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Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH)
Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a neurological disorder which is characterized primarily by excessive sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
Prevalence
N/A
Age of Onset
ICD-10
F51.1
Inheritance
This condition does not appear to have a clear pattern of inheritance.
5 Facts you should know
FACT
Is often a debilitating, lifelong, and chronic disease
FACT
Sufferers of Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) share common symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, brain fog, long sleep periods, and others
FACT
Symptoms typically begin between adolescence and young adulthood
FACT
Sleeping longer at night does not appear to improve daytime sleepiness
FACT
Peripheral vascular symptoms, such as Raynaud's syndrome, are more common in people with IH
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Common signs & symptoms
Chronic excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
sleepiness during the day that makes it difficult to perform normal daily activities, including both work and social-related activities.
Sleeping 9 hours or more over 24-hour periods
yet not feeling refreshed upon waking from nighttime sleep or naps.
Non-refreshing daytime napping
Sleep drunkeness after nighttime sleep and naps
difficulty waking up and feeling an uncontrollable desire to go back to sleep.
"Brain fog" while awake
experiencing problems with memory, attention, and concentration.
Headaches
Current treatments
Treatments for hypersomnia are generally aimed at excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), rather than at sleep duration or sleep drunkenness (confusion upon waking up). Although there are multiple treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for narcolepsy, there are no FDA-approved treatments for idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). Therefore, treatment generally involves off-label use of medications approved for narcolepsy. Unfortunately, the use of these medications is inadequate to improve symptoms in many people with IH. These medication options may include:[
Wakefulness-promoting agents
(modafinil and armodafinil)
Traditional psychostimulants
(amphetamines, methylphenidate, and their derivatives)