Can't stop yawning? Here's what your sleepiness may be telling you

WUFT | By Peyton Wesner

Published June 25, 2025 at 12:38 PM EDT

When you fail to get a good night’s sleep of at least seven hours, you increase your likelihood of several conditions, including diabetes, depression, hypertension, obesity and even stroke.

You do it at work. You do it at home. Sometimes you even do it while out with friends or family.

Everyone knows that yawning is a common sign of sleepiness, but you may not know it can also be a sign of a serious sleep deficit that may jeopardize your long-term health.

When you fail to get a good night’s sleep of at least seven hours, experts say you increase your likelihood of several conditions, including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity and even stroke.

Our body does some peculiar things when it’s continually sleep-deprived. It’s more than dozing off and staring off into space. Your brain might take microsleeps, which are brief mini naps spanning a handful of seconds. The frightening part is you might not even realize you’re doing it, and it could happen at a crucial time, like when you’re behind the wheel.

But how do you know if your drowsiness has entered the danger zone? Droopy eyelids, slumping and the inability to stay upright are tell-tale signs. Shaky hands and feeling like the room is spinning are severe symptoms.

Of course, sleep disorders like apnea, insomnia and restless leg syndrome all contribute to sleepiness. So do lifestyles.

Too much caffeine, alcohol and marijuana can negatively impact your sleep. To be clear, alcohol and marijuana do not improve sleep. Alcohol may help you fall asleep, but you won’t get good rest. Marijuana can cause insomnia.

If you suspect you might be nearing the too-little-sleep danger zone, check out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, a quick quiz that gauges problematic patterns.