Drowsiness: causes, symptoms of which diseases, how to get rid of such a condition. What does it mean if an elderly person sleeps a lot - a pathology or a norm? If an old man sleeps a lot

Why do you always want to sleep in old age? Older people are more tired, they have a desire to lie down at any time of the day. But the truth is, older people don't sleep more than younger people. The elderly take a long time to fall asleep, they often wake up at night. Older people have more sleep disturbances as they age.

Why you constantly want to sleep in old age: external reasons

Older people have a great lack of sunlight. In autumn and winter, there is very little sun, less serotonin is produced. If this hormone worsens sleep and mood a little. With an increase in humidity in the air, the elderly begin to feel tired, weak, and constantly want to sleep.

In old people and young people, during a decrease in oxygen in the air, their working capacity decreases, their health worsens, their pressure decreases, they want to sleep.

Changes in the body are the main cause of constant drowsiness

Hypovitaminosis reduces strength, causes irritation. In older people, useful substances are less absorbed from food. Lack of vitamin B, C, in addition to sleep cause pain in the head, increased fatigue.

Old people lose their appetite. Because of this, they have less energy, more weakness. It takes longer for the body to recover, which means more sleep.

In aged people, the lungs do not capture oxygen well, chest movements decrease, and poor gas exchange. When oxygen is not enough to penetrate the circulatory system, it causes fatigue.

Changes in the cardiovascular system. The heart muscle becomes inelastic, the frequency of contractions slows down. In the heart, the wall thickness increases, because of this, a smaller volume of blood is contained in the chamber. Due to the lack of blood and oxygen, the body quickly gets tired, a person wants to take a nap. Due to the aging of the heart, the ability to endure heavy loads decreases. In the elderly, red blood cells decrease, therefore there is more lack of hemoglobin, oxygen delivery to tissues and organs decreases. Due to the fact that there is little oxygen, the brain and central nervous system suffer. There is apathy, great fatigue, sleep imbalance.

Sleepiness in the elderly causes hormonal imbalances

A decrease in testosterone in the elderly of both sexes causes fatigue, fatigue, irritability, and the vitality of the body worsens.

As people age, their metabolism slows down. In the elderly, the synthesis of neuropeptides decreases. The less their synthesis, the more bouts of sleep in the daytime, feeling depressed and tired.

In the elderly, the condition worsens with age after traumatic brain injuries and diseases of the internal organs. After the use of drugs, inhibitory reactions improve, substances accumulate, and the activity of the cerebral cortex is suppressed. Therefore, many older people are drawn to sleep.

If an elderly person has increased drowsiness, it is better to consult a specialist and undergo laboratory tests to help identify the cause of sleep disturbance and understand why you constantly want to sleep in old age and what needs to be done to make you want to sleep less.

Older people are more likely to get tired, there is a constant feeling of fatigue, a desire to lie down in the daytime. Scientists who have studied the question of why older people sleep poorly and sleep a lot have come to the conclusion that older people sleep no more than younger people. It's just that the elderly take almost twice as long to fall asleep, the duration of the deep phase of sleep decreases, and frequent awakenings are observed. As we age, the body develops more disorders that cause sleep problems.

A person in years acutely feels the lack of sunlight. During the autumn-winter period, when the sun shines little, the pineal gland produces less serotonin. Hormone deficiency contributes to sleep disturbance, deterioration of mood. The body of an elderly person is sensitive to weather changes. Increased air humidity, magnetic storms, cause a feeling of fatigue and weakness. I constantly want to sleep on rainy and cloudy days.
Older people react strongly to lower atmospheric pressure. When the amount of oxygen in the air decreases, well-being worsens, blood pressure may decrease. Even a healthy person's efficiency drops, there is a desire to sleep during the day.

Changes in the body are the main cause of constant drowsiness

Loss of strength, irritability occur against the background of hypovitaminosis. In older people, useful substances are absorbed from food worse. Lack of B vitamins, routine, vitamin C, in addition to drowsiness and lethargy, cause headaches, increased fatigue.

The elderly lose their appetite. Inadequate nutrition leads to lack of energy, general weakness. Due to a lack of nutrients, brain function is disrupted. The body needs more time to recover, so it needs more time to sleep.

With age, the ability of the lungs to capture oxygen deteriorates, the mobility of the diaphragm and chest decreases, and normal gas exchange is disturbed. Oxygen in insufficient quantities penetrates the bloodstream, which provokes constant drowsiness and fatigue.

There are changes in the cardiovascular system. The heart muscle loses elasticity, the frequency of contractions slows down. The thickness of the walls of the heart increases, so the chamber contains a smaller volume of blood. The body is supplied with blood worse and receives less oxygen, which leads to rapid fatigue and a desire to take a nap. Aging heart reduces the ability to tolerate increased stress. In older people, the level of red blood cells decreases, which leads to a lack of hemoglobin and a decrease in oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. The brain and central nervous system suffer from a small amount of oxygen in the body. Apathy, severe fatigue, sleep imbalance appear.

Sleepiness in the elderly is caused by hormonal imbalances. The inevitable decrease in testosterone in men and women causes fatigue, fatigue, irritability appears, and the vitality of the body decreases.

Even without noticeable health problems, aging people have a slower metabolism. The level of wakefulness and sleep is regulated by orexin neuropeptides. With age, their synthesis decreases. The greater the orexin deficiency, the greater the daytime sleep attacks, the feeling of depression and fatigue.

Suppresses alertness and stimulates sleep adenosine. It contributes to the activation of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex. In an elderly person, the level of adenosine rises. Therefore, fatigue occurs, performance decreases.

Age-related changes in sleep

In old age, the duration of the slow-wave sleep stage, which the body needs to restore energy costs, is reduced. Lack of delta sleep causes physical weakness, weakness in the muscles. In older people, the quality of sleep deteriorates. They wake up more often at night, it is difficult to fall asleep.

After the age of 40, the production of melatonin, a hormone that provides sleep structure, decreases. Low levels of melatonin lead to frequent nighttime awakenings and insomnia. In the morning there is no feeling of cheerfulness, the whole day one feels tired and wants to sleep. Poor quality sleep leads to overwork of the nervous system and various diseases. Age-related changes are considered the norm, but they worsen well-being and mood. Specialists will help to get rid of some problems and restore sleep.

Pathological sleep disorders in the elderly

The burden of the past years, illness, loss of loved ones, decreased mental, physical and social activity, vascular-atrophic changes in the brain predispose to insomnia. Violations often become chronic. Poor quality and lack of sleep do not allow the internal organs, central nervous and immune systems to recover.

People over the age of 60 are at risk for sleep apnea. Stops in breathing, provoked by the cessation of the flow of air into the lungs, interrupt sleep. Patients after morning awakening complain of drowsiness, feel the need for daytime rest.

