Excessive Daytime Sleepiness

A symptom with many possible causes, and not a diagnosis in itself.

Excessive daytime sleepiness means persistent drowsiness and difficulty staying awake during the day, often despite a full night in bed. It is a symptom rather than a condition, and it has a wide range of causes: sleep disorders, untreated medical and psychiatric conditions, medication effects, and simply not sleeping enough. Because the cause determines the treatment, this practice does not treat daytime sleepiness on its own. We treat three conditions in which sleepiness is the recognized problem, and each has its own requirements for who is eligible.

Conditions We Treat Where Sleepiness Is the Problem

Narcolepsy Type 2

A neurological disorder of sleep-wake regulation, in the form that occurs without cataplexy, confirmed by prior sleep testing.

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Sleepiness Despite Treated Sleep Apnea

Daytime sleepiness that persists in someone diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and already established on airway therapy.

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Shift Work Sleep Disorder

Sleepiness during working hours in people whose schedules run against their body clock, such as night and rotating shifts.

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When to Seek Evaluation

If none of the three describe you, the next step is finding out what is causing the sleepiness, not treating the sleepiness itself. A primary care clinician or a sleep medicine specialist can evaluate you and arrange sleep testing where it is warranted. Sleepiness that affects your driving or your safety at work is worth raising promptly. For background on the symptom and how clinicians measure it, see our overview of excessive daytime sleepiness.