Psychology Facts

▼ Hypersomnolence ▼

》Hypersomnia is a condition in which you feel extreme daytime sleepiness despite getting sleep that should be adequate (or more than adequate). If you have hypersomnia, you fall asleep several times during the day. Hypersomnia affects your ability to function at work and socially, affects your quality of life and increases your chance of accidents.

》Signs and symptoms of hypersomnia include:

Constant, recurrent episodes of extreme sleepiness during the day.

Sleeping longer than average (10 or more hours) yet still being very sleepy during the day and having difficulty remaining awake during the day.

Difficulty waking up in the morning ("sleep drunkenness") or after daytime naps, sometimes appearing confused or combative.

Daytime naps don't lead to improved alertness.

They are unrefreshing and nonrestorative.

Anxiety, irritability.

Decreased energy.

Restlessness.

Slow thinking, slow speech, inability to focus/concentrate, memory problems.
Headache.

Loss of appetite.

Hallucinations.

》Hypersomnia is more common in females than males. It's thought to affect about 5% of the population. It's usually diagnosed in adolescence or young adulthood (mean age is 17 to 24 years).

》There are two types of Hypersomnia.

》Secondary hypersomnia

Secondary hypersomnia means your excessive sleepiness is due to some other known cause.

Causes include:

Hypersomnia due to a medical condition.
Diseases and conditions that can cause hypersomnia include
epilepsy, hypothyroidism, encephalitis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, delayed sleep phase syndrome, multiple systems atrophy, myotonic dystrophy and other genetic disorders, mood disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal depression). Hypersomnia can also result from head trauma, tumors and central nervous system diseases.

Hypersomnia due to medications or alcohol. Sedating medications (includes benzodiazepines, barbiturates, melatonin and sleeping aids), anti-hypertensive drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, anti-parkinsonian agents, skeletal muscle relaxants, antipsychotics, opiates, cannabis and alcohol can cause hypersomnia. Withdrawal from stimulant drugs (includes medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) can cause hypersomnia.

Hypersomnia due to not getting enough sleep (insufficient sleep syndrome). You may have hypersomnia simply because you're not going to bed and allowing yourself the chance for seven to nine hours of sleep (for adults). Perhaps you're not practicing good sleep habits (like avoiding exercise and caffeine within a few hours of bedtime) to help you get enough quality sleep.

》Primary hypersomnia

Primary hypersomnia means that hypersomnia is its own condition. It's not caused by other medical conditions or a symptom of another medical condition. Four conditions are classified as primary hypersomnias: