How to Treat Daytime Drowsiness with 5 Natural Remedies
Daytime drowsiness, also known as hypersomnia, is a common problem. It’s often poor quality sleep, nutritional deficiencies, and some illnesses that cause it. The condition causes the individual to feel heavy and slow. This frequently makes them fall asleep at inappropriate times.
Although at first, you may think it’s normal, you should pay attention to daytime drowsiness as it can interfere with daily tasks and increase your risk of driving or work-related accidents. Despite it being ideal to ensure you get enough sleep – no less than 8 hours every day – you can also keep a few natural remedies in mind to fight your tiredness.
Causes of daytime drowsiness
There are studies that define daytime drowsiness as a “physiological state that promotes sleep”. Similarly, they explain that this disorder becomes “excessive” when the sleep happens “for an hour or in an inappropriate situation, occurring daily for at least three months”. Insomnia and other sleep-related problems are some of the main causes of daytime drowsiness.
In fact, the experts at IntraMed state: “lack of sleep is the most frequent cause of daytime drowsiness. Healthy people can suffer, too, even after a slight lack of sleep. Studies that limited adults to six hours of sleep a night over 14 successive nights showed significant deterioration in their neurobiological functions”.
Other risk factors associated with daytime drowsiness are:
- Anemia
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Chronic stress
- Too much calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia)
- Sleep apnea
- Digestion problems
- Low blood pressure
- Thyroid problems
- Changes to the nervous system
- Use of certain medications (sedatives, sleeping pills, antihistamines)
Natural remedies for daytime drowsiness
To fight daytime drowsiness, it’s important to identify its cause and follow medical advice. Additionally, you can consider consuming the following natural remedies.
- If you’re taking medication, you shouldn’t consume any of these without approval from your doctor, as they may cause interactions.
1. Green tea
Green tea is a drink rich in catechins and caffeine, and so some people believe that it can help to combat daytime drowsiness.
- You shouldn’t consume more than 2 cups a day.
- We recommend that you wait at least 40 minutes after eating a main meal before you drink it.
- In some cases, specialists advise against green tea. For that reason, before you start drinking it regularly, we recommend you consult your doctor.
Important note: specialists have published studies that indicate green tea is a drink that can help to improve the quality of sleep and reduce stress.
2. Warm water with lemon
According to popular belief, drinking warm water with lemon can help keep daytime drowsiness away. However, there’s no scientific evidence that supports this belief. At the moment, it’s only considered a naturally hydrating drink. That said, there are people that enjoy green tea first thing in the morning to feel “more energized”.
3. Banana and yogurt smoothie
Due to its high potassium levels, in addition to fructose, glucose, fiber, and vitamin B6, many people believe that bananas are an excellent option to have for an energizing breakfast that allows to This energizing smoothie contains essential nutrients that help activate physical and mental functions to make you more efficient throughout the day.
The experts at the Spanish Foundation of Nutrition (Fundación Española de la Nutrición (FEN)) note that yogurt contains high-quality proteins, in addition to protein, magnesium, and zinc, among other nutrients.
Both yogurt and bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that helps to stimulate your body’s secretion of serotonin and melatonin to improve overall sleep quality. For that reason, when you combine both foods, you get an energizing drink, full of nutrients.
4. Yerba mate tea
Many people consider yerba mate to be a natural energizer; it has a revitalizing power that counters fatigue and drowsiness. It helps to improve blood circulation and, by optimizing cellular oxygenation, works to improve mental performance.
Sleep problems require medical attention
Remember that consuming these drinks can never substitute medically prescribed treatment. Regardless, they can help you when complementing a healthy lifestyle. If daytime drowsiness persists, we recommend that you seek medical help to determine the cause.