About a fifth of older people suffer from restless leg syndrome. Unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities, pulling pain do not allow to fall asleep or make the sleeper wake up. As a result, the disease is accompanied by additional symptoms - insomnia, irritability and lethargy during the day.


Why older people who are often sick sleep a lot

Many diseases that occur in elderly patients are accompanied by rapid fatigue and an obsessive desire to sleep. Drowsiness develops against the background of age, psychological and pathological factors.

  • Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels.
    When blood vessels are clogged with plaques, blood circulation is disturbed, brain cells do not receive enough oxygen. The disease develops slowly, in addition to lethargy, headaches, noise in the head, and impaired thinking are observed.
  • Asthenia.
    During neurological, infectious and mental diseases, the body is depleted. A person sleeps a lot, but the physiological state is not restored after rest.
  • Cervical osteochondrosis.
    Degenerative - dystrophic processes in cartilage, bones, tissues proceed imperceptibly, progress in old age and cause severe complications. When the intervertebral foramina are displaced, the spinal nerves and blood vessels that feed the brain are compressed. Patients experience pain in the neck and neck, stuffy ears, dizziness, fatigue and constant drowsiness.

With age, conditions after craniocerebral injuries and diseases of internal organs become more complicated. After taking medications, inhibitory reactions in the central nervous system increase, substances that suppress the activity of the cerebral cortex accumulate. Therefore, many elderly people are constantly drawn to sleep.

Even in an elderly person, the course of some diseases can be alleviated and serious complications avoided. With increased drowsiness, it is necessary to consult a specialist, undergo laboratory and instrumental examinations that will help identify the cause of sleep disturbance.

List of used literature:

  • Kovrov G.V. (ed.) Brief guide to clinical somnology M: “MEDpress-inform”, 2018.
  • Poluektov M.G. (ed.) Somnology and sleep medicine. National leadership in memory of A.N. Wayne and Ya.I. Levina M.: "Medforum", 2016.
  • A.M. Petrov, A.R. Giniatullin Neurobiology of sleep: a modern view (textbook) Kazan, GKMU, 2012

It turned out that older people who feel sleepy throughout the day can be 49% more likely to die from cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest), compared to those who do not feel sleepy.

The study, led by Professor Guy DeBaker, took the form of a survey.

Professor Thorben Jorgesen of the Center for Research on Prevention and Health said that this data provides an opportunity to develop prevention measures by examining the underlying causes of sleep disturbance in patients, and then change their lifestyle to prevent cardiovascular risks.

The disadvantages of these studies include the low response rate (37%), as well as the lack of objectivity in the measurement of daytime sleepiness (without the use of polysomnography).

Also, scientists note that people who experience drowsiness are usually at a lower socio-economic level of society. Therefore, data need to be refined for a wider population.

During the study, a person over 65 years of age (not living in sanatoriums or social institutions) was examined. After excluding participants with dementia, they analyzed the data for pensioners.

After adjusting for other risk factors (age, sex, body mass index, heart problems), excessive daytime sleepiness increased the risk of death from cardiovascular events by 49%, and the risk of death from other diseases by 33%.

Earlier studies suggested that atherosclerosis leads to complications in people suffering from heart disease. But examination of the arteries using ultrasound did not confirm such a relationship.

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  • People living at higher elevations have a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease. - People living at higher elevations are at risk
  • Beef and pork increase the risk of death - American scientists have received new
  • Obesity, diabetes and heart disease accelerate the development of dementia - Obesity and its companions - diabetes and
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Sleepiness during the day warns of a serious illness? Causes and treatment of daytime sleepiness

Have you ever struggled with sleep during the day? In fact, this problem occurs in many people, but for someone it goes away the next day, and someone lives with it for years. Does such a condition indicate a simple malaise, or does daytime sleepiness warn of a serious illness?

Causes of sleepiness

In fact, there may be several factors why it is so tempting to sleep during the day. Often the culprit is the medications we take. For example, it can be anti-inflammatory drugs or antihistamines. But if you do not take any medication, then perhaps daytime sleepiness warns of a serious illness associated with a violation of this process. It can be narcolepsy, catalepsy, sleep apnea, endocrine disorders or depression. Often this condition is associated with meningitis, diabetes, cancer, or poor nutrition. In addition, such drowsiness can occur due to any injuries. For symptoms that last for several days, the best way out for the patient is to see a doctor.

But not in all cases, drowsiness during the day warns of a serious illness, often the reason for this is ordinary lack of sleep at night, associated with lifestyle, worries or work. In addition, boredom and idleness can “press” on the eyelids. Also, a poorly ventilated room can provoke an attack of drowsiness due to a lack of oxygen. But often the desire to constantly sleep causes anxiety for your health, so it's worth finding out how you can deal with this condition in different cases.

Narcolepsy

This disease may be hereditary. In this state, a person is unable to control himself, and sleep can cover him quite suddenly. At the same time, he may have dreams. A person suddenly has muscle weakness, and he just falls, dropping everything that he has in his hands. This state does not last long. Basically, this disease prevails among young people. So far, the causes of this condition have not been identified. But you can control such "attacks" with the help of the drug "Ritalin". In addition, you can allocate some time for daytime sleep, this will reduce the number of unexpected attacks.

Sleep apnea

Daytime sleepiness in older people often occurs precisely because of this disease. Also, overweight people are prone to it. With this disease, a person stops breathing during a night's sleep, and due to a lack of oxygen, he wakes up. Usually he cannot understand what happened and for what reason he woke up. As a rule, the sleep of such people is accompanied by snoring. This condition can be controlled by purchasing a mechanical breathing apparatus for night time. There are also special holders that do not allow the tongue to sink. In addition, if there is excess weight, it is important to strive to get rid of it.

Insomnia

This is one of the varieties of sleep disorders. It is very common and occurs in people of all ages. Insomnia can manifest itself in different ways. Some people can't fall asleep at all, while others suffer from constant awakenings. Such a violation is accompanied by the fact that a person has regular drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night. Due to constant lack of sleep, the patient's general condition and mood deteriorate. This problem is solved by adjusting the lifestyle and medicines.

Thyroid

Often, daytime sleepiness warns of a serious illness associated, for example, with the work of the endocrine system. This disease is often accompanied by weight gain, impaired stool, hair loss. You may feel chilly, cold, and tired, even though you think you've had enough sleep. In this case, it is important to support your thyroid gland, but not on your own, but to ask for the help of a specialist.

hypoventilation

This disease occurs in obese people. It is accompanied by the fact that a person can fall asleep even in a standing position, and besides, unexpectedly. Such a dream may last for some time. Doctors call this disease hypoventilation. It occurs due to a poor-quality respiratory process. Some areas of the brain receive very limited amounts of carbon dioxide. For this reason, a person develops drowsiness during the day. The treatment for such people consists mainly in the training of diaphragmatic breathing. It is also important to make an effort in order to get rid of extra pounds.

