Feeling sleepy in the morning is not a rare feeling – we've all woken up, smacked the snooze button, and gone back down for a top-up sleep. However, some people go beyond this and feel like they can’t physically get up for an hour or more after waking – this could indicate dysania.
Dysania is not formally recognized by medical practitioners but describes an inability to get out of bed in the morning for over an hour. People with dysania have an extreme desire to stay in bed, but will not necessarily get any extra sleep compared to people that get up and go, making it a difficult problem to overcome.
It is usually associated with a similar symptom called clinophilia, which is an abnormal amount of time spent in bed during both the day and night. Both clinophilia and dysania are often symptoms of a larger condition that needs diagnosis and treatment.
Alongside an inability to get out of bed, dysania often accompanies feelings of intense fatigue throughout the day and may be part of an underlying condition that could be significantly more serious. Such conditions could be depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, heart disorders, or fibromyalgia, among others.
The typical time spent in bed should be around seven hours or more, according to the CDC. However, research has identified that this varies with age: sleep needs may decrease from childhood to adulthood, though staying above seven hours is the optimum time during the night for almost all ages. It's normal to fancy a nap during a long workday, but if it happens consistently and the urge is overwhelming, it may indicate a problem.
If you think you have experienced dysania and it is affecting your general health, speak to a medical professional.
