IH is a disorder of excessive sleep with distinct diagnostic criteria and clinical features. These include excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), trouble thinking and concentrating, sleep inertia, long unrefreshing naps and long sleep time.
Yes, IH is a real medical condition. However, many caregivers incorrectly think it refers to any case of excessive daytime sleepiness that cannot be explained by another preexisting medical problem or behavior. This is not true though – IH is an actual diagnosis based on several criteria (see “How is IH diagnosed” below). IH is considered a rare disease, with about 1.5% of the population experiencing it.
The word “idiopathic” means the cause is unknown. While the exact cause of IH is not fully understood, certain pathways in the brain may be involved, as well as genetics.
An IH diagnosis can be diagnosed with the following criteria:
Excessive daytime sleepiness
Inability to stay awake and alert during the day, leading to periods of intense need for sleep or unintended periods of drowsiness or sleep.
Profound sleep inertia or “sleep drunkenness”
Difficulty waking up; multiple returns to sleep; irritability and confusion upon waking.
Cognitive impairment or “brain fog”
Deficits in attention, difficulty concentrating, and memory loss.
Long unrefreshing naps
When napping during the day, the majority of patients sleep for longer than 60 minutes, though they report that these naps are not refreshing. Many patients with IH refrain from napping for this reason, despite ongoing sleepiness.
Prolonged sleep time
When an individual’s total 24-hour sleep time is at least 11 hours.
Sleep inertia, also called “sleep drunkenness” is very common in patients with IH. It can be described as:
Cardiovascular conditions are common in IH and other sleep disorder and include elevated cholesterol, use of diabetes and obesity medications, high blood pressure, and a history of cardiovascular disease.
The most common non-medication strategies for IH include caffeine, daytime naps, and scheduling of nocturnal sleep. Exercise, dietary changes, temperature changes, chewing gum, mindfulness, and yoga are other methods. Though these may work for some, many patients with IH report these strategies as ineffective.
At this time there is only one treatment approved by the FDA: lower-sodium oxybate. Several other agents may be used off label, including:
No. Because the cause of IH is unknown, medications used for IH help manage symptoms, but are not curative.
All URLs accessed July 8, 2024