During pregnancy

In a woman who is carrying a baby, the body begins to work in an unusual mode for him. Therefore, often drowsiness during the day during pregnancy is caused by a physiological feature. In addition, these women use up energy faster. Since many invigorating agents are contraindicated during this period, a woman can change her regimen. To do this, it is important for her to sleep for about nine hours and give up noisy evening events, because they affect the nervous system. If a pregnant woman works, it is better for her to take short breaks and go out into the fresh air, and the room in which she spends most of her time needs constant ventilation. In addition, for such a woman it will be useful to master breathing exercises.

But it happens that along with the constant desire to sleep, the expectant mother has other symptoms, or this condition causes her a lot of inconvenience. In this case, she should tell her doctor about everything. Perhaps she just has a lack of trace elements, but it should be replenished immediately.

Sleepiness after eating

Sometimes a person can be healthy and have no obvious reasons for being tired. But despite this, he may have drowsiness during the day after eating. This should not be surprising, because after eating, an increase in glucose in the blood is noticed, which affects some brain cells. In this case, he ceases to control the area that is responsible for wakefulness. But how to deal with this problem, because there is still half a day ahead?

Fighting Afternoon Sleepiness

Method 1. There is a point in the nasolabial fold, which is advised to be pressed at an energetic pace. This action helps to "recover" after dinner.

Method 2. You can massage the eyelids by pinching and unclenching them. After that, finger movements are performed under the eyebrow and under the eye.

Method 3. Head massage also brings to the senses. To do this, you will have to lightly walk your knuckles all over your head. In addition, you can gently pull yourself by the curls.

Method 4. Having worked through the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe shoulders and neck with your fingers, you can cause a rush of blood, which will bring with it a portion of oxygen to the brain. It is worth noting that often due to osteochondrosis, people during the day feel a breakdown and a desire to relax.

Method 5. You can take general tonics that will help you stay alert. For example, make ginger tea for yourself. A few drops of Eleutherococcus, Schisandra chinensis or ginseng are also suitable. But coffee will give only a short-term result.

But not only because of global diseases or after dinner, drowsiness during the day can come. There are other reasons, for example, simply lack of sleep due to lifestyle. Therefore, you need to take the following recommendations as a rule:

  1. Don't steal time from sleep. Some believe that during the time it takes to sleep, more useful things could be done, such as cleaning the room, watching a series, putting on makeup. But do not forget that for a fulfilling life, quality sleep is required for at least seven hours a day, and sometimes even longer. For teenagers, this time should take 9 hours.
  2. Train yourself to go to bed a little earlier. Go to bed, for example, not at 23.00, as you are used to, but at 22.45.
  3. Eat meals at the same time. Such a routine will help the body get used to the fact that it has a stable schedule.
  4. Regular exercise makes sleep deeper, and in the daytime the body will be more energetic.
  5. Don't waste time being bored. Try to always do something.
  6. If you don't feel sleepy, then don't go to bed. Fatigue is different, be able to distinguish between these two sensations. Therefore, it is better not to go to bed just to take a nap, otherwise the night's sleep will be more disturbing, and during the day you will want to relax.
  7. Contrary to the opinion of many, alcohol in the evening does not improve the quality of sleep.

Lack of sleep isn't just an inconvenience. The quality of life is deteriorating, there are side health problems, and the reason for this is drowsiness during the day. It is better to find out the causes of this problem from a specialist, since a person cannot independently establish a diagnosis. After all, it may not just be insomnia or another sleep disorder. Such problems may indicate liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, infection, or other problems.

Why do older adults want to sleep more?

Older people are more likely to get tired, there is a constant feeling of fatigue, a desire to lie down in the daytime. Scientists who have studied the question of why older people sleep poorly and sleep a lot have come to the conclusion that older people sleep no more than younger people. It's just that the elderly take almost twice as long to fall asleep, the duration of the deep phase of sleep decreases, and frequent awakenings are observed. As we age, the body develops more disorders that cause sleep problems.

External Causes of Sleepiness in the Elderly

A person in years acutely feels the lack of sunlight. During the autumn-winter period, when the sun shines little, the pineal gland produces less serotonin. Hormone deficiency contributes to sleep disturbance, deterioration of mood. The body of an elderly person is sensitive to weather changes. Increased air humidity, magnetic storms, cause a feeling of fatigue and weakness. I constantly want to sleep on rainy and cloudy days.

Older people react strongly to lower atmospheric pressure. When the amount of oxygen in the air decreases, well-being worsens, blood pressure may decrease. Even a healthy person's efficiency drops, there is a desire to sleep during the day.

Changes in the body are the main cause of constant drowsiness

Loss of strength, irritability occur against the background of hypovitaminosis. In older people, useful substances are absorbed from food worse. Lack of B vitamins, routine, vitamin C, in addition to drowsiness and lethargy, cause headaches, increased fatigue.

The elderly lose their appetite. Inadequate nutrition leads to lack of energy, general weakness. Due to a lack of nutrients, brain function is disrupted. The body needs more time to recover, so it needs more time to sleep.

With age, the ability of the lungs to capture oxygen deteriorates, the mobility of the diaphragm and chest decreases, and normal gas exchange is disturbed. Oxygen in insufficient quantities penetrates the bloodstream, which provokes constant drowsiness and fatigue.

There are changes in the cardiovascular system. The heart muscle loses elasticity, the frequency of contractions slows down. The thickness of the walls of the heart increases, so the chamber contains a smaller volume of blood. The body is supplied with blood worse and receives less oxygen, which leads to rapid fatigue and a desire to take a nap. Aging heart reduces the ability to tolerate increased stress. In older people, the level of red blood cells decreases, which leads to a lack of hemoglobin and a decrease in oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. The brain and central nervous system suffer from a small amount of oxygen in the body. Apathy, severe fatigue, sleep imbalance appear.

Sleepiness in the elderly is caused by hormonal imbalances. The inevitable decrease in testosterone in men and women causes fatigue, fatigue, irritability appears, and the vitality of the body decreases.

Even without noticeable health problems, aging people have a slower metabolism. The level of wakefulness and sleep is regulated by orexin neuropeptides. With age, their synthesis decreases. The greater the orexin deficiency, the greater the daytime sleep attacks, the feeling of depression and fatigue.

Suppresses alertness and stimulates sleep adenosine. It contributes to the activation of inhibitory processes in the cerebral cortex. In an elderly person, the level of adenosine rises. Therefore, fatigue occurs, performance decreases.

Age-related changes in sleep

In old age, the duration of the slow-wave sleep stage, which the body needs to restore energy costs, is reduced. Lack of delta sleep causes physical weakness, weakness in the muscles. In older people, the quality of sleep deteriorates. They wake up more often at night, it is difficult to fall asleep.

