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Somnolence
 
 
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Somnolence (or "drowsiness") is a state of near-sleep
Sleep

Sleep is the natural state of bodily rest observed in humans and other animals. It is common to all mammals and birds, and is also seen in many reptiles, amphibians and fish....
, a strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods (c.f. hypersomnia
Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is excessive amount of somnolence.According to the U. S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:...
). It has two distinct meanings, referring both to the usual state preceding falling asleep, and the chronic condition referring to being in that state independent of a circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm

A circadian rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioural processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria....
. The disorder characterized by the latter condition is most commonly associated with users of prescription hypnotics, such as mirtazapine
Mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is an antidepressant introduced by Organon International in 1994 used for the treatment of moderate to severe clinical depression....
 or zolpidem
Zolpidem

Zolpidem is a prescription drug used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as well as some brain disorders. It is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic that potentiates gamma-aminobutyric acid , an inhibitory neurotransmitter, by binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors at the same location as benzodiazepines....
.

It is considered a lesser impairment of consciousness than stupor
Stupor

Stupor is the lack of critical cognitive function and level of consciousness wherein a sufferer is almost entirely unresponsive and only responds to base stimuli such as pain....
 or coma
Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....
.

piness can be dangerous when performing tasks that require constant concentration, such as driving a vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
.






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Encyclopedia


Somnolence (or "drowsiness") is a state of near-sleep
Sleep

Sleep is the natural state of bodily rest observed in humans and other animals. It is common to all mammals and birds, and is also seen in many reptiles, amphibians and fish....
, a strong desire for sleep, or sleeping for unusually long periods (c.f. hypersomnia
Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is excessive amount of somnolence.According to the U. S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:...
). It has two distinct meanings, referring both to the usual state preceding falling asleep, and the chronic condition referring to being in that state independent of a circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm

A circadian rhythm is a roughly-24-hour cycle in the biochemical, physiological or behavioural processes of living beings, including plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria....
. The disorder characterized by the latter condition is most commonly associated with users of prescription hypnotics, such as mirtazapine
Mirtazapine

Mirtazapine is an antidepressant introduced by Organon International in 1994 used for the treatment of moderate to severe clinical depression....
 or zolpidem
Zolpidem

Zolpidem is a prescription drug used for the short-term treatment of insomnia, as well as some brain disorders. It is a short-acting nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic that potentiates gamma-aminobutyric acid , an inhibitory neurotransmitter, by binding to gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors at the same location as benzodiazepines....
.

It is considered a lesser impairment of consciousness than stupor
Stupor

Stupor is the lack of critical cognitive function and level of consciousness wherein a sufferer is almost entirely unresponsive and only responds to base stimuli such as pain....
 or coma
Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....
.

Hazards

Sleepiness can be dangerous when performing tasks that require constant concentration, such as driving a vehicle
Vehicle

Vehicles, derived from the Latin word, vehiculum, are non-living means of transport. Most often they are manufactured , although some other means of transport which are not made by humans also may be called vehicles; examples include icebergs and floating tree trunks....
. When a person is sufficiently fatigued, he or she may experience microsleep
Microsleep

A microsleep is an episode of sleep which may last for a fraction of a second or up to thirty seconds. It often occurs as a result of sleep deprivation, or mental Fatigue , sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or hypersomnia....
s.

Illness

Sleepiness can be induced as a response to infection
Infection

An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. In an infection, the infecting organism seeks to utilize the host resources to multiply ....
.Mullington, J., Korth, C., Hermann, D. M., Orth, A., Galanos, C., Holsboer, F. Pollmacher, T. (2000) "". Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 278: R947-955 Such somnolence is an evolved
Evolutionary medicine

Evolutionary medicine or Darwinian medicine is the application of modern evolution to understanding health and disease. It provides a complementary scientific approach to the present Mechanism_ that dominate medical science, and particularly modern medical education....
 sickness behavior
Sickness behavior

Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of adaptation behavioral changes that develop in illness individuals during the course of an infection.Hart, B....
 reaction to infection that conserves energy and protects an individual while their body fights with fever
Fever

Fever is a frequent medical sign that describes an increase in internal body temperature to levels above normal. Fever is most accurately characterized as a temporary elevation in the body's thermoregulatory set-point, usually by about 1?2 ?C ....
 and illness.Hart, B. L. (1988) "Biological basis of the behavior of sick animals". Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 12: 123-137.

