Idiopathic hypersomnia

Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a neurological disorder which is characterized primarily by excessive sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). The condition typically becomes evident in early adulthood and most patients diagnosed with IH will have had the disorder for many years prior to their diagnosis. , an FDA-approved medication exists for IH called Xywav, which is oral solution of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium oxybates; in addition to several off-label treatments (primarily FDA-approved narcolepsy medications). Idiopathic hypersomnia may also be referred to as IH, IHS, or primary hypersomnia and belongs to a group of sleeping disorders known as central hypersomnias, central disorders of hypersomnolence, or hypersomnia of brain origin. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) defines idiopathic hypersomnia as EDS without narcolepsy or the associated features of other sleep disorders. It occurs in the absence of medical problems or sleep disruptions, such as sleep apnea, that can cause secondary hypersomnia. Individuals with IH share common symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, brain fog, long sleep periods, and others. Excessive daytime sleepiness, characterized by persistent sleepiness throughout the day and often a general lack of energy—even during the day after apparently adequate or even prolonged nighttime sleep. People with EDS nap repeatedly throughout the day and have strong urges to sleep while driving, working, eating, or conversing with others. Sleep inertia (also known as sleep drunkenness), characterized by having extreme difficulty waking up and feeling an uncontrollable desire to go back to sleep. Clouding of consciousness characterized by inattention, thought process abnormalities, comprehension abnormalities, and language abnormalities. These symptoms may affect performance on perception, memory, learning, executive functions, language, constructive abilities, voluntary motor control, attention, and mental speed.