Idiopathic Hypersomnia – Dealing With This Disorder In Your Daily Life
A persistent feeling of sleepiness can greatly impact your quality of life. In addition to intense daytime sleepiness and excessive periods of sleep at night, this constant feeling of lethargy can lead to anxiety, irritability, decreased energy, loss of appetite, hallucinations and memory loss. Idiopathic hypersomnia can be dangerous if left untreated. Sufferers can fall asleep during conversations, while at work, and even while driving. However, there are medications and behavior modifications that can control the symptoms and allow you to enjoy normal activities without the fear of “nodding off.” In this article, we’ll show you how to recognize the symptoms of this disorder and explore the treatments available.
Patients suffering from hypersomnia often lose the ability to function in family, social and occupational settings. The condition most commonly impacts teenagers, young adults and people who are overweight. This can exacerbate their weight problems, as their excessive sleep patterns means that they will use less energy. In addition to excessive sleepiness and long nighttime sleeping, symptoms include irritability, mild depression and difficulty concentrating. For this reason, people with hypersomnia should be cautious when driving or operating machinery. Kleine-Levin syndrome is a form of hypersomnia that features slightly different symptoms. Sufferers may sleep for eighteen or more hours a day and are irritable, uninhibited, and make indiscriminate sexual advances. People with Kleine-Levin syndrome often eat uncontrollably and rapidly gain weight. However, this form of recurrent hypersomnia is very rare.
Recurring hypersomnia involves periods of excessive daytime sleepiness that can last from one to many days, and recur over the course of a year or more. With recurring hypersomnia, a person will have prolonged periods where they do not exhibit any signs of the malady. However, persons experiencing idiopathic hypersomnia are affected by it nearly all the time.
There is no known cure for idiopathic hypersomnia, but a combination of lifestyle modifications and medication can help. A regular sleep schedule, even on weekends, will make a world of difference. It’s not unusual for patients to think they may have narcolepsy or hypersomnia, when the real problem is insufficient sleep time each night. It’s also important to avoid caffeine, alcohol, activities or medications that may affect sleep. Some drugs used to treat hypersomnia are also used to treat narcolepsy. These include medications that stimulate the central nervous system such as Provigi, Ritalin and various amphetamines. Provigi is a newer stimulant that isn’t as addictive as other medications and doesn’t produce the highs and lows often associated with other drugs. Amphetamines, while effective, can cause nervousness and heart palpitations in some patients.
Sleep deprivation or excessive sleeping can impact both your health and quality of life, so it’s important to see a doctor if you suspect that you are suffering from a sleep disorder. Because idiopathic hypersomnia can have dangerous consequences, it must be treated as soon as possible. A sleep disorder center can give you great medical care and support so that the condition doesn’t prevent you from participating in all of the activities that you normally enjoy.
Sleep disorders can impact a individual’s daily life. They do not go through the proper sleep cycles as well as their day to day lives start to degrade from the deficiency of sleep that is. The disorders can be dangerous. A medical condition known as sleep apnea where the individual actually arrests breathing they sleep. It is very dangerous and life threatening if not dealt with properly. You don’t have to keep enduring. Even if snoring is a problem, there are devices to assist you in getting a good nights sleep as well as feel rested in the morning hours. Click here for more information:
Paroxetine And Insomnia and more information at Child Sleep Disorder and Sleep Terror Disorder
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