After the age of 40, the production of melatonin, a hormone that provides sleep structure, decreases. Low levels of melatonin lead to frequent nighttime awakenings and insomnia. In the morning there is no feeling of cheerfulness, the whole day one feels tired and wants to sleep. Poor quality sleep leads to overwork of the nervous system and various diseases. Age-related changes are considered the norm, but they worsen well-being and mood. Specialists will help to get rid of some problems and restore sleep.

Pathological sleep disorders in the elderly

The burden of the past years, illness, loss of loved ones, decreased mental, physical and social activity, vascular-atrophic changes in the brain predispose to insomnia. Violations often become chronic. Poor quality and lack of sleep do not allow the internal organs, central nervous and immune systems to recover.

People over the age of 60 are at risk for sleep apnea. Stops in breathing, provoked by the cessation of the flow of air into the lungs, interrupt sleep. Patients after morning awakening complain of drowsiness, feel the need for daytime rest.

About a fifth of older people suffer from restless leg syndrome. Unpleasant sensations in the lower extremities, pulling pain do not allow to fall asleep or make the sleeper wake up. As a result, the disease is accompanied by additional symptoms - insomnia, irritability and lethargy during the day.

Why older people who are often sick sleep a lot

Many diseases that occur in elderly patients are accompanied by rapid fatigue and an obsessive desire to sleep. Drowsiness develops against the background of age, psychological and pathological factors.

  • Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels.

When blood vessels are clogged with plaques, blood circulation is disturbed, brain cells do not receive enough oxygen. The disease develops slowly, in addition to lethargy, headaches, noise in the head, and impaired thinking are observed.

  • Asthenia.

    During neurological, infectious and mental diseases, the body is depleted. A person sleeps a lot, but the physiological state is not restored after rest.

  • Cervical osteochondrosis.

    Degenerative - dystrophic processes in cartilage, bones, tissues proceed imperceptibly, progress in old age and cause severe complications. When the intervertebral foramina are displaced, the spinal nerves and blood vessels that feed the brain are compressed. Patients experience pain in the neck and neck, stuffy ears, dizziness, fatigue and constant drowsiness.

  • With age, conditions after craniocerebral injuries and diseases of internal organs become more complicated. After taking medications, inhibitory reactions in the central nervous system increase, substances that suppress the activity of the cerebral cortex accumulate. Therefore, many elderly people are constantly drawn to sleep.

    Even in an elderly person, the course of some diseases can be alleviated and serious complications avoided. With increased drowsiness, it is necessary to consult a specialist, undergo laboratory and instrumental examinations that will help identify the cause of sleep disturbance.

    Drowsiness

    Drowsiness is a type of sleep disorder characterized by a constant or intermittent desire to fall asleep at an inappropriate time, such as during the day at work or in transport. Such a disorder is similar to insomnia - a person's retribution for a wrong lifestyle. A large amount of daily information and important matters, increasing every day, not only leads to increased fatigue, but also reduces the time allotted for sleep.

    There are a lot of reasons for the appearance of constant drowsiness, but basically it is a banal lack of time, and from a medical point of view - diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Very often, this condition accompanies women in the early stages of pregnancy. The main symptoms in this case are dizziness and slow reaction.

    Such a violation occurs in many diseases, which is why it plays an important role in the diagnosis of some of them, for example, in traumatic brain injuries. Often, drowsiness can also occur during late pregnancy.

    Etiology

    As mentioned above, increased sleepiness can occur at any time, even during the day, against the background of a wide range of factors that are divided into several groups. The first includes those causes of drowsiness that are not associated with pathologies or diseases of the internal organs:

    • taking medications and pills, the side effects of which are drowsiness, fatigue and dizziness. Therefore, before you start treatment with such medicines, you must read the instructions;
    • lack of sunlight - oddly enough, it can cause this sleep disorder, because the sun's rays contribute to the release of vitamin D in the body, which is necessary for its well-coordinated work;
    • overwork, not only physical, but also mental or emotional;
    • influence of electromagnetic radiation. For example, if a person lives in the vicinity of television towers or cellular stations;
    • eating a large amount of food can cause drowsiness during the day, but if you overeat at night, this will cause insomnia;
    • prolonged eye strain - during long work at the computer or watching TV;
    • insufficient amount of air in a residential or working room, so it is recommended to ventilate it regularly;
    • vegetarianism;
    • excessively high body weight;
    • overstrain of auditory receptors, for example, noise at work;
    • irrational sleep pattern. Normally, a person should sleep for eight hours a day, and pregnant women - up to ten;
    • the body's response to stressful situations.

    Constant drowsiness can be caused by various disorders and diseases that make up the second group of factors:

    • lack of iron in the body;
    • decrease in blood pressure below the permissible norm;
    • dysfunction of the thyroid gland, in case of removal of one or both of its halves;
    • intoxication and dehydration of the body;
    • repeated cessation of breathing during sleep - apnea;
    • diabetes;
    • narcolepsy - in which a person falls asleep for a few minutes, and without feeling tired;
    • a wide range of traumatic brain injuries;
    • disorders of the central nervous system;
    • Klein-Levin disease - during which a person falls asleep at any time, even during the day, and can sleep for several hours or several months;
    • chronic inflammatory processes or infectious diseases;
    • decrease in blood levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells;
    • insufficient supply of oxygen to the brain;
    • hypersomnia - such a pathological condition is characterized by a strong decrease in the period of wakefulness of a person, accompanied by constant fatigue. In these cases, a person can sleep up to fourteen hours a day. Quite common in mental illness;
    • chronic heart failure;
    • diseases of the liver and kidneys;
    • influence of microorganisms, bacteria, fungi and helminths;
    • oncological neoplasms;
    • nervous exhaustion.

    Drowsiness during pregnancy should be considered as a separate cause, because it occurs during a certain period of a woman's life - in the early, less often in late pregnancy (passes after the birth of the baby). Drowsiness and fatigue in this case are absolutely normal conditions, because the representatives of the weaker sex experience changes in the functioning of some internal organs and systems. With dizziness and weakness, a woman is best to lie down for a few minutes.

    Increased drowsiness in babies under the age of one year is due to the underdevelopment of the nervous system. Therefore, it is quite normal for babies to sleep between eleven and eighteen hours a night. The causes of drowsiness in children of primary and school age are explained by a combination of the factors described above. Weakness and drowsiness in the elderly is quite a natural phenomenon, because all processes in the body begin to slow down. It also contributes to the presence of chronic diseases.

    Varieties

    In medical practice, the following classification of drowsiness is used, expressed in the following forms:

    • mild - a person suppresses sleep and fatigue in order to continue to perform work duties, but he begins to feel sleepy when the incentive to stay awake disappears;
    • moderate - a person falls asleep even when doing work. This entails social problems. Such people are not recommended to drive a car;
    • severe - a person cannot remain in an active state. It is affected by severe fatigue and dizziness. For him, motivating factors do not matter, so they often get work-related injuries and become the culprits of an accident.

    For people with constant drowsiness, it does not matter when to fall asleep, sleep can come not only at night, but also during the day.

