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Re: Newbie
by Nikki (no login)
Pat...you don't have the definition of Idiopathic Hypersomnia in there. It is very similar to narcolepsy, if not more severe at times. Sleeping more and napping does no good with it, plus it means they can't find a reason for the sleepiness. Here is some info that I found on it, which I don't expect anyone to read in one sitting, I just copied and pasted.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/hypersomnia/
Idiopathic hypersomnia causes disabling daytime sleepiness. (Idiopathic means of unknown cause, and hypersomnia means excessive sleep.) The condition takes two forms: idiopathic hypersomnia with long sleep time and idiopathic hypersomnia without long sleep time. Patients with a long sleep time sleep more than 10 hours each night, yet still experience sleepiness during the day. Patients without a long sleep time sleep for a shorter period (less than 10 hours).
Idiopathic hypersomnia shares some symptoms with narcolepsy. There is no known cure, lifestyle modifications and medication can help.
http://www.sleepeducation.com/Disorder.aspx?id=48
This disorder can make you even sleepier than someone who has narcolepsy. But daytime sleepiness can be more severe with narcolepsy. Naps can be refreshing to someone with narcolepsy. With idiopathic hypersomnia, naps are often longer and are not refreshing.
Some people with idiopathic hypersomnia have symptoms that resemble narcolepsy. Examples are sleep paralysis and hallucinations. But people with idiopathic hypersomnia do not have the symptom of cataplexy, which is a sudden attack of muscle weakness. They also do not have as many episodes of quickly entering REM sleep as someone with narcolepsy.