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Hypersomnolence is excessive sleepiness. People with hypersomnolence, as opposed to fatigue, often fall asleep unintentionally. Once hypersomnolence has been confirmed, the first cause to be ruled out should be inadequate sleep time (chronic insufficient sleep). Most people require at least 7 hours of sleep per night and often closer to 8, men generally requiring less than women.
It is suspected that CNS hypersomnolence is related to narcolepsy. The major difference is that CNS patients do not show cataplexy or the presence of dreams (REM sleep) during nap opportunities.
Diagnosis & Tests
If lack of sleep is a problem, total sleep time should be increased before other diagnoses are considered or while other possibilities are being explored. Severe depression and drugs causing sleepiness should also be excluded. If sleep time appears adequate, sleep disorders from the hypersomnia group should be suspected. These include:- Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea) syndrome
- Narcolepsy
- Primary CNS hypersomnolence
- Periodic movements of the legs during sleep (PMLS), also known as nocturnal myoclonus. A condition where the legs move every 40 seconds or so, producing brief arousals. Commonly seen in the first few weeks on nasal CPAP, but it is not understood why. PMLS is another cause of daytime sleepiness.
- rare forms of hypersomnolence such as post traumatic hypersomnolence, periodic hypersomnolence (Kleine-Levin Syndrome, idiopathic recurring stupor), or post-infectious hypersomnia.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Hypersomnolence:
Conditions that suggest Hypersomnolence:
Risk factors for Hypersomnolence:
Recommendations and treatments for Hypersomnolence: | | | | | Drug |  Conventional Drug Use | Ritalin or other stimulant drugs have been used successfully in controlling the need to sleep during the day. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link |  | | Strongly counter-indicative | | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Apnea
Cessation of breathing.
Cataplexy
An abrupt temporary loss of voluntary muscular function and tone, sometimes evoked by an emotional stimulus such as laughter, pleasure, anger or excitement.
Central Nervous System (CNS)
A collective term for the brain, spinal cord, their nerves, and the sensory end organs. More broadly, this can even include the
neurotransmitting hormones instigated by the CNS that control the chemical nervous system, the endocrine glands.
Chronic (Chronicity)
Usually referring to chronic illness: Illness extending over a long period of time.
Idiopathic
Arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.
Magnesium
An essential mineral. The chief function of magnesium is to activate certain enzymes, especially those related to carbohydrate metabolism. Another role is to maintain the electrical potential across nerve and muscle membranes. It is essential for proper heartbeat and nerve transmission. Magnesium controls many cellular functions. It is involved in protein formation, DNA production and function and in the storage and release of energy in ATP. Magnesium is closely related to calcium and phosphorus in body function. The average adult body contains approximately one ounce of magnesium. It is the fifth mineral in abundance within the body--behind calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. Although about 70 percent of the body's magnesium is contained in the teeth and bones, its most important functions are carried out by the remainder which is present in the cells of the soft tissues and in the fluid surrounding those cells.
Narcolepsy
A cause of daytime sleepiness due to an inherited disorder of the control of dreaming sleep. It should be differentiated from sleep apnoea, periodic leg movements and other rarer causes of daytime sleepiness.
Nasal CPAP
The process of delivering a continuously raised airway pressure via a mask on the nose. Hence nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure treatment.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Last updated: Jun 15, 2008
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