Well, If you’re tired most of the time, or sleep too much, and having trouble waking up, you do…
If you suffer from “excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep”, you answer to the definition of a “Hypersomnic”. but wait a second…
How Sleepy Are You?
The Epworth Sleepiness Scale is used by sleep experts worldwide to measure daytime sleepiness. It describes a few situations, at which you’re supposed to state the chance of you dozing off.
If you haven’t, I suggest that you take the test now. (If the link doesn’t work, simply do a search on “epworth sleepiness test”).
Notice that the test is referring to falling asleep uncontrollably, or feel a strong desire to sleep, after a decent night’s sleep. If you score 10 or more, you should probably seek professional help.
what if I score less than 10, but I’m always tired or sleep too much?
First, it’s important to understand that the fact that there is a name for it, doesn’t mean that Hypersomnia is a disease…
You see, Hypersomnia, like most other sleep disorders, is actually more of a symptom. It may be caused by one or more factors, from physical disorders to psychological issues.
Sounds complicated? O.K, let me try to explain…
There is a fine line crossing between having a medical sleep disorder, and having bad sleeping habits that are caused by other factors that you might be able to fix by yourself.
Let’s look at an example: If you tell a Doctor that you snore, he would say you have “Sleep Apnea” (interrupted breathing during sleep).
Would it mean that you’d have to breathe through a machine while you sleep? Possibly, but not necessarily. You may simply need to loose some weight, stop smoking, and replace your pillow.
The same goes for Insomnia. What does Insomnia mean anyway? If you think about it, Insomnia is a symptom. It means having trouble falling asleep, and getting a good night’s sleep.
Most Insomniacs would probably be able to overcome it, by making a few changes to their routine, like avoiding drinking coffee in the late afternoon, or learning how to meditate and relax before bedtime.
As you can see, it’s mainly a matter of semantics.
You could say that I used to be hypersomnic…
I used to oversleep and feel tired all the time and I was able to overcome it by myself, by applying some simple mindset and lifestyle changes. I don’t oversleep anymore, I wake up quite easily, and my energy level is higher than it has ever been.
Yet, there is a chance that your constant tiredness or excessive sleepiness my be caused by some kind of physical disorder. If you even a bit suspect it, get yourself checked as soon as possible.
