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Hypersomnia
ICD-10 F511, G471
ICD-9 291.82, 292.85, 307.43-307.44, 327.1, 780.53-780.54
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Main article: Hypersomnia

Hypersomnia is an excessive amount of sleepiness, resulting in an inability to stay awake.

Even though hypersomniacs sleep more than is considered necessary (or even healthy) at night, they may still need to take frequent naps during the day.

Note: In the proposed 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, due for publication in May 2013, hypersomnia is reclassified under Sleep-Wake Disorders as Hypersomnolence, of which there are several subtypes.[1] Primary hypersomnia is reclassified as major somnolence disorder.[2]

Diagnosis[]

A person is considered to have hypersomnia if he or she sleeps more than 10 hours per day on a regular basis for at least two weeks.

Causes[]

People who are overweight are more likely than others to suffer from hypersomnia, and this can often exacerbate their weight problems as their excessive sleep patterns mean they will use up less energy, making it even harder to lose weight.

Known causes include heredity and brain damage.

Another possible cause is an infection of mononucleosis, as several instances of idiopathic hypersomnia have been found to start up immediately after such an infection (Dr. Givan, MD, Riley Hospital).

Treatment[]

Psychological treatments[]

Physical treatments[]

Hypersomnia can be treated with stimulants such as Modafinil.

See also[]

External links[]

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed content from Wikipedia (view authors).
  1. Sleep-Wake Disorders. DSM-5 Development. American Psychiatric Association.
  2. Hypersomnolence Disorders. DSM-5 Development. American Psychiatric Association.
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