What is hypersomnia? You’ve heard of other sleeping disorders, but maybe not hypersomnia. Do you always feel too sleepy in the morning or do you sleep longer than you should? Let me tell you why you might do.
Hypersomnia is a neurological disorder wherein the patient experiences excessive daytime sleepiness. This is a consistent problem that may persist every day.
Also known as “Hypersomnolence”, this problem can cause distress and affect cognitive abilities.
The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders shows hypersomnia listed under the “sleep-wake” category.
It’s normal to feel sleepy during the day, but too much sleepiness or feeling too tired constantly every morning might be a sign that you have hypersomnia.
This condition shall not be confused with Narcolepsy or signs of common morning fatigue.
Hypersomnia is identified as a pathological state characterized by lack of alertness during the waking episodes of the day.
When hypersomnia is untreated it will continue to affect a person’s ability to focus and it will slowly impact their quality of life.
Due to hypersomnia, you may end up sleeping longer than usual which is actually, not healthy for your body. Learn about the symptoms, risks and everything you need to know about hypersomnia as you read forward.
Risks
You may be thinking that sleeping longer than usual is not that bad, but there are negative effects that hypersomnia can bring. Here’s a list to help summarize it for you.
- Abnormal sleep pattern
- When you have hypersomnia, you may lose control of your body clock. You may fail to stop yourself from sleeping and end up creating a disorganized sleep routine.
An abnormal sleep pattern can worsen other illnesses and / or cause other illnesses.
- When you have hypersomnia, you may lose control of your body clock. You may fail to stop yourself from sleeping and end up creating a disorganized sleep routine.
- Feeling tired all the time
- You may go to sleep and still wake up feeling tired. This lack of energy can affect your overall lifestyle.
- Driving accidents
- Sleepiness caused by hypersomnia puts you at risk to more accidents such as driving accidents.
People with sleeping conditions may be required to declare the severity of their conditions before they are permitted to drive.
- Sleepiness caused by hypersomnia puts you at risk to more accidents such as driving accidents.
- Poor memory
- Sleeping too much can lead to poor memory or a clouded mind. This is because of the lack of energy and sleepiness you feel.
People with hypersomnia often got their “head in the clouds” or spacing out due to extreme sleepiness.
- Sleeping too much can lead to poor memory or a clouded mind. This is because of the lack of energy and sleepiness you feel.
- Lack of concentration
- You will also lose the ability to focus on anything due to hypersomnia, which may hurt your education or work.
- Worsen other illnesses
- Hypersomnia is the type of sleeping condition that’s probably caused by another condition, which may end up worsening each other.
If not, it may cause you to have more illnesses if left untreated.
- Hypersomnia is the type of sleeping condition that’s probably caused by another condition, which may end up worsening each other.
- Heart problems
- A disrupted sleep pattern caused by hypersomnia can eventually affect your heart. It may start from a simple irregular heartbeat to breathing problems.
- Depression
- Sleep and depression, along with other mental conditions are often linked to each other. There are depressed people who are insomniac and some are hypersomniac.
It is possible that hypersomnia can also cause depression or end up worsening it.
(Related: “How Sleep Affects Depression“)
- Sleep and depression, along with other mental conditions are often linked to each other. There are depressed people who are insomniac and some are hypersomniac.
- Affect emotional stability
- When you are having a hard time with your sleeping pattern, it may also affect the hormones inside your body, causing you to lose interest in your daily life or feel irritable.
Mood swings or poor emotional stability is a common problem with hypersomnia.
- When you are having a hard time with your sleeping pattern, it may also affect the hormones inside your body, causing you to lose interest in your daily life or feel irritable.
- Uncontrolled weight gain or loss
- Hypersomnia can mess up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster or lose weight unexpectedly.
You may also unintentionally skip meals to sleep because of hypersomnia, making your diet also complicated.
- Hypersomnia can mess up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster or lose weight unexpectedly.
Risks are not limited to these alone, as it can get worse as long as hypersomnia persists. Visiting a doctor is highly encouraged.
Symptoms
The symptoms may appear like normal, daily problems but if it happens way too often, you might have hypersomnia.
Aside from the excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged sleep at night, there are still other signs that can help you know whether you have hypersomnia or not.
- Feeling unusually tired all the time
- Hypersomnia can be caused by other illnesses which is also why the body may not be able to get proper sleep, making you feel unusually tired even after sleeping.
- Daytime napping or too much napping
- You may also lose against the excessive sleepiness, the will to stay awake may not be enough to stop hypersomnia. You can end up sleeping anywhere, without you noticing.
- Losing interest or focus on everything
- The abnormal sleep affects your brain’s functionality, lowering its performance
- Drowsiness, uncomfortable mornings
- When you sleep with hypersomnia, you may still wake up feeling unsatisfied and drowsy every morning.