    Symptoms

    Increased drowsiness in children and adults is accompanied by various symptoms. Thus, in adults and the elderly, there are:

    • constant weakness and fatigue;
    • bouts of severe dizziness;
    • lethargy and absent-mindedness;
    • depression;
    • decrease in working capacity;
    • memory impairment;
    • loss of consciousness, but in very rare cases. This condition is often preceded by dizziness, therefore, at its first manifestations, it is necessary to sit down or take a supine position.

    For children and infants, drowsiness or constant sleep is the norm, but if you experience the following symptoms, you should seek medical help:

    • frequent vomiting;
    • increase in body temperature;
    • diarrhea or lack of fecal excretion;
    • general weakness and lethargy;
    • the child has stopped breastfeeding or refuses to eat;
    • the acquisition of a bluish tint by the skin;
    • the baby does not respond to the touch or voice of the parents.

    Diagnostics

    In order to diagnose sleep disorders, which include increased drowsiness, it is necessary to perform polysomnography. It is carried out as follows - the patient is left overnight in the hospital, several sensors are attached to him, which record the work of the brain, respiratory system and heart rate. It is especially important to conduct such an examination if the doctor suspects that the patient has apnea, that is, in a dream a person stops breathing - the attacks are not long, but they are repeated quite often. This method is not publicly available, therefore it is carried out only when the specialist has not been able to find out the causes of drowsiness and constant fatigue in other ways.

    In order to exclude or confirm the occurrence of sleep disturbance due to diseases or infectious processes, the patient needs to contact a therapist who will conduct examinations, and, if necessary, appoint additional consultations with specialists such as a cardiologist, nephrologist, neurologist, and the necessary laboratory or hardware examinations of the patient.

    In addition, monitoring of how a person falls asleep is carried out, namely, the determination of the time it takes him to fall asleep. If the previous examination is carried out at night, then this one - during the day. The patient is given the opportunity to fall asleep five times, in each of which the doctors wait until the dream passes into the second phase - if this does not occur twenty minutes after the person has fallen asleep, they wake him up and determine the time it takes to repeat this process. This procedure will help determine the form of drowsiness and give reason for the doctor to prescribe the most effective treatment.

    Treatment

    There are several ways to get rid of drowsiness, differing depending on what the causes were. Therapy for each patient is prescribed individually.

    If this process caused a disease or an inflammatory process, it must be eliminated. For example, with low blood pressure, herbal medicines - eleutherococcus or ginseng will help. Preparations or tablets with a high content of these elements can prevent the occurrence of drowsiness during the day. If the cause is a low hemoglobin content, a complex of vitamins and minerals (with a high concentration of iron) will help the patient. With insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, the best remedy would be to quit nicotine and treat vascular pathologies that may be the cause of this process. In cases where disorders of the nervous system, traumatic brain injury, problems with the heart and other internal organs have become a factor of expression, the therapy is carried out by a doctor of a narrow specialty.

    It is worth paying more attention to the selection of medications if drowsiness occurs during pregnancy or in infants, because not all medications can be taken by such groups of patients.

    Prevention

    Since in most cases drowsiness and the fatigue and dizziness characteristic of it appear due to completely harmless reasons, you can carry out preventive measures yourself, using:

    • rational sleep schedule. A healthy adult should sleep at least eight hours a day, and preschool children and women during pregnancy - up to ten hours. It is best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day;
    • walks in the fresh air;
    • daytime sleep, unless, of course, this will harm work or study;
    • regular moderate physical activity;
    • maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is worth giving up drinking alcohol, smoking and drugs;
    • studying the instructions for medicines;
    • healthy food. You should eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as enrich the diet with vitamins and nutrients. Reduce the intake of foods high in carbohydrates;
    • adequate fluid intake. On average, a person needs two or more liters of water per day;
    • restrictions on coffee intake, as the drink can cause drowsiness after a short wakefulness. It is best to replace coffee with weak green tea;
    • passing a preventive examination in a medical institution several times a year, which will help prevent the development of infectious and inflammatory processes that cause this sleep disturbance, fatigue and dizziness.

    "Drowsiness" is observed in diseases:

    Avitaminosis is a painful human condition that occurs as a result of an acute shortage of vitamins in the human body. Distinguish between spring and winter beriberi. There are no restrictions regarding gender and age group in this case.

    A parathyroid adenoma is a small, benign growth of 1 to 5 cm in size, which can independently synthesize parathyroid hormone, causing symptoms of hypercalcemia in a person. The parathyroid glands are located on the posterior surface of the thyroid gland, and their main purpose is to produce parathyroid hormone, which is involved in calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body. Adenoma leads to the fact that parathyroid hormone begins to be produced more than necessary, which causes the symptoms of this disease.

    Adenomyosis (or internal endometriosis) is a disease of the uterus, during which the endometrium, acting as its internal mucous membrane, begins to grow into other layers of this organ. By its specificity, adenomyosis, the symptoms of which are the reproduction of endometrial cells outside the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe uterine mucosa, is a benign systemic disease.

    Acclimatization is the process of adapting an organism to a new climate and environmental conditions. This process is observed quite often in children after several days spent at sea. The symptoms of this disorder are similar to the common cold.

    Acromegaly is a pathological syndrome that progresses due to hyperproduction of somatotropin by the pituitary gland after ossification of the epiphyseal cartilage. The disease is characterized by pathological growth of bones, organs and tissues. Often with this disease, limbs, ears, nose, etc. increase. Due to the rapid growth of these elements, metabolism is disturbed and the risk of developing diabetes increases.

    Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is a disease that has a chronic course and is caused by regular poisoning of liver cells with alcohol, followed by their death. In today's world, alcohol is widely available and many people drink it before meals as an aperitif. However, few people think about the fact that regular alcohol consumption leads to damage to liver cells, with the subsequent development of cirrhosis. It is usually believed that only those people who drink alcohol often and in large quantities can suffer from this pathology, but in fact, alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver can develop even in those people who drink little but regularly.

    Angiodysplasia is a pathological process, as a result of which the number of subcutaneous vessels increases. In the case of the gastrointestinal tract, this can lead to internal bleeding, which is extremely life-threatening. It is noted that such vascular disease can be congenital. In newborns, capillary angiodysplasia is localized in the face, lower extremities, less often hands.

    Angiosarcoma (syn. hemangioendothelioma) belongs to the category of the rarest malignant neoplasms, which includes modified cells of the blood vessels of the circulatory or lymphatic system. Distinctive features - a high degree of malignancy of the tumor and a high probability of the appearance of hemangioma.

    Angiotrophoneurosis is a collective concept that includes vasomotor and trophic innervations of tissues and organs. The disease is diagnosed in both women and men, however, the former occurs 5 times more often. The risk group includes people from 20 to 50 years old.

