Hypersomnia | EPFL Graph Search

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Hypersomnia is a neurological disorder of excessive time spent sleeping or excessive sleepiness. It can have many possible causes (such as seasonal affective disorder) and can cause distress and problems with functioning. In the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), hypersomnolence, of which there are several subtypes, appears under sleep-wake disorders. Hypersomnia is a pathological state characterized by a lack of alertness during the waking episodes of the day. It is not to be confused with fatigue, which is a normal physiological state. Daytime sleepiness appears most commonly during situations where little interaction is needed. Since hypersomnia impairs patients' attention levels (wakefulness), quality of life may be impacted as well. This is especially true for people whose jobs request high levels of attention, such as in the healthcare field. The main symptom of hypersomnia is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), or prolonged nighttime sleep, which has occurred for at least 3 months prior to diagnosis. Sleep drunkenness is also a symptom found in hypersomniac patients. It is a difficulty transitioning from sleep to wake. Individuals experiencing sleep drunkenness report waking with confusion, disorientation, slowness and repeated returns to sleep. It also appears in non-hypersomniac persons, for example after a night of insufficient sleep. Fatigue and consumption of alcohol or hypnotics can cause sleep drunkenness as well. It is also associated with irritability: people who get angry shortly before sleeping tend to experience sleep drunkenness. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, hypersomniac patients often take long naps during the day that are mostly unrefreshing. Researchers found that naps are usually more frequent and longer in patients than in controls. Furthermore, 75% of the patients report that short naps are not refreshing, compared to controls.

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Excessive daytime sleepiness

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is characterized by persistent sleepiness and often a general lack of energy, even during the day after apparently adequate or even prolonged nighttime sleep. EDS can be considered as a broad condition encompassing several sleep disorders where increased sleep is a symptom, or as a symptom of another underlying disorder like narcolepsy, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, sleep apnea or idiopathic hypersomnia.

Sleep deprivation

Sleep deprivation, also known as sleep insufficiency or sleeplessness, is the condition of not having adequate duration and/or quality of sleep to support decent alertness, performance, and health. It can be either chronic or acute and may vary widely in severity. Acute sleep deprivation is when an individual sleeps less than usual or does not sleep at all for a short period of time – normally lasting one to two days but tends to follow the sleepless pattern for longer with no outside factors in play.

Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes. About 70% of those affected also experience episodes of sudden loss of muscle strength, known as cataplexy. Narcolepsy paired with cataplexy is evidenced to be an autoimmune disorder. These experiences of cataplexy can be brought on by strong emotions.

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