Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
The symptom of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) despite adequate night time sleep is not uncommon. It can cause employment, relationship and other social problems, and even affect driving safety, but it is often under recognised or considered to be untreatable. In fact, EDS is a feature of several sleep conditions:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
- Narcolepsy
- Restless Leg/Periodic Limb Movement Syndromes (RLS/PLMS)
- Idiopathic hypersomnia
These conditions are readily diagnosed and very treatable.
If you think you suffer from EDS despite good sleep habits then you should consult your GP. Sometimes your symptoms may be related to other medical conditions, or medications you might be taking which cause drowsiness. However if your GP thinks you could have an underlying sleep disorder then they will refer you to a sleep centre for further investigation.
Epworth Sleepiness Scale - Do you think you have EDS?
Try this simple questionnaire to see.
Investigation of EDS at the RSSC
If you have symptoms of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) then you might undergo a simple home sleep study first. If the result is normal or OSA is not suspected then you will be admitted to our sleep laboratory for a more sophisticated sleep study, called a polysomnogram (PSG) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT).