“Idiopathic” comes from a Latin word that, in rough translation, means “we don’t know what causes it.” As an example of this poorly defined disorder, let me cite the incident of a patient whose nightly ritual after dinner was to load the dishwasher and take out the garbage. One night before retiring, however, she went to unload the dishwasher—and found the sealed plastic bag of garbage sitting in it, all freshly washed, rinsed, and dried. She found the dinner dishes, of course, in the garbage can. To this day we don’t know what caused her problem.Also called non-REM narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia can make patients feel constantly sleepy without overwhelming them with sleep attacks or cataplexy. Sufferers usually sleep well at night, although their sleep may be prolonged and they may have difficulty rousing. If they take naps, as they often do, the naps are long and unrefreshing. Clinical tests reveal that these patients fall asleep relatively quickly, but REM sleep is not usually present during naps as it is in narcolepsy. In some cases treatment with CNS stimulants or methysergide (Sansert) may help.*165\226\8*
WHY YOU CAN’T STAY AWAKE: OTHER TYPES OF DOES – IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNIA
Posted: under Anti Depressants-Sleeping Aid.
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