What is Hypersomnia?
Hypersomnia is a condition where a person has trouble staying awake for most of the day. A person with this condition can fall asleep at any time and place during the day, for example in the office, while driving or standing in a bus or train. The person may also have problems such as lack of energy and trouble concentrating during the day. Some studies conducted prove that almost forty percent of people suffer from hypersomnia from time to time.
Causes of Hypersomnia
Hypersomnia could be a result of
• A dysfunction in the automatic nervous system.
• Excessive drinking or drug abuse.
• Insufficient or disrupted sleep at night.
• Problems such as tumors, head trauma or any injury to the central nervous system
• Certain drugs prescribed by the doctor.
• Neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
When trying to diagnose hypersomnia your doctor will ask you a lot of questions about your sleeping habits. He will want to know how many hours you sleep at night, if you wake up in the night, if you are stressed about something or are on any medication that could be interfering with your sleep. The doctor will then ask you to do a few tests before coming to any conclusion.
Treatment of Hypersomnia
There are a number of things that you can try in order to treat hypersomnia. Avoid alcohol and caffeine drinks as well as smoking near your bed time. Try and exercise everyday in order to maintain the right weight for your height. Avoid taking a nap during the day. Eat a healthy well balanced meal that provides the required vitamins and nutrition. Ensure that your bedroom is at the right temperature. It is believed that a cooler room is more comfortable to sleep. Try and set a fixed sleeping routine so that your body realizes its time to sleep. The treatment to hypersomnia also depends on the cause. If you are under some medication that causes drowsiness consult your doctor in order to change the medication. Your doctor may prescribe some drugs in order to treat this condition. These could include stimulants and anti depressants. If you suffer from hypersomnia because of interruption in breathing then he may suggest a treatment called CPAP which stands for continuous positive airway pressure. You have to wear a mask over your nose that is connected to a machine that delivers continuous air flow to your nostrils. You could also try and meditate and do some yoga in order to help you relax and distress so that you sleep well at night.
