They are not lazy, they are sick: condemnation of those who sleep all their lives

Davinia doesn’t know what it’s like to wake up refreshed after a restful night’s sleep. She would like to experience this feeling for at least 5 minutes of her life, but this is impossible, since she belongs to those 0.01% of the population with idiopathic hypersomnia.

It is a disorder in which those who suffer from it suffer excessive sleepinessI wake up with great difficulty. They may sleep for many hours a day, but when they wake up, they do not feel rested. In fact, without going into detail, Davinia tells us that last weekend she slept for 16 hours and only got up because she was woken up. Its maximum is at 18 hours. Three quarters of the day.

As a teenager, her classmates and people around her thought that she was just a lazy girl who wanted spend the day in a dream. Fortunately, he had the support of his family, who insisted that he see a doctor. Finally, despite the feeling of shame, at the age of 20 he received the long-awaited diagnosis. Knowing what is happening to you is somewhat of a relief because it helps you understand why you feel the way you do. He also receives medication that helps with his sleep attacks to some extent. However, he continues to live with the need for constant sleep.

It makes sense that this would greatly interfere with your daily life. She is worried about what others think of her, and so she wants to tell what is happening to her. For her and so that other people do not have to suffer from the views of those who think they do not want to work, study or have fun. Your brain just can’t internalize the dream like all of us.

What is idiopathic hypersomnia?

As we have already seen, idiopathic hypersomnia is a rare sleep disorder that causes severe sleepiness during the day, even after a good night’s sleep. In addition, it often causes difficulty waking up after sleep. The term “idiopathic” refers to the fact that It is unknown what its cause is.

In accordance with Elisa Correas Caglieroa doctor specialized in neurology and member of the Spanish Sleep Society, whom we were able to interview in Hypertextin fact it is a kind of disaster box for people who do not meet criteria for other sleep disorders characterized by sleeping for many hours and inability to feel rested. For example, they do not meet the diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy or pathologies related to brain structure.

Sometimes it is confused with Kleine-Levin syndrome, since it is also characterized by a lot of sleep. Moreover, it is of unknown origin. But there are quite a lot of differences. “It appears to be a hypothalamic disorder characterized by hypersomnia, hyperphagia and behavioral disorders, which happens in cycles and can last several months,” says Correas Callero. “It occurs in adolescents and subsides spontaneously over time.”

She adds that she knows all this from theory, since in all her years of working as a neurologist she has not seen a single case. In fact, this term is used very little and It’s not very clear what this is.

On the other hand, idiopathic hypersomnia, although quite rare and without a known cause, is much better described and easier to diagnose.

Condemnation of ignorance of what rest is

Although idiopathic hypersomnia is not associated with serious complications of other disorders such as narcolepsyYes, this can be very problematic. First, these people may fall asleep while working or driving, which may lead to an accident. In addition, it is psychologically difficult, both because of the opinions of others about their behavior and because Difficulty maintaining social relationships.

Davinia, for example, sometimes has to give up plans that she would like to for fear of not feeling rested. Or, if he accepted them, he would have to leave early to get some sleep.

“It affects me when I go to visit my parents or family in general. Without meaning to, I usually allow myself to sleep on the sofa. The same thing happens if I meet friends, for example to go to the beach or watch a movie. Many times I have to force my eyelids to close, or if they are talking to me or saying something, I will accidentally tune out the conversation and think about how much I want to go to sleep. That’s why I can’t fully understand or understand what they’re talking about.”

Davinia, patient with idiopathic hypersomnia

This can also become a problem at work. In your case, some of your colleagues know this. Not his superiors, but simply because such a topic did not arise, since he believes that they will treat it with understanding. She works as a telemarketer in the mornings, and sometimes she feels like her eyes are closing and she can’t work hard enough. As with social relationships, you can’t think about anything other than go to sleep.

Treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia

There’s no cure as such in idiopathic hypersomnia, but some of this fatigue can be treated by prescribing stimulants. “We use them to relieve hypersomnia so that the patient can work or drive and it affects them less in everyday life,” explains a neurologist interviewed by this publication. “We adjust the dose depending on what the patient needs, always in the morning so as not to interfere with daytime sleep.”

The most used are methylphenidate and preferably due to a better tolerability profile, modiodal. The latter is, in fact, what Davinia takes, thanks to which she no longer has the sleep crises that she suffered from as a teenager. A crisis that even caused him to break out in cold sweats and vomit if he didn’t go to bed.

As is usually the case with drugs of this type, caution should be exercised or even not used in patients with hypertension or pathologies such as coronary heart disease. “Older people tend to avoid them because of this safety profile and because when a person is not working, there is little need to use stimulants.” Beyond this These are safe drugs also in the long term.

Don’t be ashamed

Davinia delayed receiving a diagnosis in part due to shame. Many other people are in the same situation. However, if you have any symptoms of a sleep disorder, it is important to seek help from a professional.

Correas Callero tells us that in most cases, fatigue is usually a sign of insufficient sleep. But if we sleep for many hours and still feel tired, we will have to look for the reason. Pay attention to symptoms such as “increased daytime sleepiness, insomnia, feeling of stale sleep or behavioral disturbances during sleep.” In short, if your sleep disorder is affecting functionality, you should always seek advice.

Davinia cried many times due to the helplessness caused by idiopathic hypersomnia. In general, people with sleep disorders have a very difficult time. It is important to find the causes and possible solutions as soon as possible. If you have any suspicions, don’t hesitate. Consult your doctor.