Avoid sleepiness

12 Tips to Avoid Daytime Sleepiness

By Camille Peri
WebMD Feature
Nearly everyone has days when they feel sleepy. But for some people,
excessive sleepiness actually gets in the way of daily work, childcare, and
even leisure activities. This is known as hypersomnia, recurrent sleepiness
that makes people want to nap repeatedly, even at work.

Not surprisingly, the problem of daytime sleepiness usually starts at night.

Even missing just a few nights sleep, or not getting enough uninterrupted
sleep, can slow you down and sour your mood.
Poor sleep habits are often the cause of daytime sleepiness. Before you
go through any more groggy and crabby days, try these 12 ways to
improve nighttime sleep and avoid daytime sleepiness.
1. Get adequate nighttime sleep.
That may sound obvious, but many of us succumb to shaving an hour or
two off our sleep time in the morning or at night to do other things. Most
adults need seven to nine hours a night, and teenagers usually need a full
nine hours. Block out eight or nine hours for sleep every night.
2. Keep distractions out of bed.
Reserve your bed for sleep and sex, says Avelino Verceles, MD,
assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and
director of the schools sleep medicine fellowship. You shouldnt read,
watch TV, play video games, or use laptop computers in bed. Dont do
your bills or have heated discussions in bed either. They may leave you
sleepless.
3. Set a consistent wake-up time.
People who have problem sleepiness are often advised to go to bed and
get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. But randomly
setting an ideal bedtime can lead to more frustration if you suffer from
insomnia and already have trouble falling asleep, says Barry Krakow, MD,
medical director of Maimonides Sleep Arts and Sciences Ltd. in
Albuquerque, N.M., and author of Sound Sleep, Sound Mind: 7 Keys to
Sleeping Through the Night.
Instead, Krakow suggests starting out by setting a wake-up time only.
Stick by that for the first few weeks or even months to establish a rhythm,
he says. That process of always getting up at the same time helps to

anchor the circadian rhythm. And if you do that and have a bad night, youll
also to be sleepier the next bedtime.
4. Gradually move to an earlier bedtime.
Another approach to getting into a consistent schedule is to try going to
bed 15 minutes earlier each night for four nights. Then stick with the last
bedtime. Gradually adjusting your schedule like this usually works better
than suddenly trying to go to sleep an hour earlier.
5. Set consistent, healthy mealtimes.
Regular mealtimes, not just regular sleep times, help regulate our circadian
rhythms. Eating a healthy breakfast and lunch on time -- rather than
grabbing a doughnut and coffee in the morning or a late sandwich on the
run -- also prevents energy deficits during the day that will aggravate your
sleepiness. Plan to finish eating meals two to three hours before bedtime.

12 Tips to Avoid Daytime Sleepiness

(continued)
6. Exercise.
Regular exercise (30 minutes a day on most days) offers multiple benefits for sleep. Exercise,
especially aerobic exercise, generally makes it easier to fall asleep and sleep more soundly.
Exercise also gives you more daytime energy and keeps your thinking sharp. And if you exercise
outside in daylight, you get still more benefits. Sleep experts recommend 30 minutes of exposure
to sunlight a day because daylight helps regulate our sleep patterns. Avoid exercising within three
hours of bedtime.
7. De-clutter your schedule.
If you dont think you can allow seven or eight hours for sleep, then you need to look at your
schedule and make some adjustments, says Verceles. Move some activities from nighttime to
early evening or from early to late morning. Try to eliminate tasks that arent really important.
Getting enough sleep at night will help you function better during your remaining activities.
8. Dont go to bed until youre sleepy.
If you go to bed when youre just tired, you probably wont be able to fall asleep, Krakow says.
Distinguish between the feeling of sleepiness and being tired. Get into bed when youre sleepy -eyes droopy, youre drowsy, you feel like youre nodding off. Its a very different kind of feeling.
9. Dont nap late in the day.
Late afternoon napping can make daytime sleepiness worse if because it can interfere with
nighttime sleep.
10. Create a relaxing bedtime ritual.
A relaxation routine before bedtime can help you separate from the day -- especially from
activities that are over-stimulating or stressful, making it difficult to sleep. Try meditation, soaking
in a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a book. A cup of herbal tea or warm milk can
also be soothing, but skip those if they cause you to wake at night to go to the bathroom.
11. Avoid "nightcaps."
People often think that alcohol helps sleep, but it actually robs you of deep sleep, which is
essential for feeling well rested. When the effects of alcohol wear off during the night, youll
probably be wide awake again.

12. See a sleep specialist.

Daytime sleepiness can be caused by sleep disorders. If you are excessively sleepy consistently
during the day even when you sleep well or if you fall asleep without warning during daily
activities, you may have a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy or sleep apnea, a breathing problem
that occurs during sleep. According to Krakow, undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders are
probably the greatest cause of daytime fatigue and sleepiness.
Problem sleepiness can also be caused by certain illnesses and medications. And mental
conditions such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety are very commonly
linked to sleep problems.
A sleep specialist can design a treatment program for you that treats the underlying sleep
disorder and helps you develop better sleep habits and attitudes though cognitive behavioral
therapy. Sometimes it takes a combination of medication and behavioral therapy to eliminate
daytime sleepiness, but it can be done.