- Having a hard time memorizing
- Good sleep promotes good memory. Sleeping too much can actually affect your memorizing skills and affect your overall memory.
- Difficulty in making decisions
- Hypersomnia affects your ability to make decisions. If you’re usually a fast thinker, suddenly losing the ability to decide on the spot is a sign of hypersomnia
- Not wanting to think or do anything
- The discomfort that hypersomnia is providing may cause you to lose the will to think or even do anything at all. You just want to sleep and feel better.
- Changes in appetite and weight
- An abnormal sleep pattern is sure to affect your diet, your appetite and your weight slowly.
Experiencing some of the listed symptoms does not always guarantee that you might have hypersomnia as these symptoms can be present in other similar diseases as well which is why it is best to visit a doctor for a more accurate diagnosis.
Diagnosis
How is hypersomnia measured? There are different ways to measure or diagnose hypersomnia.
- How to measure Hypersomnia:
- Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
- The severity of hypersomnia must be quantified by subjective scales using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the scale used to determine the level of daytime sleepiness.
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MLST)
- It is also identified through “multiple sleep latency test (MLST)”, used to measure the time elapsed from the start of a daytime nap period to the first signs of sleep called “sleep latency”.
The MLST is based on the idea that the sleepier the person is, the faster the person will asleep.
- It is also identified through “multiple sleep latency test (MLST)”, used to measure the time elapsed from the start of a daytime nap period to the first signs of sleep called “sleep latency”.
- The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)
- This is a test that measures the ability to stay awake, used to diagnose disorders of excessive somnolence, such as hypersomnia, narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea.
During the test, patients sit comfortably and are instructed to try to stay awake.
- This is a test that measures the ability to stay awake, used to diagnose disorders of excessive somnolence, such as hypersomnia, narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea.
- Standford Sleepiness Scale (SSS)
- The Standford Sleepiness Scale is commonly used to measure sleepiness.
- Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)
- Polysomnography (Sleep Test)
- The overall method to diagnose sleep-related conditions is called a “polysomnography” or a sleep study / sleep test, it uses all possible methods to diagnose a person’s condition.
- Actigraphy
- Actigraphy is similar to polysomnography but less expensive. It is used to record the sleep and wake cycles, by analyzing the patient’s limb movements.
It is also helpful in ruling out other sleep disorders, especially circadian disorders, leading to an excess of sleepiness during the day, too.- (Related: “How to Do a Sleep Study?”)
- Actigraphy is similar to polysomnography but less expensive. It is used to record the sleep and wake cycles, by analyzing the patient’s limb movements.
The methods listed in here are often simple compared to other assessment methods.
Types of Hypersomnia
There are various possible causes behind hypersomnia, which is why there are also different types of hypersomnia that may be identified through proper diagnosis.
Hypersomnia can be primary (of central/brain origin), or it can be secondary to any of numerous medical conditions. More than one type of hypersomnia can coexist in a single patient.
- Primary Hypersomnia
- A true primary hypersomnia may include narcolepsy along with or without cataplexy and idiopathic hypersomnia as well as recurrent hypersomnia
- Primary Hypersomnia Mimics
- There are also several genetic disorders that may be associated with primary/central hypersomnia.
- Secondary Hypersomnia
- Hypersomnia can be secondary to disorders such as clinical depression, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, epilepsy, or obesity.
- Post Traumatic Hypersomnia
- For some cases, hypersomnia can be caused by a brain injury.
- Recurrent Hypersomnia
- Recurrent hypersomnia are defined by several episodes of hypersomnia persisting from a few days to weeks. These episodes can occur weeks or months apart from each other.
- There are 2 sub-types of recurrent hypersomnia one is Kleine-Levin syndrome and the second is menstrual-related hypersomnia.
Causes
Hypersomnia can be caused by a variety of factors and knowing what can cause it will help you avoid the problem as well as understand why you may be prone to this condition.
- Sleep deprivation
- Lack of sleep that is intentionally planned by a person can lead them to have hypersomnia. The body will be forced to rest as it cannot function properly without adequate amount of sleep.
- Abnormal sleep pattern
- Changing your body clock and making it reset over and over due to various reasons such as shifting job schedules, moving to a new place with a different timezone or more can lead to hypersomnia
- Environment related issues
- Your surroundings contribute to the quality of your sleep. Noises, bed materials, scent, space or mood and more can affect your sleep which can trigger hypersomnia.
- Neurological disorders
- Different neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, brain tumor, dementia and more can affect a person’s sleepiness or quality of sleep.
- Sleeping disorders
- Narcolepsy and sleep apnea are one of the most common sleeping conditions that show hypersomnia as its symptom.
- Obesity
- Being overweight can lead to breathing problems when sleeping at night, making you feel sleepy during the day which is just like hypersomnia.
- Stress
- Being stressed can make sleeping at night a lot harder and affect other illnesses that may show hypersomnia as a symptom
- Depression
- Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other similar mental health problems can affect sleep. Studies show that depressed people tend to sleep longer than usual, a sign of hypersomnia.
