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Somnolencia - Overview

Nombres alternativos

Hipersomnio; Somnolencia durante el día; Modorra

Definición:

La somnolencia se refiere a sentirse anormalmente soñoliento durante el día. Las personas que son soñolientas pueden quedarse dormidas en situaciones o momentos inapropiados.

Ver también: hipersomnio idiopático

Consideraciones:

La somnolencia excesiva durante el día (sin una causa conocida) puede ser un signo de un trastorno importante del sueño y es diferente de la fatiga.

Aunque la depresión, la ansiedad, el estrés y el aburrimiento pueden contribuir a una somnolencia excesiva, estas afecciones causan en particular más fatiga y apatía.

Causas:

Dolor crónico
Diabetes
Tener que trabajar muchas horas o turnos diferentes (noches, fines de semana)
Medicamentos (tranquilizantes, somníferos, antihistamínicos)
Hiponatremia /hipernatremia
No dormir el tiempo suficiente
Trastornos del sueño (tales como el síndrome de la apnea del sueño y la narcolepsia)
Demasiado calcio en la sangre (hipercalciemia)
Baja actividad de la tiroides (hipotiroidismo)

Reviewed last on: 6/28/2011
Jeffrey Heit, MD, Internist with special emphasis on preventive health, fitness, and nutrition, Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Morgenthaler T, Kramer M, Alessi C, Friedman L, Boehlecke B, Brown T, et al. Practice parameters for the psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia: an update. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine report. Sleep. 2006;29:1415-1419.

Schwartz JR, Roth T. Shift work sleep disorder: burden of illness and approaches to management. Drugs. 2006;66:2357-2370.

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