9. Glandular Issues: The Hormonal Machinery Gone Awry
Your endocrine system, a complex network of glands and hormones, has a more substantial impact on your sleep than you might think. Conditions like hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism can significantly affect your sleep patterns, leading to daytime sleepiness.
The thyroid gland, that butterfly-shaped organ at the base of your neck, governs your metabolism among other things. When it’s out of whack, it can cause a slew of problems. Hypothyroidism, for instance, slows down your metabolism, making you feel constantly tired, even if you’ve had what should be an adequate amount of sleep.
Now consider the opposite—hyperthyroidism, where your metabolism is in overdrive. You’d think this would keep you awake, right? Wrong. The constant metabolic frenzy drains you, paradoxically leading to a state of perpetual fatigue that can’t be easily resolved by merely catching some Z’s.
Your adrenal glands also enter the fray with conditions like Addison’s disease. Here, a lack of cortisol can lead to generalized body weakness and fatigue. Unlike the acute stress that releases a burst of energy, the persistent, smoldering stress of a chronic illness wears you down, manifesting as daytime sleepiness. (9)
