Somnolence

Somnolence is a state of drowsiness that precedes sleep. Somnolence is a normal and healthy state if it precedes falling asleep at night. However, it can be a very dangerous state if one is engaging in a risky activity such as driving a car or operating a fork lift. Probably all of us have experienced occasional episodes of somnolence while watching television, reading a book, or even while sitting in a class or church. This is usually a result of a lack of sleep the night before. However, somnolence can be a symptom of disease such as Circadian rhythm disorders, narcolepsy, hypothyroidism, concussion, diabetes, meningitis, and many other conditions. If unexplained somnolence becomes an issue possible causes such as the previous conditions must be explored and ruled out.