Associated conditions


  • advanced sleep phase syndrome
    Advanced sleep phase syndrome

    Advanced sleep phase syndrome , also known as the advanced sleep-phase type of circadian rhythm sleep disorder, is a condition in which patients feel very sleepy early in the evening and wake up very early in the morning ....
  • atypical depression
    Atypical depression

    Atypical Depression is a subtype of dysthymia and Major Depression characterized by mood reactivity ? being able to experience improved mood in response to positive events....
  • bruxism
    Bruxism

    Bruxism is the grinding of the teeth, and is typically accompanied by the clenching of the jaw. It is an oral Parafunctional habit that occurs in most humans at some time in their lives....
  • brain edema
    Cerebral edema

    Cerebral edema is an excess accumulation of water in the intracellular and/or extracellular spaces of the brain....
  • cerebral hypoxia
    Cerebral hypoxia

    Cerebral hypoxia refers to deprivation of oxygen supply to brain tissue. Mild or moderate cerebral hypoxia is sometimes known as diffuse cerebral hypoxia....
  • clinical depression
    Clinical depression

    Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive depression , low self-esteem, and anhedonia in normally enjoyable activities....
    , especially seasonal affective disorder
    Seasonal affective disorder

    Seasonal affective disorder , also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder first identified ten centuries ago by Avicenna, in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depression symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer, repeatedly, year after year....
     (SAD)
  • delayed sleep phase syndrome
    Delayed sleep phase syndrome

    Delayed sleep-phase syndrome , also known as delayed sleep-phase disorder or delayed sleep-phase type , is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder, a chronic disorder of the timing of sleep, peak period of alertness, core body temperature, hormone and other daily rhythms relative to societal norms....
  • dysautonomia
    Dysautonomia

    Dysautonomia is a broad term that describes any disease or malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. This includes postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome , vasovagal syncope, mitral valve prolapse#Mitral valve prolapse syndrome, pure autonomic failure, autonomic instability and a number of lesser-known disorders....
  • encephalitis
    Encephalitis

    Not to be confused with syphilis, although that can cause encephalitis as well.Encephalitis is an Acute inflammation of the brain.Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis....
     - (viral, bacterial or other agents)
  • hydrocephalus
    Hydrocephalus

    Hydrocephalus is a term derived from the Greek words "hydro" meaning water, and "cephalus" meaning head, and this condition is sometimes known as "water on the brain"....
  • hypothermia
    Hypothermia

    Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal metabolism and bodily functions. In warm-blooded animals, core body temperature is maintained near a constant level through biologic homeostasis....
  • hypothyroidism
    Hypothyroidism

    Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and in animals caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Cretinism is a form of hypothyroidism found in infants....
  • infectious mononucleosis
    Infectious mononucleosis

    EBV infectious mononucleosis is an infectious, viral disease which most commonly occurs in adolescents and young adults. It is characterized by fever, sore throat and fatigue , along with several other possible signs and symptoms....
     (glandular fever)
  • intracranial hemorrhage
    Intracranial hemorrhage

    An intracranial hemorrhage is a hemorrhage, or bleeding, within the skull....
     such as due to ruptured aneurysm
    Aneurysm

    An aneurysm is a localized, blood-filled dilation of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall.Aneurysms most commonly occur in artery at the base of the brain and in the aorta ....
  • increased intracranial pressure
    Intracranial pressure

    Intracranial pressure, , is the pressure in the cranium and thus in the brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid ; this pressure is exerted on the brain's intracranial blood circulation vessels....
    ; for example, due to brain tumors
  • Lyme disease
    Lyme disease

    Lyme disease, or borreliosis, is an emerging infectious disease caused by at least three species of bacteria belonging to the genus Borrelia....
     (borreliosis)
  • medications
    • analgesics - mostly prescribed or illicit opiates such as Oxycontin or heroin
      Heroin

      Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder....
    • anticonvulsants / antiepileptics - such as phenytoin (Dilantin), carbamazepine (Tegretol), lamotrigine
      Lamotrigine

      Lamotrigine and also Lamitor is an anticonvulsant drug used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. For epilepsy it is used to treat partial seizures, primary and secondary tonic-clonic seizures, and seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome....
       (Lamictal), Lyrica (pregbalin), Gabapentin
      Gabapentin

      Gabapentin is a Gamma-aminobutyric_acid analogue. It was originally developed for the treatment of epilepsy, and currently, gabapentin is widely used to relieve pain, especially neuropathic pain....
    • antidepressants - for instance, sertraline
      Sertraline

      Sertraline hydrochloride is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. It was introduced to the market by Pfizer in 1991....
      , venlafaxine
      Venlafaxine

      Venlafaxine is an antidepressant of the serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor class first introduced by Wyeth in 1993. It is prescribed for the treatment of major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders, among other uses....
       and fluoxetine
      Fluoxetine

      Fluoxetine hydrochloride is an antidepressant of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor class. Fluoxetine is approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder , obsessive-compulsive disorder , bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, panic disorder and premenstrual dysphoric disorder....
    • antihistamines - for instance, diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
    • antipsychotics - for example, thioridazine
      Thioridazine

      Thioridazine is a piperidine antipsychotic psychoactive drug belonging to the phenothiazine drug group and was previously widely used in the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis....
      , quetiapine
      Quetiapine

