Hypersomnia

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 Hypersomnia — also known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) — is a condition that causes people to feel tired and drowsy during the day when they need to be awake and focused. People with hypersomnia can feel excessively sleepy even after they have had a good nights sleep.

Sleep apnea that is not treated can be one underlying cause of hypersomnia, because it disrupts normal breathing patterns while sleeping, thereby prompting people to wake up repeatedly throughout the night. Certain medications as well as drug and alcohol use can also trigger hypersomnia. Low thyroid function and head injury are other reasons patient can have excessive daytime sleepiness.

Hypersomnia diagnosis involved multiple factors including a consultation with the sleep physician, overnight Polysomnogram (sleep study) and, in many cases, a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT). 

Once the above data is collected, your physician can formulate a plan to start treatment for your sleepiness.  

Hypersomnia can be treated with stimulating medications such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, and modafinil that are designed to help patients stay awake and alert. Some people are able to overcome hypersomnia by making lifestyle changes in their daily routines and sleep habits, including:

• Refraining from alcohol and drug use
• Improving one’s diet to ensure you are getting the proper nutrients to maintain energy levels naturally
• Establishing a regular time to go to bed and wake up each morning.