Excessive drowsiness (hypersomnolence or hypersomnia) is a serious and debilitating condition. Even though it is not transmissible, it affects both the individual that the door and the people around him, since it causes significant suffering to him, impairing his cognitive (affecting concentration and memory), social, professional performance, among other important areas of life.
Drowsiness can be a consequence of (1) insufficient sleep, (2) basic neurological dysfunction in the sleep regulating brain systems, (3) disturbed sleep, or (4) an individual's circadian rhythm phase.
The diagnosis of hypersomnolence depends on the presence of at least 1 of the following symptoms, according to the individual's report: (1) a major sleep episode of more than 9 hours a day but that the patient does not feel enough recurrent periods of sleep or sleep. falling asleep on the same day, (2) recurring periods of sleep or falling asleep on the same day, (3) difficulty being fully awake after an abrupt awakening.
In addition to these symptoms, it should be noted whether episodes of hypersomnia occur at least three times a week, for at least three months to characterize the presence of the condition.
This need for sleep can go unnoticed by the individual when they are involved in activities such as attending lectures, meetings, driving long distances and watching television. Naps are common during the day, and these naps can last for 1 hour or more.
Hypersolence, in some women, is related to the menstrual cycle. They have intermittent episodes of the condition at the beginning of menstruation or shortly before, with the symptoms usually lasting for a week, and disappearing after menstruation.
Source: Kaplan & Saddock, 2017