On the other hand, they can also be insomniac.
- Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other similar mental health problems can affect sleep. Studies show that depressed people tend to sleep longer than usual, a sign of hypersomnia.
- Medication
- Certain drugs or medicine such as sedative ones like sleeping pills will stimulate the muscles, worsening the feeling of sleepiness and lead to hypersomnia
- Alcohol abuse
- Liquor can have the same effect as sedative drugs that will relax the body too much to the point that it is no longer healthy.
- Medical conditions
- Medical problems like hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), oesophageal reflux, nocturnal asthma and chronic painful conditions can disrupt sleep and lead to hypersomnia.
- Hereditary (Genetics)
- Though it is still being studied until today, there’s a possibility that hypersomnia can be inherited.
Usually, hypersomnia is a “symptom” of other illnesses inside your body which is why getting properly diagnosed is important. Hypersomnia will persist as long as the cause behind it is not eliminated.
Treatment
Currently, experts continue to study the nature behind hypersomnia and the possible ways it can be treated. For now, what we can only do is treat the symptoms but not the condition itself.
Here’s a list of tips or advises from health experts that can counter hypersomnia.
- Modafinil
- Modafinil is said to be the most effective drug against the excessive sleepiness and has even been shown to be helpful in children with hypersomnia.
The dosage is started at 100 mg per day and then slowly increased to 400 mg per day
- Modafinil is said to be the most effective drug against the excessive sleepiness and has even been shown to be helpful in children with hypersomnia.
- Eat food that can give you energy
- Caffeine, spicy food, alcohol, chocolate, green tea, whole grains, pineapples, oranges, watermelon, beef and other meat are examples of food that can give you energy.
Eating the right diet can help you counter excessive sleepiness, the energy boost that healthy food choices can give will keep you awake for sure. - (Related: “What are The Best Foods to Eat for Energy?“
“Foods to Fight Fatigue“)
- Caffeine, spicy food, alcohol, chocolate, green tea, whole grains, pineapples, oranges, watermelon, beef and other meat are examples of food that can give you energy.
- Stimulants or Anti-Depressants
- Although it’s been stated in this article that drugs or certain medications can also cause hypersomnia, health experts may prescribe you with similar medication to counter hypersomnia.
- CPAP Machine
- Sleep apnea is one of the possible conditions that can cause hypersomnia. If you have sleep apnea, you can use CPAP machine for treatment.
- (Related: “What is a CPAP?”
“How to Resolve Sleep Apnea?“)
- Limit alcohol intake
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to hypersomnia. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- Get plenty of exercises
- Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop. This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning to avoid hypersomnia.
- Follow a proper sleep routine
- Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and be prone to sleep apnea that leads to hypersomnia.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea which causes hypersomnia.
- Try to avoid overworking yourself.
- Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to hypersomnia.
- Stay hydrated
- Drink enough water. Sometimes, dehydration can cause fatigue which may worsen the feeling of drowsiness that hypersomnia can cause.
- Lose weight
- If you are overweight, it can cause or worsen hypersomnia so try to control your weight to improve your sleeping habits.
Another advice that should be considered, people with hypersomnia are encouraged to stay away from cozy places that may allow them to sleep in. Only go near a bed, a sofa or even a chair if it’s time for bed.
Keep yourself busy as much as you can to keep your mind away from dozing off due to hypersomnia. Activeness of the mind can help you fight against excessive daytime sleepiness.
The body cannot always obey the mind, but your willpower or desire to stay awake can definitely keep hypersomnia in check!
Epidemiology
According to research, hypersomnia affects approximately 5% – 10% of the general population with a higher prevalence for men due to the sleep apnea syndromes.
Related Questions
Is hypersomnia a mental illness?
No, hypersomnia is not a mental illness but it can be a symptom of different mental illnesses. Hypersomnia is categorized under the sleep-wake section of neurological disorders.
It has been observed that mental illnesses often affect sleeping behaviors which may lead to hypersomnia, insomnia, sleep apnea or more.
There is a difference between mental illnesses and neurological disorders.
Mental illnesses are brain illnesses affected by emotions while neurological disorders are often caused by physical brain damages.
What is parasomnia?
Parasomnia is a category for sleep disorders that have abnormal movements, emotions, behaviors, dreams and perceptions that happen while falling asleep, during sleep and between sleep stages.
Sleep disorders listed under the parasomnia category are a lot more complicated than regular sleep disorders since it may involve unexplained behavior that is still being further studied by experts.
Is sleeping the whole day bad?
Yes, sleeping the whole day is unfortunately, not good for your health. Too much sleep is unhealthy as it can affect your heart and eventually, your brain too.
This will increase the risk of heart diseases or other health issues.
Too much and too little are both no good. Sleeping for an average six to eight hours as maximum is highly encouraged.
