Idiopathic hypersomnia is an uncommon sleep disorder that causes you to be very sleepy during the day even after a full night of good sleep. Its cause is unknown. It also often causes difficulty waking up after you've been asleep. If you take a nap, you generally don't feel refreshed and you may wake up confused and disoriented. The need to sleep can strike at any time, including when you're driving a car or working, which makes idiopathic hypersomnia potentially dangerous. The condition often develops gradually. Diagnosing idiopathic hypersomnia requires ruling out more-common sleep disorders. The aim of treatment is to control symptoms with medication.
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). The cause of most cases of hypersomnia remains unknown. Researchers have looked at the potential roles of neurotransmitters in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid including hypocretin/orexin, dopamine, histamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). A genetic link may be possible since a family history is present in up to 39% of people with idiopathic hypersomnia. Researchers are also exploring the role of certain genes in circadian rhythm that may be different in people with idiopathic hypersomnia.
