Do you constantly wonder how to keep yourself awake? If you wake up tired every morning, come in and discover what hypersomnia is and other causes that can explain drowsiness.
Hypersomnia is a common disorder in the population; it is estimated that between 5 and 10% of the population suffers from hypersomnia. Feeling tired and sleepy is not the only symptom of this disorder, but it can considerably affect daily life activities. Both prolonged sleep and difficulties waking up can lead to difficulties in fulfilling responsibilities, decreased efficiency and even memory and concentration. In fact, many people with this disorder can do automatic activities during the day, such as driving, and later not remember that they have carried them out.
If you have noticed that it’s hard for you to get up despite sleeping many hours and you feel that You’re really sleepy this article is for you since you will be able to discover what hypersomnia is, its symptoms and other possible causes of daytime sleepiness.
The hypersomnia or hypersomnia disorder is a type of Sleep disorder characterized by excessive drowsiness. Specifically, people who suffer from this disorder feel sleepy despite having slept enough hours. Unlike insomnia, the majority of people who have hypersomnia do not have any type of difficulty sleeping. To fall asleep The difficulty lies, therefore, throughout the day and when they have to wake up in the morning. When this moment arrives, they usually feel confused and have difficulties in motor coordination. Furthermore, hypersomnia is usually associated with depressive symptoms and is a risk factor for suffering from addictive behavior disorders, especially those related to self-medication with stimulants.
The severity of hypersomnia can vary depending on the degree of difficulty the person has in staying awake, and it is considered serious when they are not able to stay alert throughout the day for 5-7 days a week. The disorder usually has a persistent course, that is, it usually lasts over time and the symptoms usually progress to more severity. Initially, the symptoms may only occur when performing passive activities such as, for example, going to the movies, being at a conference, etc. But as the disorder evolves, these symptoms can also occur during active activities (driving, walking, etc.).
Symptoms of hypersomnia disorder:
According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), the symptoms that occur during the course of this disorder are:
Introduce drowsiness excessive. The person is very sleepy despite having slept enough hours (minimum 7). This drowsiness can occur in different ways, such as the person having different periods of intense sleep throughout the day, having a single episode of sleep lasting more than nine hours but not being restful and/or presenting great difficulties. to stay awake throughout the day.
Daytime hypersomnia occurs at least three times a week over a period of three months. That is, drowsiness is not a matter of one day or a week in which we are more tired and sleepy, but rather it is something that persists over time and occurs recurrently.
Hypersomnia is accompanied by a deterioration in social, cognitive and occupational functioning. Therefore, sleep prevents you from carrying out activities of daily living.
Drowsiness is not associated with any effect of a drug or drug.
Having daytime sleepiness does not have to be due to a hypersomnia disorder. There are multiple factors that can influence our sleep and that can explain the reason for our fatigue. Some examples are:
Poor sleep hygiene: Having poor sleep habits can have a negative impact on your quality and your feeling of rest. Sometimes we can sleep enough hours but go to bed too late or have a interrupted sleep which will end up causing fatigue and discomfort during the day.
Have a psychological disorder: Having a psychological disorder, such as a disorder related to anxiety or depression, can influence various aspects, including sleep and its quality.
Present an organic disease: There are certain infections such as HIV pneumonia and mononucleosis that are characterized by symptoms of excessive drowsiness.
Being stressed: Stress sustained over a long period of time can cause multiple consequences, both physical and psychological. One of them is that stress can disturb sleep because it causes it to be superficial and not very restorative.
Treatment of hypersomnia:
Sometimes, as we have already mentioned, excessive sleepiness can be due to multiple causes such as, for example, organic diseases, psychological disorders, etc. Due to this and in order to prevent a sleep disorder and/or other pathology from getting worse, it is essential to go to a professional who can evaluate our case and offer us personalized treatment to our needs. That said, the hypersomnia treatment It is usually composed of:
Non-pharmacological treatment: The main objective of non-pharmacological treatment is to be able to manage the symptoms that interfere with the patient’s daily life. Therefore, the intervention includes changes in diet and sleeping habits in order to improve the quality of life of the person suffering from hypersomnia.
Pharmacotherapy: Pharmacological treatment usually incorporates central nervous system stimulants. Nowadays, psychotropic drugs have been found to treat hypersomnia that are less addictive and have fewer side effects.
If you have a change in your sleeping pattern and you do not know what the reason is, it is recommended that you see a specialist so that they can help you determine what is happening to you and plan a treatment to improve your well-being.
