Hypersomnia Disorder

Hypersomnolence Disorder

Hypersomnolence is a condition where a person experiences significant episodes of sleepiness, even after having 7 hours or more of quality sleep. Other terms used to describe hypersomnolence include excessive daytime sleepiness, excessive daytime somnolence, and hypersomnia.

Hypersomnolence has three categories: acute, subacute, and persistent.

• acute hypersomnolence, lasting 1 month or less
• subacute hypersomnolence, lasting 1 to 3 months
• persistent hypersomnolence, lasting more than 3 months

Recurrent periods of an irrepressible need to sleep, lapsing into sleep, or napping occurring within the same day is a necessary feature of Narcolepsy. These must have been occurring at least three times per week over the past 3 months

Features and Symptoms

1.     Hypersomnolence is a broad diagnostic term and includes symptoms of excessive quantity of sleep, deteriorated quality of wakefulness, and sleep inertia (i.e., a period of impaired performance and reduced vigilance following awakening from the regular sleep episode or from a nap)

2.     The persistent need for sleep can lead to automatic behavior (usually of a very routine, low-complexity type) that the individual carries out with little or no subsequent recall

3.     the sleep is often nonrestorative and is followed by difficulty awakening in the morning

Diagnosis

1.     Self-reported excessive sleepiness (hypersomnolence) despite a main sleep period lasting at least 7 hours

2.     The hypersomnolence occurs at least three times per week, for at least 3 months

3.     The hypersomnolence is accompanied by significant distress or impairment in cognitive, social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning

4.     The hypersomnolence is not better explained by and does not occur exclusively during the course of another sleep disorder

5.     The hypersomnolence is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance

6.     Coexisting mental and medical disorders do not adequately explain the predominant complaint of hypersomnolence

Treatment

Stimulants are most commonly prescribed to treat hypersomnolence. In addition to medications, a doctor may recommend making changes to a person's "sleep hygiene" to help them get a good night's sleep.