to the brain due to decreased red blood cell count, which can also cause drowsiness.

5. Health issues: Metabolic disorders such as liver disease, hypothyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency, as well as psychological symptoms like anxiety, can cause fatigue and sleepiness.

6. Unhealthy lifestyle habits: Habits such as high-sugar diets, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activity may negatively affect the body's energy balance and metabolism, leading to drowsiness.