    Apathy is a mental disorder in which a person does not show interest in work, any activities, does not want to do anything and, in general, is indifferent to life. Such a state very often comes into a person's life imperceptibly, since it does not manifest itself as pain symptoms - a person may simply not notice deviations in mood, since absolutely any life process, and most often their combination, can become the causes of apathy.

    Arterial hypotension is a fairly common pathology, which is characterized by a persistent or regular presence in a person of tonometer readings below 100 to 60 millimeters of mercury. The disease can occur at any age, which is why it is also diagnosed in babies and females during pregnancy.

    Asthenic syndrome (asthenia) is a neuropsychiatric ailment, which is usually included in the clinical picture of neuropsychic, nosological forms, as well as somatic symptom complexes. This state is manifested by emotional instability, weakness, increased fatigue.

    Asthma is a chronic disease that is characterized by short-term attacks of suffocation, caused by spasms in the bronchi and swelling of the mucous membrane. This disease does not have a certain risk group and age restrictions. But, as medical practice shows, women suffer from asthma 2 times more often. According to official figures, there are more than 300 million people with asthma in the world today. The first symptoms of the disease appear most often in childhood. Older people suffer the disease much more difficult.

    Acetonemic vomiting (syn. syndrome of cyclic acetonemic vomiting, non-diabetic ketoacidosis) is a pathological process that is caused by the accumulation of ketone bodies in the blood of a child. As a result, there is a violation of metabolic processes, which causes vomiting in the child, symptoms of general intoxication and subfebrile condition.

    Borreliosis, which is also defined as Lyme disease, Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne borreliosis, and otherwise, is a natural focal disease of a transmissible type. Borreliosis, the symptoms of which are damage to the joints, skin, heart and nervous system, is often characterized by a chronic, as well as recurrent, own course.

    Bruxism in children or adults, the scientific definition of the phenomenon of grinding teeth, which often appears at night and sometimes during the day. This problem is faced more often by children than adults, and boys and girls are equally affected by the disorder. And although such a pathological condition is not too serious, it can cause the development of caries and other problems in people, so it must be diagnosed and treated in a timely manner.

    Acute intestinal infection, caused by a bacterial environment and characterized by a duration of fever and general intoxication of the body, is called typhoid fever. This disease refers to severe ailments, as a result of which the main environment of the lesion is the gastrointestinal tract, and when aggravated, the spleen, liver and blood vessels are affected.

    Viral bronchitis is an acute inflammatory disease that primarily affects the lower respiratory tract. Most often it is a complication after suffering influenza, whooping cough and other diseases with a similar etiology. The disease has no restrictions regarding gender and age, but is most often diagnosed in children and the elderly, due to a weakened immune system.

    An ectopic pregnancy implies such a pathology of the course of pregnancy, in which a fertilized egg is attached to an area outside the uterine cavity, where it normally occurs. An ectopic pregnancy, the symptoms of which are similar to the usual course of pregnancy, is a condition in which medical care should be provided to the patient as a matter of urgency due to the relevance of the risk of death due to complications associated with this pathology.

    Intracranial hypertension is nothing more than increased intracranial pressure, more commonly known due to the prevalence of the use of this particular definition. Intracranial hypertension, the symptoms of which are often caused by a pathology that forms in the brain, is formed due to an increase in the volume of contents in the cranial cavity, in particular, this content can be cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood (with venous stasis), tissue fluid (with cerebral edema ), as well as foreign tissue, which appeared, for example, as a result of a brain tumor.

    Haemophilus influenzae - in the medical field has a second name - influenza infection. An acute infectious process in the vast majority of cases affects the organs of the respiratory system and the central nervous system, and also leads to the formation of purulent foci on various organs.

    Hepatitis G is an infectious disease caused by a negative effect on the liver of a specific pathogen. Among other varieties of this disease, it is the least diagnosed. The prognosis depends entirely on the variant of its course. A carrier of a pathological agent is considered to be a sick person and an asymptomatic carrier of the virus. Most often, infection is carried out through the blood, but there are other mechanisms for the penetration of the bacterium.

    Hydrocephalus, which is also commonly defined as dropsy of the brain, is a disease in which there is an increase in the volume of the ventricles in the brain, and often to a very impressive size. Hydrocephalus, the symptoms of which are manifested due to excessive production of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid between the communicating ventricles of the brain) and its accumulation in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe brain cavities, mainly occurs in newborns, but this disease has a place in the incidence of other age categories.

    Hydrocephalus (synonymous dropsy) of the brain in children is a disease characterized by the fact that an excessive amount of liquor is collected in its internal cavities and under the meninges, which is also called cerebrospinal fluid. There are a lot of reasons for the formation of the disease, and they may differ depending on the age at which the pathology was formed. Most often, infectious and oncological processes, congenital malformations and birth injuries act as provoking factors.

    Hyperinsulinemia is a clinical syndrome characterized by high levels of insulin and low blood sugar levels. Such a pathological process can lead not only to disruption of some body systems, but also to hypoglycemic coma, which in itself is a particular danger to human life.

    Hypermagnesemia is a pathological condition that manifests itself with an increase in the concentration of magnesium in the bloodstream (above the established norm of 2.2 mmol per liter). The level of magnesium in the human body is controlled by the same mechanisms as calcium, since this element is also closely associated with bone and cartilage structures. This pathological condition can manifest itself in people from different age categories, including young children.

    Hypernatremia is a disease characterized by an increase in the level of sodium in the blood serum to a value of 145 mmol / l or higher. In addition, a low fluid content in the body is detected. Pathology has a fairly high mortality rate.

    Endometrial hyperplasia is a pathological process, as a result of which the mucous tissue of the uterus grows and the reproductive system malfunctions. As a result of this pathological process, the possibility of becoming pregnant and carrying a child normally is significantly reduced. Endometrial hyperplasia and pregnancy are not compatible concepts.

    Hyperthermia is a protective and adaptive reaction of the human body, which manifests itself in response to the negative effects of various stimuli. As a result, the processes of thermoregulation in the human body are gradually rebuilt, and this leads to an increase in body temperature.

    Page 1 of 5

    With the help of exercise and abstinence, most people can do without medicine.

    Symptoms and treatment of human diseases

    Reprinting of materials is possible only with the permission of the administration and indicating an active link to the source.

    All information provided is subject to mandatory consultation by the attending physician!

    Questions and suggestions:

    Most people assume that as a person gets older, they need more and more time to sleep, so an older person sleeps a lot. It is logical that in this case, growing up is identified with aging. In parallel, there is an opinion that old people need less time to restore their strength than adults who lead an active life. In view of this, there is a theory that it is enough for pensioners to sleep 6-7 hours.

    Reasons for increased need for sleep

    If you draw a graph of sleep duration at different ages, then it will appear as a parabola with the largest values ​​in the first and last days of life. It is not for nothing that it is noted that when an old person sleeps all the time, it means that internal resources have been developed and the allotted life span is coming to an end. But to believe that all people in old age experience a great need for sleep is wrong.

    Each person is individual and with the general physiological patterns there are individual characteristics. This applies to the duration of sleep in older people. This is determined by two factors:

    • established daily routine;
    • the presence of diseases.

    The pensioner saves the sleep schedule that has developed during the work activity. Although most people note that after retirement, on the contrary, they began to sleep better, because. problems associated with professional duties have disappeared. However, people wake up without an alarm at the same time as before. It takes a year or two for the body to get used to the new routine. But for some, until the end of their lives, a clear daily routine and activity developed throughout their lives remain. By the way, such people feel better and get sick less.

    The statement that old people sleep a lot is not fully true. Old people sleep as much as their body needs. Sleep is the time that is given to the human body by nature to restore and recharge with vitality. A sleeping person is like a battery connected for recharging. The longer the life of the battery, the longer it takes to charge, and at the same time it still has less energy in it. Therefore, on average, about nine hours of total daily sleep are needed for an aging organism to continue its vital activity.

    Diseases that occur with age also do not contribute to the normal recovery of the body during sleep, since they affect both the duration and quality of night rest. Age-related ailments are characterized by night pains, so older people sleep a lot during the daytime, when they feel better.

    Normal sleep duration in the elderly

    Physiologists have found that an elderly person should normally sleep 7-9 hours. It is believed that old people sleep a lot if their sleep lasts 10 hours or more. This indicates the development of pathological processes in the body. Old age in itself is not a pathology, it is physiology, i.e. norm. Hormonal changes are also physiological, which also affect the quality of sleep.

    Getting enough sleep in old age allows you to:

    • sleeping mode;
    • sleep hygiene;
    • if necessary, the use of medications.

    For the elderly, the same rules for healthy sleep apply as for workers:

    • ventilated room;
    • clean bed linen;
    • humidity and temperature.

    Doctors say that old people are constantly cold, so they need a bed and pajamas warmer, soft warm socks. A warm bath before bedtime or at least a hot foot bath is helpful.

    Speaking of sleep hygiene, one should not lose sight of personal hygiene products - urological pads for women. With a change in the hormonal background, urine leakage at night can be observed, which significantly reduces the comfort of sleep and is the cause of psychological discomfort.

    In men, the hormonal scourge of age is changes in the prostate gland. In the early stages of the disease, an enlarged prostate causes a person to get up several times a night to urinate, and in advanced cases leads to urinary incontinence. In these cases, special diapers for the elderly can improve the quality of sleep.

    Affects the duration and quality of sleep, compliance with the doctor's prescriptions for taking medications if any disease is diagnosed (and more often several). Timely intake of medications ensures a restful sleep. If you experience night pain, you should definitely consult a doctor for the correction of drug treatment.

    Daytime sleep is required. It is best to take a nap in the afternoon for 30-40 minutes. Long daytime sleep can cause biorhythms to fail, which will affect health: a headache, a feeling of lethargy appears. If an elderly person constantly sleeps, this is already a sign of serious pathologies.

    The main symptoms of hypersomnia

    When an elderly person is constantly sleeping, the causes should be detected as soon as possible: often this is a symptom of serious illnesses, the timely detection of which will help, if not cure, then at least alleviate the condition of an elderly patient.

    Hypersomnia is excessive (more than 14 hours) sleep duration. Elderly people can alternate attacks of insomnia (insomnia) and hypersomnia, when, due to poor health or for psychological reasons, grandma or grandfather first sleep in fits and starts, and then, when the pain goes away or the cause of negative emotions disappears, they just sleep off. This is situational hypersomnia, which does not cause cause for concern (except for the root cause, of course, which must be dealt with). If an old person just sleeps a lot, this is not normal.

    Signs of hypersomnia are:

    • constant sleepiness;
    • feeling tired after a long sleep;
    • lack of a sleep schedule as such.

    These symptoms may indicate the onset of a serious illness (microstroke, encephalitis, etc.), so it is dangerous to miss such moments.

    If an elderly person sleeps too long, it is necessary to establish why this is happening. Violation of the schedule can be caused by both pathological and physiological factors, among which it should be noted:

    • overwork (fatigue has a cumulative effect, it can accumulate);
    • alcoholism and drug addiction;
    • depression, stress, unfavorable, from the point of view of psychology, the situation in the house;
    • suffered a stroke;
    • high or low blood pressure;
    • disruption of the endocrine system;
    • brain tumors.

    It should be taken into account that in winter people sleep longer due to shorter daylight hours. Bedridden patients spend much more time in a nap than healthy ones. Affect the duration of rest and some drugs.

    A feature of the elderly is the dependence of well-being on the weather: a decrease in atmospheric pressure causes an irresistible desire to sleep at any time of the day.

    Pathologically long sleep leads to:

    • the development of migraine attacks;
    • hyperglycemia against the background of hormonal disorders;
    • persistent muscle weakness;
    • decrease in intellectual abilities, memory impairment, absent-mindedness;
    • overweight due to metabolic disorders;
    • constant fatigue and a feeling of weakness.

    Even the performance that is possible for a given age is reduced. The bad thing is that all these symptoms significantly impair motor activity, which is useful for maintaining tone at any age.

    Prolonged sleep as a harbinger of death

    Popular belief says that people sleep a lot before they die. The reasons for a long sleep can be very different, but there are alarming signs by which you can determine that a person will soon die.

    1. Loss of appetite. A person first loses interest in food, even in the most favorite dishes, while eating much less than usual. Complete loss of appetite and refusal to eat may indicate the approach of death.
    2. Increased sleepiness. Sleep lasts at least 12 hours, it is very difficult to wake a person. The duration of sleep increases every day, dizziness appears after waking up.
    3. Disorientation and confusion. An elderly person in between sleep cannot understand where he is, how old he is. He ceases to recognize relatives, cannot remember their names, can rave in a dream and in reality.
    4. Respiratory problems. Breathing becomes difficult, irregular, accompanied by wheezing. Cheyne-Stokes syndrome may occur.
    5. Violation of urination. There is involuntary urination, often accompanied by uncontrolled defecation.
    6. Swelling of the lower extremities. Due to impaired blood circulation and lymph flow, the legs and feet swell, sometimes very significantly (it is impossible not only to put on room shoes, but also to put on stockings and socks).
    7. Hypothermia. With impaired blood circulation, the body temperature decreases, this is especially noticeable in the fingers and toes: they become icy to the touch.
    8. Venous spots. The fragility of blood vessels leads to the appearance of characteristic bluish spots under the skin, similar to hematomas. Especially often they appear in diabetes mellitus, since any, even a slight mechanical effect, leads to damage to the vessel and subcutaneous hemorrhage.
    9. Uncontrolled emotions. Old people become capricious, sometimes their behavior is simply unbearable. At the same time, fits of anger alternate with violent apologies. Unreasonable tears, resentment, suspicion can infuriate others, so you need to be patient. The worst should be expected when old people become completely indifferent, do not react to any stimuli.

