Sleep has been an essential topic for decades, as it acts as a charging point for our body. Nevertheless, a proper amount of rest is necessary for the body, neither too much nor too less. A few people can sleep for almost any time of the day whenever they get an opportunity, which is technically harmful as they may miss a chance to work and earn a living. Such a common disorder will be studied in detail in this article.
Hypersomnia is the incapability to stay awake despite proper and sufficient sleep at night. Excessive sleep affects daytime functions and interrupts daily exercises; therefore, people with Hypersomnia are considered lazy and lethargic. Even though the person sleeps the last night satisfactorily, they still feel sleepiness the next day, falling asleep several times a day. If a proper balance is not maintained with the circadian rhythm, it affects the quality of life. A person can feel an irresistible need for sleep by which they are often seen with drowsiness and fatigue.
Sleep attack is when lapses of sleep increase without prodromal symptoms and such sleep attacks are proficient in this underlying disorder. In addition, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) has contributed to frequent vehicle accidents and is one of the most significant public health issues. The majority of EDS has been evaluated at between 7% and 20%. In primary care practice, as many as 30% of patients may have difficulty falling asleep, and 10% may report a chronic sleep problem.
A further article will describe the causes, symptoms, and treatments of Hypersomnia as EDS is not a comfortable disorder and needs to be acknowledged.
Major types are −
Secondary Hypersomnia −Secondary hypersonic is when excessive sleep is due to other medical conditions, which may be mental or physical. Disorders and situations that can cause Hypersomnia includes 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 such as depression and bipolar disorder.
Primary Hypersomnia − Primary Hypersomnia is when excessive sleep is not caused due to any medical intervention and symptoms are caused due to its condition. Four conditions are associated with primary Hypersomnia which are narcolepsy type 1, narcolepsy type 2, Kleine-Levin syndrome, and idiopathic Hypersomnia.
Frequent urge to sleep during the day and constant episodes of sleep is the primary symptom of Hypersomnia. The rest common symptoms of Hypersomnia are pointed out further.
Sleeping for more than 10-11 hours at night and falling asleep as fast as possible during the day.
Excessive sleep makes waking up in the morning difficult for the patient.
Daytime naps can confuse and are combative, which produces less alertness.
Anxiety, irritability, mood elevation and deprivation, depression, decreased energy etc.
Effects on cognitive abilities like slow thinking, passive problem solving, and difficulty comprehending.
Hallucinations are not common, but if patients sleep highly, they may wake up with hallucinations.
Physical illnesses include acidity, headaches, stomach problems, and loss of appetite.
Hypersomnia is caused mainly due to biological factors, though some mild psychological issues may provoke the disorder. Let us grab a glimpse of such causes.
Biological causes − Hypersomnia leads to dysfunction of various neurons in the brain, which controls the sleep and awake pattern in 24hr cycle. Hypocretins are two neuropeptides (hypocretin-1 and hypocretin-2) found in 1998 and are crucial neurochemicals implicated in the pathogenesis of excessive sleep leading to the cause of the disorder. They have an exceedingly critical role in regulating wakefulness and muscle tone. In addition to the neurons, several medications and harmful consumption of drugs can disturb the neurotransmitter leading to excessive sleep and difficulty staying awake.
Psychological and social causes − poor sleep hygiene or night shift labor may cause a person to be unable to obtain the required amount of sleep. Further, Hypersomnia is associated with a psychiatric disorder as many mood disorders may cause Hypersomnia, including depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.
Depending upon the severity and epitome of the disorder, several non-pharmacological behavior treatments and several medications can together figure out the patient and bring them to a normal state.
For non-pharmacological treatment, the patient can opt for several behavior techniques, such as rescheduling the sleep pattern and maintaining proper sleep hygiene; such a solution is for patients who deal with night shift work problems.
Good sleep hygiene means that a person is entitled to sleep on time and wake up at precise timing. Techniques to maintain sleep hygiene is to make the room dark, maintain a healthy environment or merely put a sleeping mask on the eyes. They must try to sleep simultaneously every night, which is possible only when the patient bypasses daytime naps—exercising daily, meditation for sanity and peace, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bed may improve sleep quality.
Few pharmacological options may include drug therapy which has proved profitable for many patients. Treatment choices include hypnotics, stimulants, antidepressants, melatonin, and modafinil. As with most prescription preparations, sometime may be needed before effects are seen. Adverse side effects have not been reported, but headaches and daytime drowsiness may occur.
Various reasons cause Hypersomnia, and its treatment is easy to conduct. Its research is still in process, but as it is guided, too much sleep can be dangerous to health, leading to physical and mental problems and affecting daily performance. In conclusion, long-term EDS is associated with lower quality of life, psychological disturbances, and increased cardiovascular disease.
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