Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) is a condition in which an individual feels very drowsy during the day and has an overwhelming urge to fall asleep, even after getting enough nighttime sleep. People with EDS frequently doze, nap, or fall asleep in situations where they need or want to be fully awake and alert. This can be particularly dangerous at times, such as when driving a car or operating other hazardous machinery.
EDS can interfere significantly with a person's ability to concentrate and perform daily tasks and routines. People with EDS often report feelings of low self-esteem, frustration, and anger about being misunderstood and regarded as unintelligent, lazy or uninterested in learning. They also report having difficulty with relationships -- in social situations, in the workplace, and within the family.
EDS is a sign of an underlying medical condition, typically a sleep disorder.
The condition is often associated with:
Cataplexy -- a sudden loss of muscle tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles associated with a strong emotion
Sleep paralysis -- immobility of the body that occurs in the transition from sleep to wakefulness
Hypnagogic hallucinations -- pre-sleep dreams
Automatic behaviors -- such as, for example, doing something "automatically" and not remembering afterwards how you did it.
More than 100,000 Americans have excessive daytime sleepiness narcolepsy. It strikes both males and females and affects people of all races.
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