Many of us don’t get the sleep we should be getting each night. We’re woken up by an alarm telling us to get up and go to work and from that point forward are fighting fatigue for the rest of the day. Sure, to some degree it can be staved off with coffee but that tucks it away, it doesn’t solve it. If we dig a little deeper, what might that daytime fatigue really mean?
Possible Causes of Daytime Fatigue
How often do you feel yourself dozing off in the middle of the day? Why is that? Maybe you didn’t get to bed at a decent time, but if you did, what then? Did you:
- Not sleep long enough
- Wake up several times in the middle of the night
- Not realize it wasn’t normal to feel that way
- Snore so loud you wake yourself up
- Have a sleep apnea episode
Many of these causes are related. In fact, there’s a commonality between them: obstructive sleep apnea.
We’ve Heard it All
It’s certainly tempting to assume that isn’t the issue. Some people blame their poor sleep on nightmares, dreams, waking up to go to the bathroom, loud noises, children, their partner, you name it. We’ve heard many excuses.
Feeling Sleepy During the Day Isn’t That Serious, Right?
Not quite. If you find yourself living with regular daytime fatigue, you’re not alone, but that doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly.
Dozing off while you’re watching TV during the day on the weekends doesn’t seem like a big deal. And falling asleep at your desk happens to more people than you think. But dozing off or zoning out while you’re driving a forklift, working on an assembly line, or operating other heavy machinery is serious. Even more dangerous, the CDC estimates that 1 in 25 adult drivers has fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past 30 days.
Daytime fatigue is dangerous and if you live with it, you should talk to a doctor.
What Should Be the Next Step
A lot of people who suffer from sleep apnea are undiagnosed. Actually, most people with sleep apnea don’t know they have it. Even worse, they’re also untreated and that’s really dangerous. Staking your ability to function on coffee, or making excuses for why you’re so tired all the time in the middle of the day isn’t a good idea. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Marzban by calling our office at 703-323-8200 and get the answers you need to live better.
