Idiopathic Hypersomnia In this disorder, the individual complains of excessive sleepiness and prolonged sleep during the night. The principle sign that makes this condition different from narcolepsy, or even normal long sleepers, is that there are numerous occurrences of non-REM sleep that last for up to two hours. (Normally every 1 1/2 hours of sleep contains all the various stages of sleep including REM and non-REM sleep.) Sometimes this disorder is called non-REM narcolepsy.Since this condition involves many of the same symptoms (extreme sleepiness, large sleep need) as other sleep disorders (like sleep apnea and narcolepsy), it is important to rule out these other problems before reaching this diagnosis. See also Subwakefulness Syndrome. This condition is an intrinsic sleep disorder, meaning that it comes from within the body. It is a type of dyssomnia. | |
