I just feel like sleeping: possible causes, and what to do

It is normal to feel tired at times. After working hard all day, taking care of the children or studying for final exams, the body becomes fatigued and needs a good restful sleep.

Sleeping is one of the best cures, since it helps regenerate the body, calms the mind and body, and allows you to be disconnected for a few hours. However, the desire to sleep can be a problem if experienced throughout the day for several weeks. They can be the indicator that something is not working as it should and it is necessary to see what is happening.

For this reason, there are many people who consider this an alert sign and ask themselves a typical question with which they often go to the psychologist's office: Why do I only want to sleep? We are going to see what may be the causes behind this desire to rest taken to an extreme, in addition to seeing some strategies and good habits to deal with this situation.

• Related article: "The 7 main sleep disorders"

"I just want to sleep": possible causes

When you only want to sleep and this problem lasts for a long time, it is possible that there is a problem that should be given importance.

In principle, sleep is necessary for the body to recover. While you are asleep, the body secretes growth hormone, which, in addition to contributing to the development of the body, helps to regenerate it. When deep sleep is reached, the body acquires a situation of deep calm and tranquility, which allows us to disconnect from day-to-day stress, in addition to being able to restructure our thoughts and be able to give our best every day following. It is for all this that good sleep is so important, since it allows us to face the daily demands and lead a full and happy life.

Lack of sleep is a cumulative thing. Sacrificing hours of sleep at night affects the next day. The organism needs to recover the hours that have not slept. If this situation is repeated continuously for a long period of time, it can lead to a situation of quite serious hypersomnia, in which It will interfere with the work and family life of those who suffer from it by falling asleep in the office or not being able to spend time with their loved ones because they urgently need a nap.

In addition to not having good sleep hygiene, it may be the case that you have a lifestyle with bad habits. Lack of hydration, in addition to having a diet that is abundant in sugars and scarce in nutrients, can lead to a state of malnutrition that causes fatigue and daytime sleepiness.

Stress is not a good friend of sleep. Living through a process in which there is anxiety can make it difficult to get a good night's sleep. After lying down for hours without being able to sleep, when the day comes, the desire to sleep suddenly appears, something that cannot be satisfied if you have a working life or other obligations that must be carried out during the day. Another thing that can happen is that you get sleep, but not deeply and therefore do not benefit from restful sleep.

Some disorders related to excessive sleep

In addition to all the causes discussed here, more of a behavioral nature and related to inadequate health habits, it should be noted that psychological disorders and medical illnesses may also be behind wanting to sleep all day.

Depression is one of the mental disorders in which it is more frequent for the person to manifest symptoms of hypersomnia. People suffering from depressed mood may sleep more than is normal, going to bed early and waking up quite late the next day. Sleeping for long hours can be a way to “make” your problem go away for a while. Another reason this can be done is that sleep, for some people, is the closest thing to being dead.

hypersomnia, as a disorder in itself, is the fact of having a great need to sleep during the day, without affecting night sleep. It is common for it to occur when you are faced with a monotonous situation, although the times you yawn and feel the need to take a nap is worrying. Also, if they fall asleep during the day, the sleep may not be entirely restful.

He Kleine-Levin syndrome It is another very rare sleep disorder that usually occurs in men. Those who manifest it can suffer episodes once a year in which they spend between 16 and 18 hours straight sleeping.

Another case is narcolepsy, in which you go from being awake to being asleep quickly and suddenly, although this sleep is restful and it lasts about 2 or 3 hours, despite how dangerous these sleep attacks are if you are driving, for example.

Medical conditions associated with sleep problems include anemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and morbid obesity. In addition, the abuse of certain substances, such as marijuana, can contribute to having an extreme need to sleep.

What to do in the face of so much sleep?

There are different ways to deal with this great need to want to sleep, however, these will not be very effective if you do not first find out what is the origin of what causes it. Here are some strategies to reduce the desire to sleep during the day.

1. Caffeine consumption

Everyone knows that drinks like coffee or tea are activators. Caffeine is an exciting substance that can be the ally to face a tiring day and delay the desire to sleep.

However, it is important to indicate that, although it is not a dangerous substance, it is addictive and consuming it in large quantities can have the rebound effect of not being able to sleep at night, causing even more desire to sleep the next day. In moderation is the key.

2. organization and discipline

Many times, studies and work can get out of control, arriving the day when we have to deliver a job or a report and that, despite the fact that they gave us a lot of time in advance to prepare it, we have to do it the day before delivery. Because of this, we work late, sacrificing hours.

Let's be honest, it's our fault for this. The best way to avoid this type of situation is to be organized and have it ready well in advance. so as not to have to worry until the wee hours of the morning.

If we go to sleep when we should, we will enjoy more hours of sleep, we will be able to achieve deep sleep more easily and we will enjoy a restful sleep.

3. Meditation, exercise and relaxation

It's no mystery that meditation helps calm the body and mind. Meditating or practicing relaxation techniques before going to sleep can help relax the body, facilitating a better sleep.

If you sleep well at night, it's more likely that the next day you won't want to go to sleep as much.

Physical exercise, especially cardiovascular, helps to secrete endorphins in the brain that induce a feeling of well-being and less stress. This helps to fall asleep and allows you to wake up the next day fully recovered and with energy.

• You may be interested in: "How to learn to meditate, in 7 easy steps"

4. Healthy food

Malnutrition and dehydration may be behind feeling very sleepy during the day. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, in addition to consuming healthy amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, helps the body perform all of its basic functions.

To avoid feeling like sleeping throughout the day, it is advisable to start with a balanced breakfast since, despite that the fact that it is the most important meal of the day has already been demystified, it is true that it is the first meal.

5. go to professionals

Whether the cause behind this problem is a mood disorder or a general medical condition such as anemia, it is very important Go to a psychologist or doctor so that they can make a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Among the treatments that can be used, it has been suggested that light therapy can help readjust circadian cycles, which are the key to enjoying a healthy sleep.

Bibliographic references:

• Erro, m. AND. and Zandio, B. (2007). Hypersomnias: diagnosis, classification and treatment. Annals of the health system of Navarra, 30(1), 113-120.
• Dauvilliers, Y., Lopez, R., Ohayon, C. and Bayard, S. (2013). Hypersomnia and depressive symptoms: methodological and clinical aspects. BMC Medicine. 11(78), 1-9.