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Idiopathic Hypersomnia 101

September 11th, 2023

So what is Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH)?
IH is a rare sleep disorder and common symptoms include:

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) – a persistent sense of brain fog, lack of energy, cognitive impairment, and exhaustion. It also includes sleep attacks, persistent drowsiness, and microsleeps.

Long Sleep Timesnighttime sleep ranging far above average 8-10 hours of sleep and includes difficulty waking up.

Sleep Inertia a temporary sense of grogginess and disorientation upon waking up from sleep.

Unrefreshing Nighttime Sleep and Naps – evening sleep and naps regardless of length do not restore energy.


How is IH diagnosed?
Your doctor will examine you, your medical history, ask questions about your sleep patterns using a sleep scale, and may also ask you to keep a sleep diary. There are also two tests that are commonly used: 

Polysomnogram takes place overnight in a sleep lab and monitors brain activity, heart rate, breathing, eye and leg movements, and oxygen.

Multiple sleep latency testoccurs after a polysomnogram and records the time it takes for you to fall asleep during a nap.


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Date Created: September 11th, 2023
Last Updated: November 3rd, 2023