• Reviewed on 9/09
    By Dr. Lee-Chiong


    • Teofilo Lee-Chiong, Jr, MD

      Teofilo Lee-Chiong, Jr, MD
      Dept. of Medicine
      Chief, Division of Sleep Medicine


      View full profile

Excessive Sleepiness: Overview


Excessive sleepiness becomes a problem when the person cannot stay awake and alert long enough to complete daily tasks. Sleep occurs during the day.

Excessive sleepiness is different from fatigue or physical tiredness. Excessive sleepiness may increase the risk of car, work, or home accidents. It may also cause poor school or work performance.

Memory problems and changes in behavior can also occur.


More Excessive Sleepiness Information

Back to Sleep Disorders

Connect with Us Online


Become our fan on facebook!   Subscribe to our YouTube channel!   Follow us on Twitter!   Subscribe to our News RSS feed.

eNewsletters and More

The Sleep Center


The Sleep Center at National Jewish Health is the oldest and most comprehensive sleep medicine program in the Denver region.

Learn more.

Sleepiness Scale


Sleeping woman Are you sleepy all the time? Use the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) to measure your daytime sleepiness.

Sleepiness Scale