      Quetiapine , marketed by AstraZeneca as Seroquel and by Orion Pharma as Ketipinor, is an atypical antipsychotic used in the management of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder, and used off-label use for a variety of other purposes, including insomnia and anxiety disorders....
      , and olanzapine
      Olanzapine

      Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of: schizophrenia on September 6, 1996; depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder, as part of the Symbyax formulation, on December 24, 2003; acute manic episodes and maintenance treatment in bipolar disorder on January 14, 2004...
       (Zyprexa), but not haloperidol
      Haloperidol

      Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic. It is in the butyrophenone class of antipsychotic medications and has pharmacology similar to the phenothiazines....
    • dopamine agonists used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease
      Parkinson's disease

      Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions....
      , e.g. pergolide and ropinirole
    • HIV
      HIV

      Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that can lead to AIDS , a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections....
       medications - for example, Sustiva and medications containing efavirenz
      Efavirenz

      Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor and is used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1....
    • hypertension
      Hypertension

      Hypertension, also referred to as high blood pressure, HTN or HPN, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure is chronically elevated....
       medications - such as Norvasc
    • tranquilizers / hypnotics - especially benzodiazepines, such as temazepam
      Temazepam

      Temazepam is an intermediate-acting 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine. It is generally prescribed for the short-term treatment of severe or debilitating sleeplessness in patients who have difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep....
       (Restoril) or nitrazepam
      Nitrazepam

      Nitrazepam is a type of benzodiazepine drug and is marketed in English speaking countries under the following brand names - Alodorm, Arem, Insoma, Mogadon, Nitrados, Nitrazadon, Ormodon, Paxadorm, Remnos and Somnite....
       (Mogadon), and barbiturate
      Barbiturate

      Barbiturates are medication that act as central nervous system depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia....
      s, such as amobarbital
      Amobarbital

      Amobarbital is a drug that is a barbiturate derivative. It has sedative-hypnotic and analgesic properties. It is a white crystalline powder with no odor and a slightly bitter taste....
       (Amytal) or secobarbital
      Secobarbital

      Secobarbital is a barbiturate derivative drug. It possesses anaesthetic, anticonvulsant, sedative and hypnotic properties. In the United Kingdom, it was known as Quinalbarbitone....
       (Seconal)
    • other agents impacting the central nervous system
      Central nervous system

      The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that functions to coordinate the activity of all parts of the bodies of multicellular organisms....
      , in sufficient or toxic doses
  • myelofibrosis with myeloid metaplasia
    Myelofibrosis

    Myelofibrosis, also known as myeloid metaplasia, chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis, and primary myelofibrosis, is a disorder of the bone marrow, in which the marrow undergoes fibrosis - replacement by fibrous tissue ....
  • narcolepsy
    Narcolepsy

    Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. The condition is most characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness , in which a person experiences extreme tiredness and possibly falls asleep during the day at inappropriate times, such as at work or school....
  • Paget's disease
    Paget's disease of bone

    Paget's disease, otherwise known as osteitis deformans, is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. It is named after Sir James Paget, the British surgeon who first described this disease....
  • Sickness behavior
    Sickness behavior

    Sickness behavior is a coordinated set of adaptation behavioral changes that develop in illness individuals during the course of an infection.Hart, B....
  • sleep apnea
    Sleep apnea

    Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea , lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep....
  • sleep deprivation
    Sleep deprivation

    Sleep deprivation is a general lack of the necessary amount of sleep. This may occur as a result of sleep disorders, active choice or deliberate inducement such as in interrogation or for torture....
     / insomnia
    Insomnia

    Insomnia is a symptom of a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling sleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease....
  • starvation
    Starvation

    Starvation is a severe reduction in vitamin, nutrient, and energy intake, and is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation causes permanent organ damage and, eventually, death....
  • stroke
    Stroke

    A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to a disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. According to the National Stroke Association, a "stroke" occurs when a blood clot blocks and artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain....
  • traumatic brain injury
    Traumatic brain injury

    Traumatic brain injury occurs when an outside force physical trauma the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features ....
  • epilepsy
    Epilepsy

    Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure s. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain....


See also

  • Insomnia
    Insomnia

    Insomnia is a symptom of a sleep disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling sleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. Insomnia is a symptom, not a stand-alone diagnosis or a disease....
  • Hypersomnia
    Hypersomnia

    Hypersomnia is excessive amount of somnolence.According to the U. S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:...
  • Dyssomnia
    Dyssomnia

    Dyssomnias are a broad classification of Sleep disorder that make it difficult to get to sleep, or to remain sleeping.Dyssomnias are primary disorders of initiating or maintaining sleep or of excessive sleepiness and are characterized by a disturbance in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep....
  • Fatigue (physical)
    Fatigue (physical)

    Fatigue is a weariness caused by exertion. It can describe a range of afflictions, varying from a general state of wikt:lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles....