There are numerous health conditions that afflict us today. For the most part we don’t even think of them as afflictions but just as momentary low energy moments. Daytime sleepiness is one of the afflictions on the rise, which is more than often ignored. A new research shows that obesity and depression have been linked to your sleepiness during the day.
We learned from an early age that wasting hours of sleep at night is going to make us feel drowsy the next day. As we’ve entered adulthood and got a job, a family and started putting up with chores and worrying about everything there is to, oftentimes a good night’s sleep is just another dream on the list. So, obviously feeling sleepy and dozy after a bad night’s sleep is explainable.
But finding an explanation to your daytime sleepiness doesn’t make it right. Scientists found that this particular condition is proof there are some underlying disorders that are taking the toll. Obesity and depression are modern day’s most common afflictions, and scientists are still pinpointing symptoms and generating factors.
Meanwhile, daytime sleepiness has surged as an affliction that impacts more Americans than you’d commonly imagine. In fact, as data from the National Sleep Foundation shows, some 20 percent of adult Americans are troubled by daytime sleepiness.
Alexandros Vgontzas, psychiatry professor with the Penn State University, has conducted research that showed a bad night’s sleep isn’t the only reason why you’re feeling sleepy at work. “Weight loss, depression and sleep disorders should be our priorities in terms of preventing the medical complications and public safety hazards associated with this excessive sleepiness” said Vgontzas.
Researchers conducted three studies and analyzed data from 1,741 adults that suffered with excessive daytime sleepiness. Vgontzas and fellow researchers found that weight gain was the most significant factor in the onset of daytime sleepiness. In fact, as Vgontzas explains “individuals who lost weight, excessive sleepiness improved”.
The expert added: “The primary finding connecting our three studies are that depression and obesity are the main risk factors for both new-onset and persistent excessive sleepiness”.
