Everyone feels tired during the day sometimes, but when you’re persistently sleepy despite napping or sleeping well overnight, you might be experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).

A feeling of sleepiness during times when you’re supposed to be awake is called hypersomnolence. It can present as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), prolonged nighttime slumber, or both.

Hypersomnolence can occur as a result of lifestyle factors, or it can be a symptom of various sleep disorders and medical conditions. Population-based, longitudinal research from 2017 suggests as many as 33% of people in the United States currently live with EDS.

Getting to the bottom of the underlying causes of your EDS will help improve your symptoms, but it also helps to have strategies in place for when EDS interrupts your day. Consider these tips next time you feel sleepy during the daytime.