Hypersomnia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Treatment

What Is Hypersomnia?

Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), prolonged night-time sleep, or difficulty staying awake during the day.

Unlike normal tiredness, hypersomnia persists despite adequate rest, significantly impacting daily activities, concentration, and overall quality of life.

Types of Hypersomnia

There are three primary types of hypersomnia:

• Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH) – Persistent EDS without a clear cause; naps are unrefreshing.
• Recurrent Hypersomnia (Kleine-Levin Syndrome) – Episodes of excessive sleep lasting days or weeks, often accompanied by behavioural changes.
• Post-Traumatic Hypersomnia – Excessive sleepiness following head injury or neurological trauma.

Key Hypersomnia Symptoms to Watch For

Recognising hypersomnia early is crucial for proper management. Common hypersomnia symptoms include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (falling asleep during work or conversations)
• Prolonged sleep (sleeping 10–12 hours or more but still feeling unrefreshed)
• Brain fog and cognitive impairment (difficulty focusing or remembering things)
• Sleep inertia or “sleep drunkenness” (extreme grogginess after waking)
• Automatic behaviours (performing tasks while half-asleep, with no memory later)

Investigating the Causes of Hypersomnia

The causes of hypersomnia vary and can be primary (directly linked to sleep disorders) or secondary (resulting from other conditions):

Primary Causes:

• Idiopathic hypersomnia
• Genetic or neurological factors affecting the brain’s sleep-wake regulation

Secondary Causes:

• Medical/neurological conditions (depression, Parkinson’s, brain injuries)
• Sleep apnea or disrupted nighttime sleep
• Medication side effects (sedatives, antidepressants)
• Chronic stress or mental health disorders

Medical Conditions that Lead To Hypersomnia

As the name suggests, hypersomnia results from a set of causes that can be categorised as medical, such as sleep disorders, neurological disorders, and other conditions like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Lifestyle And Environmental Factors

Hypersomnia can be attributed to underlying lifestyle and environmental norms involving insufficient quantity and quality of sleep, alcoholism, some medications, and irregular working schedules.

The Process of Sleep Disorders Diagnosis for Hypersomnia

Sleep disorders diagnosis for hypersomnia involves multiple steps:

• Clinical sleep history & questionnaires – Evaluating symptoms and daily routine
• Sleep diary tracking – Monitoring sleep patterns for at least two weeks
• Polysomnography (PSG) – Overnight sleep study to rule out other disorders
• Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) – Measures how quickly you fall asleep during the day
• Neurological evaluation – To rule out other cognitive or brain-related causes

Common Diagnostic Tests And What To Expect

Some diagnostic procedures used when diagnosing hypersomnia are polysomnography, multiple sleep latency tests, and sleep diary. They assist in defining sleep cycles and the presence of ailments.

When To See A Doctor?

When you have abnormal excessive daytime sleepiness that negatively impacts one’s life a doctor should be consulted. That is why prevention and early control of the disease may reduce the frequency and severity of the manifestations and improve the quality of life.

Treatment Options For Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia treatment’s main aim is targeting the root cause of the condition and ensuring that the symptoms do not interfere with a patient’s daily activities.

Medications And Their Uses

The medications useful for hypersomnia are stimulants that are useful in increasing wakefulness; they include modafinil and methylphenidate. Occasionally, antidepressant medications may also be utilised for treating symptoms that may accompany them.

Home Remedies And Lifestyle Adjustments

Hypersomnia can be treated naturally by avoiding some foods, making some changes to your daily schedule, taking regular exercises maintaining a proper sleeping timetable, and averting environmental stimuli like noise and light.

Managing Hypersomnia Day-To-Day

Therefore, to manage hypersomnia, one must address how to manage excessive daytime sleepiness and practice good habits to fall asleep.

Strategies For Coping With Daytime Sleepiness

Management of excessive daytime sleepiness entails preventing sleepiness by avoiding napping during the day, getting occupied with activities, exercising, and using relaxation methods since high-stress levels may cause poor sleep.

Importance Of Sleep Hygiene And Routine

Specific changes in the patient’s behaviour should be made to support the treatment of hypersomnia and result in proper sleep hygiene. Developing an acceptable sleep schedule is essential because it assists in letting the body know that it needs to enter the sleeping process. Reducing light and noise interference inside the bedroom helps in avoiding interferences to the sleeping cycle.

Screen time in the evening should be also minimised since the blue light emitted by devices reduces the body’s ability to produce melatonin – the hormone related to sleep. A proper bed, fitted with a comfortable and suitable mattress and a well-aired room allows the client to be able to sleep without disturbance. Combined, these customs promote better sleep and less drowsiness during the day and positively affect one’s health.

Mental Health Professional For Sleep

Embracing Mindtalk Strategies For Overcoming Hypersomnia

At Cadabam’s, we have Mindtalk strategies for dealing with hypersomnia so that a person can get out of the state of being unconscious for most of the day. Such strategies include cognitive behaviour therapy, mindful practices, and individually tailored sleep hygiene to enhance sleep efficiency and control symptoms.