Hypersomnia
Introduction
Source: NHS
In this topic (5)
'Hypersomnia' means excessive sleep or sleepiness that interferes with everyday life.
It can have many possible causes, including conditions such as Narcolepsy , sleep apnoea or restless legs syndrome ;severe sleep deprivation; depression ; certain medications (such as tranquillisers); or drug and alcohol misuse .
However, some people with hypersomnia will not have an underlying medical condition and there will be no obvious explanation for it they have it throughout the day, despite sleeping for a very long time at night. This is known as "idiopathic" or primary hypersomnia.
The rest of this page focuses on idiopathic hypersomnia.
Articles for Hypersomnia
Introduction
Read about idiopathic hypersomnia, an unexplained condition that causes you to feel very sleepy during the day, despite getting a good night's sleep.
Managingidiopathic hypersomnia
Idiopathic hypersomniadoesn't usually get better by itself. Many people find that the symptoms improve with treatment. Medication There are no medicines specifically designed to treat idiopathic hyp
Seeing a sleep specialist
A number of tests can be carried out to assess your sleep and help identify any underlying cause. These are usually carried out at a specialist sleep centre. Two of the main tests used are: Polyso
Signs and symptoms
People with idiopathic hypersomnia struggle to stay awake during the day and are usually compelled to take frequent long naps. These may be prolonged or at inappropriate times such as during a convers
What to do
See your GP if you're constantly drowsy during the day and it's affecting your everyday life. They'll want to know about your sleeping habits, how much sleep you get at night, if you wake during the n