    Physician evaluation of patients with prolonged sleep

    Medicine is powerless to restore youth, so old age must be taken for granted. At the same time, it depends on the person himself how he will age. The correct daily routine, a healthy lifestyle make it possible to maintain a clear mind and be active even in old age.

    If hypersomnia is a symptom of the disease, all efforts should be directed to treatment. If this is the approach of the end, you need to make it easy.

    The cause of excessive sleepiness can be determined based on the results of the examination, clinical tests and on the basis of the stories of the patients themselves and their loved ones.

    The main help is to provide the elderly with a decent old age. When it comes to imminent death, you need to overcome the feeling of powerlessness and not disturb the old people once again when they are sleeping. So that even in a dream they feel the care and love of their relatives, it is better to hold their hand in your hands, speak kind, gentle words quietly, even hum a lullaby quietly. A person should leave with the knowledge that he has lived a worthy life and that he is surrounded by loving and caring people.

    In old age, as in any other, sleep is necessary. It must take age into account. If excessive drowsiness is noted, you should consult a doctor.

    It is generally accepted that older people sleep a lot, despite the fact that the physiological need decreases significantly with age. This is due to the fact that the body quickly gets tired and the need for rest increases. Deciding to find out why an old person sleeps all the time, a group of scientists came to the conclusion that, if we discard the violations of physiology, in most cases sleep for more than 9-10 hours indicates the presence of serious pathological processes occurring in the body.

    Many people mistakenly believe that 6-7 hours are enough for elderly people to have a good rest, explaining this by a decrease in physical activity, a calmer course of life.

    Each person is individual, and, despite the general physiological patterns, the duration of sleep is determined by the characteristics of his body, as well as the established daily routine. With retirement, it is difficult for an elderly person to change his life, and the habit of waking up early in the morning remains. Despite this, his sleep quality improves, which is due to the absence of problems associated with professional activities. Of course, over time, many sleep patterns change, but for most of them, it still remains until the end of their lives. As a rule, this category of pensioners complains less about senile ailments, and practically does not get sick.

    Long sleep in old age

    Another common misconception is that old people need at least 9-10 hours of sleep due to weakness and fatigue. A group of specialists decided to find out why an elderly person constantly sleeps, and what are the reasons for this phenomenon.

    It's important to know! According to studies, the duration of sleep in the elderly remains the same as in younger years. They just have a shorter deep sleep phase, they need much more time to fall asleep in the evening and after frequent nocturnal awakenings.

    If an old person sleeps all the time, then doctors indicate the presence of pathological processes that sometimes occur in a latent form. Many do not even suspect that the quality of rest is affected by pain that occurs mainly at night and interferes with sleep. This also explains the sometimes irresistible desire to take a nap during the day.

    Symptoms of hypersomnia

    The normal duration of sleep for an adult is 8-10 hours. If it increases to 14 hours, then doctors talk about hypersomnia, and advise not to delay contacting a specialist. You can identify a serious illness by the following signs:

    Attention! The danger of hypersomnia lies in the fact that it is often a concomitant symptom of more serious diseases associated with brain disorders - stroke, encephalitis, oncological pathologies.

    Negative effect on the body

    Prolonged sleep is considered by specialists as a pathological deviation. They associate this condition with disorders that occur in the aging body. If an elderly person sleeps a lot at night, negative consequences gradually appear:

    • frequent headaches;
    • memory impairment;
    • eye redness;
    • decreased concentration;
    • muscle weakness;
    • slowing down the reaction rate;
    • increased fatigue;
    • deterioration of metabolic processes;
    • uncontrolled weight gain;
    • disruption of the endocrine system;
    • increased blood sugar levels;
    • spasmodic changes in pressure indicators;
    • decrease in performance.

    This complex of symptoms leads to a deterioration in the quality of life, limits physical activity, which is a necessary condition for pensioners who, even in old age, want to be vigorous and physically healthy.

    Search for the causes of sleepiness in the elderly

    If a grandfather or grandmother sleeps all the time in the family, then it is necessary to find out the cause and eliminate it until more serious health problems arise.

    Diseases

    Along with external factors of influence, physicians identify a number of internal causes. They are associated with the somatic conditions of the individual, as well as with the influence of certain pathological disorders. If an old person constantly sleeps a lot, then the following are considered the reasons:

    • prolonged physical fatigue;
    • nervous disorders caused by severe stress;
    • psycho-emotional disorders that occur against the background of prolonged depression;
    • tumors and hematomas affecting the "sleepy center" of the brain;
    • hormonal imbalance provoked by endocrine diseases;
    • cerebrovascular accidents associated with a stroke or other pathologies;
    • transferred operation.

    Natural age processes

    Other factors

    If an elderly person is not sick, but sleeps all the time, then this is due to the following conditions. In old age, the period of slow and deep sleep is significantly reduced, during which he completely relaxes, accumulates energy and gains strength. This violation leads to pathological changes in the aging body, causes the appearance of muscle weakness, physical weakness. This affects the quality of sleep - a person often wakes up, cannot fall asleep for a long time, and does not sleep well.

    It's important to know! With age, the production of melatonin, a hormone that is responsible for the structure of sleep, decreases. As a result, insomnia develops, leading over time to such conditions as lethargy, fatigue, daytime sleepiness. Against the background of the lack of proper rest, concentration of attention decreases, memory worsens.

    Transition to another world: drowsiness and other signs

    Often, relatives and friends, especially those living with the elderly, are worried about their long stay in bed. Considering this to be the end, they begin to worry. So, an elderly person sleeps a lot: what does this mean?

    Of course, the process of dying is as diverse as birth. It is impossible to predict the date and time of death, as well as the way of leaving for another world. But with the approach of a sad event, people can feel it, and experience certain states that are common to those standing at the threshold of death. They experience physiological and emotional changes that are noticeable to others.

    Prevention of hypersomnia in the elderly

    Medicine is not yet able to prevent the processes of aging and the extinction of vitality. Therefore, a healthy state and comfortable feelings in the senile period depend on the behavior of the person himself. It should be remembered that advanced years are not a sentence, but the same time as youth and maturity. A healthy lifestyle, daily routine, proper and balanced nutrition, feasible physical activity, as well as communication with relatives and friends will help maintain clarity of mind and good spirits.

    If at an advanced age a person suffers from hypersomnia, you should seek help from a doctor who will help determine the cause of its occurrence and direct efforts to treat the pathology. The main help of others lies in a careful and attentive attitude towards an elderly person, because the worst thing is when in the last days he becomes lonely.

    Conclusion

    Old people should leave this life surrounded by relatives and friends with a sense of well-lived years. But while they are alive, you should envelop them with caress and care, and also carefully monitor their health and sleep. At the first signs of its violation, it is necessary to allocate time and seek help from a specialist.

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