Idiopathic Hypersomnia 101
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 Times – nighttime 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 test – occurs 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