It’s normal to feel tired sometimes. After working hard all day, taking care of the children or studying for final exams, the body gets tired and needs a good night’s sleep.

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

Therefore, many people consider this a warning sign and ask themselves a typical question that they often go to the psychologist’s office with: why do I only feel like sleeping? Let’s see what could be the causes behind this urge to rest taken to an extreme, as well as see some strategies and good habits to cope with this situation.

“I just feel like sleeping”: possible causes

When you just feel like sleeping and this problem goes on for a long time, there may be a problem that needs to be addressed.

In principle, sleep is necessary for the body to recover . While you are sleeping, your body secretes growth hormone, which, besides contributing to the development of your body, helps to regenerate it. When we reach deep sleep, the organism acquires a situation of deep calm and tranquility, which allows us to disconnect from the stress of the day to day, as well as serving to restructure our thoughts and to be able to give our best the next day. This is why sleeping well is so important, since it allows us to face the daily demands and lead a full and happy life.

Lack of sleep is cumulative. Sacrificing sleep at night has an impact on the next day . The body needs to make up for the hours that have not been slept in. If this situation is repeated continuously for a long period of time, it may lead to a rather serious situation of hypersomnia, in which it will interfere with the work and family life of the person who suffers from it by falling asleep at 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, you may have a lifestyle with bad habits. Lack of hydration, in addition to having a diet that is rich in sugars and lacking in nutrients can lead to a state of malnutrition that produces 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 manage to sleep, but not deeply, and therefore do not benefit from a refreshing sleep.

Some disorders related to excessive sleep

In addition to all the causes discussed here, more of a behavioural 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 most common mental disorders in which a person manifests symptoms of hypersomnia. People who suffer from a depressed mood may sleep more than is normal, going to bed early and waking up quite late the next day. Sleeping for many hours can be a way to “get rid” of the problem 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 for sleep during the day, without nighttime sleep being affected. It is common to be in a monotonous situation, although yawning and the need to take a nap are worrisome. Also, if you fall asleep during the day, your sleep may not be entirely restful.

Kleine-Levin syndrome is another very rare sleep disorder that commonly occurs in men. Those who develop it may suffer episodes once a year in which they spend 16 to 18 hours in a row sleeping.

Another case is narcolepsy , in which you go from being awake to being asleep quickly and suddenly, although this sleep is refreshing and 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, substance abuse, such as marijuana, can contribute to extreme sleep needs.

What to do in the face of so much sleep?

There are different ways of dealing with this great need to want to sleep, however these will not be very effective if the source of what is causing it is not first found out. Here are some strategies to reduce the desire to sleep during the day.

1. Caffeine consumption

Everyone knows that drinks like coffee and tea are energizers. Caffeine is an exciting substance that can be the ally to cope with an exhausting day and delay the desire to sleep.

However, it is important to point out that, although it is not a dangerous substance, it is addictive and consuming it in large quantities can have the effect of not being able to sleep at night , causing even more desire to sleep the next day. 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 paper or a report and that, although we were given a lot of time in advance to prepare it, we have to do the day before its delivery. Because of this, we work late, sacrificing hours.

Let’s be honest, we’re to blame for this. The best way to avoid this kind of situation is to get organized and get it ready well in advance so that we don’t have to worry about it until all hours of the morning.

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

3. Meditation, exercise and relaxation

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

If you sleep well at night, you are more likely to feel less like going to sleep the next day.

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

4. Healthy eating

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 to fulfill all its basic functions.

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

5. Going to professionals

If the cause behind this problem is a mood disorder or a medical illness such as anemia, it is very important to see a psychologist or doctor so that a diagnosis and adequate treatment can be made .

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

Bibliographic references:

  • Erro, M. E. and Zandio, B. (2007). Hypersomnias: diagnosis, classification and treatment. Annals of the Navarra Health System, 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.