| Connect & Subscribe |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The following is a visitor-submitted question or story. For more, you can submit your own sleep story here, or browse the collection of experiences and questions other visitors have shared here.
Sleeping Enough But Still Sleepy Throughout The Day?
My dad is 44 years old and has cholesterol problems. He sleeps his full eight hours of sleep everyday and yet he still feels sleepy. He is not tired but its his eyes that keep bothering him. As if he did not get enough sleep. He also cannot see well at nights. He has headaches everyday now. Mainly when he is stressed, does not eat, or in this case feels sleepy. So my question is what exactly is the cause? Is it his eyes? his age? or stress?
Kevin: Hey there, While I can't say anything about any specific causes with such limited information, I can point to a couple of general informational points with regards to why people can feel sleepy even when obtaining what they think is enough sleep.
There are two primary reasons this often happens. Sometimes there is a sleep disorder involved that compromises the quality of sleep while making the sleeper feel like he or she is still obtaining enough sleep. An example of a disorder that can do this is sleep apnea, where the sleeper, often with heavy snores, has trouble breathing during the night, sometimes waking up unknowingly for a second to take a breath.
The other very common reason someone can still be tired despite sleeping for 8-plus hours is that despite getting adequate sleep now, they still have a sleep debt that accumulated in the past. Despite sleeping as much as we need to, if we had previously built up a sleep debt and had yet to obtain the extra sleep required to pay it back, we would still be very susceptible to feeling sleepy because of it. You can learn more about sleep debt and this idea here.
I can't say whether either of these two things could be affecting your father, but I just wanted to make you aware of them in case either of them are playing a role. A doctor would be better able to examine your father closely, get more information, and give you more specifics. But I hope this new found general knowledge is helpful in some way. It's really sweet of you to write in out of concern for him, and I wish you and your dad the best of luck!
Kevin
Subscribe To Our RSS Feed
About This Site
Welcome! This site is continuously being created by students of Dr. William C. Dement's Sleep And Dreams course at Stanford University.
We made this site as a call to action for people all over the world to live healthier, happier, safer, and more productive lives by learning about their own sleep. We have faith that reading the information provided on this site will motivate you to be smart about your sleep deprivation and strategic about your alertness in order to live life to your fullest, most energetic potential.
In fact, we challenge you to do so! What do you say, are you up for the challenge?
Interviews With Sleep Specialists: Insights Into the Worlds of Sleep Medicine & Sleep Business
America's Most Dangerous Disorder: What Is Sleep Apnea Doing To Your Sleep?
Sleep Debt: How Much More Will You Achieve When You Reduce Yours?
The Stages Of Sleep: The Journey Through The Night
Delayed Sleep Phase: You Want To Sleep But You're Not Tired Yet
Paralyzed at Night: Is Sleep Paralysis Normal?
Sleep In Words: Smart, Strange, and Funny Quotes About Sleep
Sleep Disorders In Children: What's Keeping Your Child From A Full Night's Rest?
Attacks of Pavor Nocturnus (a.k.a. Sleep Terrors, Night Terrors, or Incubus Attacks)
A Note On Visitor-Submitted Questions:
Publishing sleep stories and questions from our visitors is meant to create a forum for open and proactive dialogue about an extremely important portion of our lives (one that occupies 1/3 of it and affects the other 2/3) that isn't talked about enough. It is not meant to substitute a trip to the doctor or the advice of a specialist. It's good to talk; it is not good to avoid consulting someone who's profession it is to help you with this kind of stuff.
If you are in any way concerned about your sleep health, don't wait for an answer on here, and don't necessarily rely on them. See a sleep specialist in your area as soon as possible.
The Stanford Sleep Book
Dr. Dement's pioneering textbook has been the core text for Sleep and Dreams since 1980, but it has just recently been made available to the wider public for the first time.
In it you'll find a more detailed account of the most important things you need to know about sleep, alertness, dreams, and sleep disorders. Studies, statistics, plus plenty of Dr. Dement's classic anecdotes painting the history of sleep medicine.
Preface | Intro | Contents | Get A Copy
More Sleep Resources
The Zeo
A revolution in personal sleep tracking, the Zeo is a wireless headband that transmits your brainwaves in realtime to a dock (pictured here) or your smartphone. The result? You can wake up and see exactly what stages of sleep you were in during the night! Unprecedented personalized sleep knowledge.
Sleep Paralysis: A Dreamer's Guide
Ever woken up paralyzed? A surprising number of us have, believe it or not. But few know the actual causes of this phenomenon, and fewer still how to exert control over it. Dream researcher and sleep paralysis expert Ryan Hurd shares breakthrough insights into how to do just that.
Important Disclaimer
Please Note:
The information found on this page and throughout this site is intended for general information purposes only. While it may prove useful and empowering, it is NOT intended as a substitute for the expertise and judgments of healthcare practitioners.
For more info, see our
Terms of Use.