2025.03.23ブログ
日中に急におこる眠気について、神奈川県厚木市の児童精神科医が解説
日中に急におこる眠気について、神奈川県厚木市の児童精神科医が解説
こんにちは、神奈川県厚木市の児童精神科専門クリニック、きもとメンタルクリニックです。
今回は、日中に急におこる眠気について、解説します。
日中に急に眠くなることがある、といことを主訴に来院されることがあります。
ナルコレプシー疑い、というのが多いですが、ナルコレプシーであることはあまりありません。
ADHDの不注意症状に合併していることが多いです。
ナルコレプシーの治療薬を使えば、もしかしたら日中の眠気だけは、ADHDの人でも良くなる可能性ありますが、不注意が残っていると根本的な解決になりません。
日中の眠気というのは来院するきっかけになったかもしれませんが、本人がADHD不注意症状にきがついていないだけで、仕事、日常瀬克の多くの部分で不注意は邪魔している可能性があります。
ADHDに限らず発達障害は生来の障害なので、症状がずっと本人にへばりついています。
だからどれが不注意なのか、自分ではよくわからないことが多い。
自分にとっては、それが当たり前の感覚だからです。
ADHD治療薬は、飲んですぐに効果がでるものがあります。
不注意が改善したらどのような感覚なのかを体感するだけなら、数回使うだけでもわかると思います。
そうすると、何が不注意症状だったのかも、なんとなくわかってきます。
これまで自分の努力不足だと言われ続けてきたことが治療で改善したら、それはできることが増えることだけでなく、これまで怒られてきたことが自分の努力不足だけではなかったと分かることも非常に重要です。
肩の荷がおりるような感じではないでしょうか。
日中の眠気は、そういうことにつながる可能性がありますので、ADHDの診断、治療が可能な当院へご相談ください。
Today, I’d like to talk about the topic of sudden daytime sleepiness.
When Sudden Daytime Sleepiness Becomes a Concern
Some patients visit our clinic with the complaint that they suddenly become very sleepy during the day.
In many cases, narcolepsy is suspected, but in reality, true narcolepsy is quite rare.
Instead, this symptom is often associated with inattentive symptoms of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Is It Narcolepsy, or Is It ADHD?
There are medications used for narcolepsy that may help reduce daytime sleepiness — even in people with ADHD.
However, if inattentiveness remains unaddressed, treating the sleepiness alone won’t solve the root issue.
The sleepiness may have been the trigger that prompted the visit, but in many cases, the person is unaware of their own ADHD-related inattentiveness, which could be interfering with various aspects of daily life — including work, social interactions, and productivity.
Why ADHD Can Go Unnoticed
Neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD are lifelong conditions that have been with the person since early in life.
As a result, many individuals don’t realize which of their experiences are actually symptoms — because these patterns have always felt “normal” to them.
In fact, what seems like carelessness or laziness to others may actually be a brain-based issue, not a character flaw.
ADHD Medication Can Reveal What You've Been Missing
There are ADHD medications that can work quickly, sometimes with noticeable effects after just one dose.
Even using them for just a few days can help you feel the difference between functioning with and without inattentiveness.
Once you experience what focus and clarity feel like, you may start to realize what parts of your daily life have been disrupted by ADHD symptoms — things you may have simply assumed were due to your own lack of effort or discipline.
A Sense of Relief and Self-Understanding
If symptoms improve with treatment, not only will you gain new abilities, but you may also find emotional relief in knowing that what you were blamed for in the past wasn’t entirely your fault.
This realization can feel like a burden being lifted from your shoulders.
Final Thoughts
Sudden daytime sleepiness can be an important clue — not just a sleep issue, but potentially a sign of underlying ADHD.
If you or someone you know is struggling with daytime fatigue, inattentiveness, or difficulty focusing, ADHD evaluation and treatment may help in more ways than expected.
📌 If you're interested in an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment, please feel free to consult our clinic. We offer support for ADHD and other developmental disorders.
