Hypersomnia is characterized by an excessive desire to sleep and constant sleepiness during the day. Despite normal sleep duration and quality sleep, a person may have difficulty staying awake during the day. Hypersomnia, which can affect a person's daily activities even in its mild form, can reduce work efficiency, decrease social interactions and negatively affect the overall quality of life.
Even if they get enough sleep at night, people with hypersomnia may experience an excessive desire to sleep during the day. This can negatively affect daily life and make work, school and social activities difficult.
What are the Symptoms of Hypersomnia?
People with hypersomnia may experience the following symptoms:
Daytime Sleepiness: The person may often experience a sudden and uncontrollable desire to sleep during the day. This may also occur during work or daily activities.
Still Feeling Tired After Waking Up: Despite getting a good night's sleep, feeling unrested and tired in the morning.
Not Getting Better Despite Longer Sleep: Despite sleeping for long periods of time, still feeling tired and not recovering.
Difficulty Concentrating: This can negatively affect mental clarity and concentration, which can impair work or school performance.
Anxiety and restlessness: The constant desire to sleep can cause feelings of anxiety and restlessness in a person's daily life.
Causes of Hypersomnia
Hypersomnia (excessive desire to sleep) can have various causes. These include physiological, psychological and environmental factors. The factors among the causes of hypersomnia can be listed as follows:
- Sleep apnea,
- Narcolepsy
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hormonal balance disorders,
- Fibromyalgia
- Antidepressants and drugs,
- Alcohol and substance abuse,
- Irregular sleep habits,
- Excessive caffeine consumption,
- Stress and fatigue.
The causes of hypersomnia can be complex and often more than one factor can come together to cause the condition. If you experience symptoms of hypersomnia, it is important to contact a specialist to establish an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. Since each individual's condition can be different, a personalized approach will ensure the most effective results.
Hypersomnia Diagnosis
Diagnosing hypersomnia involves a series of assessments and tests. This process is necessary to determine the underlying causes of hypersomnia symptoms and the appropriate treatment plan. The steps of the diagnostic process include:
- Medical history assessment,
- Symptom assessment,
- Physical examination
- Laboratory tests,
- Sleep test
- Patient's sleep diary,
- Psychological assessment,
- Evaluation of underlying health conditions.
Hypersomnia Treatment
Hypersomnia treatment aims to deal with symptoms such as excessive need for sleep and constant tiredness. The treatment approach may differ depending on the underlying causes of hypersomnia. Some common methods used to treat hypersomnia:
- Lifestyle changes,
- Medication
- Psychotherapy
- Sleep hygiene.
- Treatment of underlying causes.