Hypersomnia - Do You Over Sleep Or Have Trouble Waking Up?
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Hypersomnia refers to either excessive sleepiness during the day or extended, overly long periods of nighttime sleep.
It may be associated with difficulty in awakening.
Other words that are synonymous with hypersomnia are excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), excessive sleepiness, or somnolence.
People who have hypersomnia can fall asleep at any time: for instance, at work or while they are driving.
Hypersomnia is fairly common, with nearly 5% of the population affected.
The age groups most affected by hypersomnia are teenagers and young adults.
People who are overweight are more likely than others to suffer from hypersomnia, and this can often exacerbate their weight problems as their excessive sleep patterns mean they will use up less energy, making it even harder to lose weight.
There are two main categories of hypersomnia: Idiopathic hypersomnia (sometimes called primary hypersomnia) and recurrent hypersomnia (sometimes called recurrent primary hypersomnia).
Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Idiopathic hypersomnia is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness over a long period of time. The symptoms are present all, or nearly all, of the time.
Idiopathic hypersomnia is much like narcolepsy except there is no cataplexy, no sleep paralysis, and no rapid eye movement when the victim first falls asleep.
Recurring Hypersomnia
Recurring hypersomnia involves periods of excessive daytime sleepiness that can last from one to many days, and recur over the course of a year or more.
Difference Between Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Recurring Hypersomnia
The primary difference between recurring and Idiopathic hypersomnia is that persons experiencing recurring hypersomnia will have prolonged periods where they do not exhibit any signs of hypersomnia, whereas persons experiencing Idiopathic hypersomnia are affected by it nearly all the time.
A person with hypersomnia may sleep up to twelve hours a night, and still need frequent daytime naps. If the condition is diagnosed as recurrent hypersomnia, this is also called Kleine-Levin Syndrome.
A distinction should be made between simple tiredness, fatigue, or depression, and hypersomnia. Sleep deprivation is a common state for most of the population - many people are tired or sluggish at certain periods during the day.
The depressed person either will not want to get out of bed or will suffer from insomnia, even though he or she feels a nap will improve the depression. On the contrary, hypersomniacs are so sleepy during the day that they are compelled to sleep or "take a nap."
These individuals fall asleep during movies, dinner, or even in conversation. Similarly, they may sleep ten hours or longer during one sleep cycle, rather than the average eight.
Causes of Hypersomnia
There are several causes of hypersomnia, including:
• The sleep disorders narcolepsy (daytime sleepiness) and sleep apnea (interruptions of breathing during sleep) • dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, or drug or alcohol abuse • a physical problem, such as a tumor, head trauma, or injury to the central nervous system • Not getting enough sleep at night (sleep deprivation) • Being overweight • Drug or alcohol abuse • A head injury or a neurological disease, such as multiple sclerosis • Prescription drugs, such as tranquilizers • Certain medications, or medicine withdrawal, may also cause hypersomnia • Genetics (having a relative with hypersomnia)
Hypersomnia symptoms:
People experiencing hypersomnia do not get abnormal amounts of nighttime sleep. However, they often have problems waking up in the morning and staying awake during the day.
People with hypersomnia nap frequently, and upon waking from the nap, do not feel refreshed.
The symptoms include:
1. The predominant complaint is excessive sleepiness for at least 1 month (or less if recurrent) as evidenced by either prolonged sleep episodes or daytime sleep episodes that occur almost daily. 2. The excessive sleepiness causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. 3. Anxiety, increased irritation, decreased energy, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and memory difficulty. 4. Some patients lose the ability to function in family, social, occupational, or other settings
People with Kleine-Levin syndrome have symptoms that differ from the symptoms of other forms of hypersomnia.
These people may sleep for 18 or more hours a day. In addition, they are often irritable, uninhibited, and make indiscriminate sexual advances.
People with Kleine-Levin syndrome often eat uncontrollably and rapidly gain weight, unlike people with other forms of hypersomnia. This form of recurrent hypersomnia is very rare.
Hypersomnia – Diagnosis, Treatment and Self care sleep aid tips
Hypersomnia Diagnosis
Hypersomnia is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, and daytime naps that do not result in a more refreshed or alert feeling. If you consistently feel drowsy during the day, talk to your doctor.
In making a diagnosis of hypersomnia, your doctor will ask you about your sleeping habits; if you wake up at night, how much sleep you get at night, and whether you fall asleep during the day.
Your doctor will also want to know if you are having any emotional problems or are taking any medications that may be interfering with your sleep.
The doctor may also order some tests, including blood tests, computed tomography (CT) scans, and a sleep test called polysomnography. In some cases, an additional electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the electrical activity of the brain, is needed.
Hypersomnia Treatments:
Hypersomnia treatment is symptomatic in nature. If you are diagnosed with hypersomnia, your doctor can prescribe various drugs to treat hypersomnia. Stimulants, such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, and modafinil, may be prescribed to treat hypersomnia.
Other drugs used to treat hypersomnia include clonidine, levodopa, bromocriptine, antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Changes in behavior (for example avoiding night work and social activities that delay bed time) and diet may offer some relief. Patients should avoid alcohol and caffeine.
Dosage of stimulants is based on individual need. Modafinil is given as a single morning dose of 200 or 400 mg, Methylphenidate 20 to 60 mg/day, ephedrine 25 mg, amphetamine 10 to 20 mg, dextroamphetamine 5 to 10 mg.
Tricyclic antidepressants (particularly clomipramine, imipramine and protriptyline) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors are useful in treating sleep paralysis, cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations.
Imipramine 10 to 75 mg/day po is the drug of choice to treat cataplexy but should be taken only during the day to reduce nocturnal arousal. Hypersomnia patients taking both imipramine and stimulants risk developing hypertension and should be closely monitored.
If you are taking a medication that causes drowsiness, ask your doctor about changing the medication to one that is less likely to make you sleepy. You may also want to go to bed earlier to try to get more sleep at night, and eliminate alcohol and caffeine.
Hypersomnia Self care sleep aid tips:
1. Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. 2. Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 4 to 5 hours before going to bed. 3. Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include chocolate, coffee, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep. 4. A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. Sleep until sunlight. 5. Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. 6. If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a hypersomnia and should see a physician.
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Welcome! ....I'm Kevin - this sleep disorder & insomnia cures website is divided into sections that address different ways to achieve healthy sleep for babies, kids, teens & adults using traditional natural remedies as well as modern sleep techniques. We really do hope you enjoy your visit, and please remember to bookmark our site for later reference!.
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Hypersomnia - Powerful Sleep aid book: 
Hypersomnia is fairly common, with nearly 5% of the population affected. 
....I'm Kevin - this sleep disorder & insomnia cures website is divided into sections that address different ways to achieve healthy sleep for babies, kids, teens & adults using traditional natural remedies as well as modern sleep techniques. We really do hope you enjoy your visit, and please remember to bookmark our site for later reference!.