- Main symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia
- Possible causes
- How the diagnosis is made
- What are the consequences
- How the treatment is done
Idiopathic hypersomnia is a rare sleep disorder that can be of 2 types:
- Idiopathic hypersomnia of prolonged sleep, where the person can sleep more than 24 hours in a row; Idiopathic hypersomnia without prolonged sleep, where the person sleeps an average of 10 hours of sleep in a row, but needs several small naps throughout the day, to feel invigorated, but you can still feel tired and sleepy all the time.
Hypersomnia has no cure but it has control, and it is necessary to go to a sleep specialist to do the appropriate treatment, which may include the use of medication and adopt strategies to plan a good night's sleep.
Main symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia
Idiopathic hypersomnia manifests itself through symptoms such as:
- Difficulty waking up, not hearing the alarm, Need to sleep an average of 10 hours at night and to take several naps during the day, or sleep more than 24 hours in a row; Tiredness and intense fatigue throughout the day; Need to take naps throughout the day; Disorientation and lack of attention; Loss of concentration and memory that affects work and learning; Yawning constantly throughout the day; Irritability.
Possible causes
The causes of idiopathic hypersomnia are not fully known, but a substance that acts on the brain is believed to be among the causes of this disorder.
Excessive sleep can also happen in case of sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and use of anxiolytic drugs, antidepressants or mood stabilizers, whose main side effect is excessive sleepiness. So, eliminating all these hypotheses is the first step to find out if the person suffers from idiopathic hypersomnia.
How the diagnosis is made
For the diagnosis, it is necessary that the symptoms have been present for more than 3 months, being necessary to go to the sleep specialist and carry out exams to confirm this alteration, such as polysomnography, computed axial tomography or an MRI.
In addition, blood tests may also be ordered to assess whether there may be other diseases, such as anemia, for example.
What are the consequences
Hypersomnia greatly impairs the person's quality of life, because school performance and profitability at work are compromised due to lack of concentration, memory lapses, less ability to plan, and decreased attention and focus. Coordination and agility are also reduced, which impairs the ability to drive.
In addition, family and social relationships are also affected by the frequent need to sleep, or simply by not being able to wake up in time for appointments.
How the treatment is done
Treatment for hypersomnia should be done with the use of stimulating drugs, such as Modafinil, Methylphenidate or Pemoline, for example, which should only be used if recommended by the doctor.
The main effect of these drugs is to decrease the sleep time, increasing the time that the person is awake. Thus, the person may feel more available during the day and with less drowsiness, in addition to feeling a significant improvement in mood and decreased irritability.
In addition, to live with hypersomnia it is necessary to adopt some strategies such as using several alarm clocks to wake up and always schedule a good night's sleep.
