ORLANDO, FL (Ivanhoe Newswire) — The CDC reports one in three people in the U.S. say they don’t get enough sleep. Nearly five million Americans have a little-known sleep disorder, hypersomnia, that leaves them feeling exhausted even after getting eight hours of rest a night.
“Sleep is the VIP service everybody needs. Regardless of age, sleep is so important to our system. It affects basically every area of our life,” says Leandre Schoeman, a Certified Sleep Consultant.
Stress, insomnia, chronic fatigue, sleep apnea, restless legs, age, all these things can cause a restless night’s sleep. But have you ever had a full eight hours and still woke up exhausted?
There’s a name for it. Scientists are studying idiopathic hypersomnia, which means unexplained sleepiness. One in 70 people experience it regularly. The main symptom is chronic daytime sleepiness, even after a nap. People also have difficulty waking up and when they do wake up, they are disoriented. The condition can make day-to-day activities a challenge.
Scientists at the University of Wisconsin Madison now believe it may be caused by a hormonal imbalance that acts like an all-day sleeping pill that throws off a person’s circadian rhythm or the body’s sleep-wake cycle.
There’s no cure, but treatments include stimulant medications like Provigil or Alertec to help people stay awake during the day.
There is no test to diagnose idiopathic hypersomnia. It’s commonly diagnosed by the elimination of other sleep disorders. Experts recommend adults sleep between seven and nine hours a night.
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Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor
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