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In medical or hospital settings, the term lethargy denotes a patient’s inability to stay awake or engage in any type of interaction, saysPaula Zimbrean, MD, a psychiatrist at Yale Medicine. “It is often associated with severe illness or with sedating medications, such as painkillers.”

This article explores the causes and characteristics of lethargy, as well some steps that can help you identify and treat its underlying causes.

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Characteristics of Lethargy

Lethargy can make it hard for you to get out of bed in the morning and go about your day. These are some of the characteristics of lethargy, according to Dr. Zimbrean:

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Causes of Lethargy

The causes of lethargy can be medical or lifestyle-related.

Medical Causes of Lethargy

Many medical problems, ranging from infection to cancer, can cause lethargy, says Dr. Zimbrean. These are some of the potential medical causes of lethargy and fatigue:

Lethargy often appears before the onset of other physical symptoms, such as pain or fever, and persists after the other symptoms have resolved, says Dr. Zimbrean.

These are some of the lifestyle-related causes of lethargy and fatigue:

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Diagnosing the Causes of Lethargy

If you can’t seem to shake the feeling of lethargy, Dr. Zimbrean says the first step is to ensure that you’re getting enough restfulsleep. “Try to eliminate sleep interruptions and any sedatives.”

However, if you’re getting adequate sleep every night and aren’t taking any sedatives, Dr. Zimbrean recommends visiting your primary care doctor.

These are some steps your doctor may take, to identify the cause of the lethargy, according to Dr. Zimbrean:

These steps can help your healthcare provider determine whether you have an underlying health condition that is causing you to feel lethargic.

It can be helpful to do a self-check on your lifestyle to identify potential culprits and work with your doctor to identify the cause of the lethargy, says Dr. Zimbrean.

Treating the Causes of Lethargy

If the lethargy is related tosleep disruptions, it can be helpful to work toward building a consistent routine with adequate, restful sleep.

If lethargy persists after the cause is being treated, medications known asstimulantsare sometimes used, says Dr. Zimbrean. “A good old cup of coffee may help too if there are no medical contraindications.”

Coping With Lethargy

Dr. Zimbrean shares some strategies that can help you cope with lethargy:

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A Word From Verywell

Feeling lethargic can cause you to feel like you’re moving around in a daze. It can make it hard for you to function, or be interested or attentive.

Lethargy isn’t a medical condition or a medical emergency; however, it could be a sign ofstress, inadequate sleep, poor nutrition, or a health condition. If it persists, it’s important to visit a healthcare provider to identify and treat its cause.

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Lethargy.NCI’s Dictionary of Cancer Terms.National Library of Medicine.Fatigue.Medline Plus.Cleveland Clinic.Fatigue.Davis MP, Goforth H.Fighting insomnia and battling lethargy: The yin and yang of palliative care.Curr Oncol Rep. 2014;16(4):377. doi:10.1007/s11912-014-0377-1Grubbs JJ, Raizen DM.Sleep: AMPs mediate injury-induced lethargy.Curr Biol. 2021;31(3):R131-R133. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.048Department of Health, State Government of Victoria.Fatigue.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much sleep do I need?National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Medline Plus.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Cancer Institute.Lethargy.NCI’s Dictionary of Cancer Terms.National Library of Medicine.Fatigue.Medline Plus.Cleveland Clinic.Fatigue.Davis MP, Goforth H.Fighting insomnia and battling lethargy: The yin and yang of palliative care.Curr Oncol Rep. 2014;16(4):377. doi:10.1007/s11912-014-0377-1Grubbs JJ, Raizen DM.Sleep: AMPs mediate injury-induced lethargy.Curr Biol. 2021;31(3):R131-R133. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.048Department of Health, State Government of Victoria.Fatigue.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much sleep do I need?National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Medline Plus.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Cancer Institute.Lethargy.NCI’s Dictionary of Cancer Terms.National Library of Medicine.Fatigue.Medline Plus.Cleveland Clinic.Fatigue.Davis MP, Goforth H.Fighting insomnia and battling lethargy: The yin and yang of palliative care.Curr Oncol Rep. 2014;16(4):377. doi:10.1007/s11912-014-0377-1Grubbs JJ, Raizen DM.Sleep: AMPs mediate injury-induced lethargy.Curr Biol. 2021;31(3):R131-R133. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.048Department of Health, State Government of Victoria.Fatigue.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much sleep do I need?National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Medline Plus.

National Cancer Institute.Lethargy.NCI’s Dictionary of Cancer Terms.

National Library of Medicine.Fatigue.Medline Plus.

Cleveland Clinic.Fatigue.

Davis MP, Goforth H.Fighting insomnia and battling lethargy: The yin and yang of palliative care.Curr Oncol Rep. 2014;16(4):377. doi:10.1007/s11912-014-0377-1

Grubbs JJ, Raizen DM.Sleep: AMPs mediate injury-induced lethargy.Curr Biol. 2021;31(3):R131-R133. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2020.11.048

Department of Health, State Government of Victoria.Fatigue.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.How much sleep do I need?

National Library of Medicine.Carbohydrates.Medline Plus.

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