Idiopathic Hypersomnia

Overview

Patients treated at Mayo Clinic for idiopathic hypersomnia benefit from the depth and breadth of experience of Mayo Clinic sleep specialists. Patients may be eligible to participate in trials for new treatments as they become available.

Idiopathic hypersomnia is an uncommon but serious sleep disorder. Its disabling daytime sleepiness can create a driving hazard, strain relationships and jeopardize work or school performance.

Diagnosis

Excluding other disorders that can sometimes be mistaken for idiopathic hypersomnia is an important part of diagnosis. This typically involves conducting a physical exam, tracking a patient's sleep-wake patterns at home, and performing an overnight study at a Mayo sleep center followed by more testing the next day. Mayo Clinic operates state-of-the-art sleep centers at all three sites, fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; in fact, Mayo Clinic in Rochester has one of the largest sleep diagnostic facilities in the United States. Read more about idiopathic hypersomnia diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment for idiopathic hypersomnia usually combines lifestyle modifications and medication. Read more about idiopathic hypersomnia treatment options.

About Idiopathic 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.