How Is Feeling Sleepy Different From Feeling Tired?

Imagine for a second, you slumbered like a log at night on your favorite latex mattress, and you woke up in the morning full of vitality and charisma. That would be wonderful.

However, more often than not, whenever we have had a very strenuous day, we want to hit the bed early and get some extra shut-eye. But, the moment we lie down, sleep evades. The result the next morning is even more devastating. We may slump invariably into a drowsy state or feel exhausted all day.

We have all faced it sometime in our lives. Getting out of bed is a big struggle. Or, getting through the day seems like hell. However you may dismiss those as mere morning blues, but therein lies a real issue at hand. It needs not only a solution, but it requires a better approach to understanding the issue in the first place.

We are talking about feeling sleepy throughout the day. Or perhaps, were you feeling tired?

We may refer to them interchangeably, but they both are different. Not only in semantic terms, where we may argue whether sleepiness is a synonym for tiredness. But It is not.

Here, we are delving much deeper. Because, once we define, distinguish, and understand how feeling sleepy is different from feeling tired, we can ascertain their physiological causes, and more importantly, it may help in finding their treatments as well. One of them of course could be finding a cozy, comfortable, and all-natural organic latex mattress for your sleep. Nevertheless, let’s find out more as well.

What Does It Mean to Feel Tired?

Fatigue or tiredness refers to that state when your body feels a lack of physical or mental energy. A variety of factors can cause a person to feel tired, such as:

• Physical Exertion

When someone is engaged in strenuous physical activity like exercising, playing sports, or engaging in manual labor, it depletes the physical energy from the body, causing the person to feel tired.

• Mental Exertion

When someone is engrossed deeply in thought or mental activity or engaging in complex cognitive functions causing an intense mental concentration and focus for an extended period, it depletes mental energy and the person can feel tired.

• Emotional Stress

When a person is emotionally strained and feeling anxious about a certain situation, thing, or activity, it can drain the energy levels causing the person to feel tired.

• Medical Conditions

If a person is suffering from a medical issue such as anemia, sleep apnea, etc., it may make them feel tired.

How is Feeling Sleepy Different?

If you feel a strong desire to doze off triggering a state of sleepiness wherein your eyes droop and you find it hard to keep your eyes open, you are feeling sleepy. It often occurs when the body needs more sleep, or it wants to just doze off for a few moments. If it happens during bedtime, it’s natural. If it happens during the day, it’s still natural, but with a few caveats. We will explain it below.

Since a person’s circadian rhythm regulates the sleep cycle, the body’s internal clock also determines its sleep requirements. Thus, sleepiness follows a natural cycle. If it happens too often, unexpectedly at uncertain times during the day, or without a valid reason, you should probably think about it.

Some key distinctions between fatigue and sleep are as follows:

• Biological Pattern

Sleep follows a biological clock. And, sleepiness is a natural feeling which tends to peak during late nights, early mornings, and during high afternoon hours. If someone feels the need to nap, post-lunch in the afternoon, it is quite natural.

• Cognitive Function

When someone is feeling sleepy, their ability to focus on an activity and stay alert diminishes. They find it difficult to remember or make quick decisions during those phases.

• Physical Activity

Sleepiness tends to slow down physical activity, and a person may also feel heaviness in the eyes, yawn, or a strong desire to slump into a bed.

• Sleep Disorders

When the normal sleep-wake cycle is disturbed for a long period, it may amount to chronic sleep deprivation and a constant need to sleep during unusual hours of the day.

Addressing Tiredness

Now that we understand the symptoms and key distinctions of feeling sleepy and tired, let us see how we can address those issues.

When you are tired due to physical and mental exertion, the best remedy is to lie down and rest. It’s best to use a good surface to sleep on, like a latex mattress. It will ensure that your power naps derive the full benefit out of the rest time.

Ensure that you take enough breaks between mental and physical activities so that your body’s energy level is not taxed too heavily.

Practicing mindful relaxation or meditation techniques for a few minutes a day can help beat mental fatigue. Engaging in hobbies to divert attention and feel rejuvenated can help to beat emotional stress and make the body feel energetic again.

Addressing Sleepiness

On the other hand, sleepiness during the day can be tackled by short power naps of approximately 15 to 20 minutes. It can improve mental alertness and focus.

Check if your sleep is adequate (7 to 9 hours per night). If not, ensure you get enough sleep.

Check if your bedding surface is causing you to stay awake during the night. You may very well try out an all-natural sleep with an organic latex mattress. It can balance your body contour perfectly and let you drift to a sound slumber at night.

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is also very important. It lets your body function properly.

A word of caution: If you are feeling sleepy or tired for inconsistent reasons, too frequently or invariably long enough, it’s best to seek professional help.

Addressing Sleepiness and Fatigue With Care and Understanding

Now that you know the underlying difference between feeling sleepy and feeling tired, you can very well decide what should be your course of action to tackle them. Many people have a pang of sleep guilt, where they feel guilty for oversleeping.

Do not be harsh on yourself. Get a good sleeping surface like an all-natural organic latex mattress to enjoy your sleep time. It will be a new sunrise when you wake up in the morning.