Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder, in which people suffering from it, feel excessive sleepiness during daytime or have stretched night time sleep accompanied by difficulty in waking from the slumber.
Causes
1. Physical and mental illnesses
People suffering from sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy or from depression suffer from the disorder. Neurological causes like Glioblastoma multiforme, brain damage, brain tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases like Schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease causes hypersomnia.
2. Change of circadian rhythm
Hypersomnia can be caused due to disturbed circadian rhythms. People who do night shift work, or regularly sleep late at night or sleep deprived due to sleeping in noisy, unhealthy environment suffer from the disorder.
3. Stress
Workplace stress, health problems, social or family problems, financial problems causes stress. Due to stress high levels of cortisol flows in the blood stream which modifies the sleep cycle.
4. Self-abuse
Excessive nicotine uptake in the brain due to smoking disrupts the sleep cycle. Drinking alcohol, or taking cocaine, marijuana or caffeine provides temporary relief from stress but in the long run, it causes sleeplessness.
5. Obesity
Most of the obese people suffer from the disorder. Due to less metabolic activity and presence of more carbohydrates or glucose in the body causes sleeplessness.
Symptoms
1. Feeling fatigue.
2. Feeling drowsy.
3. Feeling sleepy during daytime.
4. Restlessness.
5. Hallucinations.
6. Anxiety and nervousness.
7. Feeling of irritation.
8. Loss of appetite.
9. Memory problem.
10. Weight gain.
11. Feeling less energetic.
12. Stiffness and muscular pain.
13. Mood swing.
14. Confusion and forgetting.
Treatment
1. Drug treatment
Allopathic medicines like amitriptyline, venlafaxine, dexedrine, ritalin, fluoxetine, cylert, sertraline helps to overcome hypersomnia. Herbal medicines like valerian, ginseng, etc. are used to treat the disorder.
2. Yoga and Exercise
Practicing yoga like the pranayama, surya namaskar for 10-15 minutes daily helps to overcome excessive sleepiness. Aerobic exercises and workout at gym for 30 min-45 min every day, increases endorphin level in the blood and helps to have proper sleep at night.
3. Additives
Reducing excessive intake of caffeine, tea and eating less of chocolates, colas and junk foods helps in overcoming sleep disorder. Reducing cigarettes and alcohol intake induces good sleep at night.
4. Peaceful sleep
Thinking a lot while lying on the bed ends up in restless mind. To have a proper 7-8 hours of sleep one should leave the worries outside the bed. People with hypersomnia should practice going to bed and waking at the same time every day.
5. Diet
Hypersomnic people should eat a healthy diet which should include vegetables, lots of fruits and less of carbohydrates. Fruits are rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants which clean up free radicals from the body and aid in improving the metabolic function of the body as well as inducing a proper sleep.
Hypersomnia is difficult to diagnose as it may be confused with chronic fatigue syndrome or sleep apnea. Change in lifestyle and medication can help people suffering from it.
