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Hypersomnia is a disorder characterized by excessive amounts of sleepiness.

From the website of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS):

Hypersomnia is characterized by recurring episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) or prolonged nighttime sleep. Different from feeling tired due to lack of or interrupted sleep at night, persons with hypersomnia are compelled to nap repeatedly during the day, often at inappropriate times such as at work, during a meal, or in conversation. These daytime naps usually provide no relief from symptoms.

Patients often have difficulty waking from a long sleep, and may feel disoriented. Other symptoms may include anxiety, increased irritation, decreased energy, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and memory difficulty. Some patients lose the ability to function in family, social, occupational or other settings. (...) Typically, hypersomnia is first recognized in adolescence or young adulthood.^[1]

[edit] Causes

Hypersomnia can be caused by brain damage and disorders such as clinical depression, uremia and fibromyalgia. Hypersomnia can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder. It may also occur as a side effect of taking certain medications (i.e some psychotropics for depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder), of withdrawal from some medications, or of drug or alcohol abuse. A genetic predisposition may be a factor.^[1]

People who are overweight may be more likely to suffer from hypersomnia. Although studies have shown a correlation between a lack of sleep and weight gain, sleeping at the level of a hypersomniac can also lead to considerable weight gain. This is because excessive sleeping decreases metabolic energy consumption, making weight loss more difficult. It is also the case that sleep disorders of this nature provoke or initiate weight gain due to a tendency to attempt to manage low energy levels by eating non-complex carbohydrates.^{[citation needed]}

Another possible cause is an infection of mononucleosis, as several instances of hypersomnia have been found to arise immediately after such an infection. It can also be caused in children by influenza.

Two people with excessive daytime sleepiness and prolonged nocturnal sleep were treated for their subclinical hypothyroidism, effecting significantly decreased sleep time and daytime sleepiness.^[2]

When the cause of the hypersomnia cannot be determined, it is considered to be idiopathic hypersomnia.

[edit] Treatment

From the website of NINDS:

Treatment is symptomatic in nature. Stimulants, such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, and modafinil, may be prescribed. 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.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Kleine-Levin syndrome
• Reticular Formation (includes info about hypersomnia)
• Somnolence

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• 06-081c. at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Home Edition
• 14-173c. at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Professional Edition
• -483065848 at GPnotebook
• med/3129 at eMedicine - "Primary Hypersomnia"
• National Sleep Foundation
• Sleep Education.com: Idiopathic Hypersomnia