Sleep Intoxication: What Is It?

There are people who wake up energetic, lucid and ready to face the day as soon as the alarm goes off. On the contrary, others can only look at those who enjoy this privilege with admiration and a certain envy. For many, waking up in the morning is a big effort; a time when the brain does not seem to want to cooperate in trying to start the day and be functional. If this is your case, you may be suffering from sleep drunkenness.

Waking up sleepy, tired or irritated does not imply that you suffer from this condition. It is relatively common and has no serious repercussions. On the contrary, the disorder we are talking about in this article can significantly affect the life of those who suffer from it.

Nonetheless, we still have little information on this, because unfortunately this condition has gone largely unnoticed among the scientific community.

What is sleep drunkenness?

Sleep drunkenness is a disorder that occurs when we move from sleep to wakefulness. Sufferers wake up confused, disoriented and show poor cognitive performance. Some people describe it as a mental fog that prevents them from thinking clearly and acting appropriately making awakening very difficult.

These episodes usually occur upon waking in the morning, but can also occur in the middle of the night or after a daytime nap. They are typically caused by a sudden awakening that puts the person in a state of alert and leads them to feel that they must defend themselves from danger or face an urgent situation.

How to recognize it?

Some more representative examples of what happens due to sleep drunkenness are the following:

• Upon awakening the individual does not know where he is. He may try to get out of bed on the side of the wall and have serious difficulties getting to the bathroom in his home.

• When the alarm goes off , the person can react by answering the phone or go to the door because they think the doorbell rang.

• It can also happen that the person who wakes up during a vacation totally convinced that he has to go to work and that he is late. This will lead her to prepare in a hurried and hasty way and not notice where she is at a later time. This confusion can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours!

What are the causes of sleep drunkenness?

The exact cause of this disorder is still unclear. However, some research indicates that it tends to occur more often among people with other sleep disorders and mental illnesses. Anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder have an important comorbidity with sleep drunkenness. Similarly, the consumption of some drugs (such as antidepressants) can determine their appearance.

Sleep habits seem to play a role as well. Sleeping less than six hours or more than nine hours, but jet lag is also linked to the appearance of this disorder. Sleep apnea, alcohol consumption, and chronic stress are equally interrelated.

Is there a cure?

Sleep drunkenness is estimated to affect one in seven people. It is therefore necessary to carry out research on the matter. However, we do not yet have a specific treatment for this condition.

For many people these are isolated incidents that do not generate significant inconvenience or interference in their daily life. However, it seriously compromises the personal, family and work spheres of those who suffer from it recurrently. Keep in mind that it can take several hours for the person to fully recover his cognitive faculties!

Therapy is aimed at treating related conditions. If a comorbid disorder (such as those mentioned above) is present it should be treated appropriately. Likewise, proper sleep habits are essential.

Getting adequate sleep and reducing stress can in many cases calm symptoms. However, further research is underway to obtain more comprehensive data regarding the treatment of this disorder.