10 Causes of Hypersomnia
Cause #1: Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that is long term and results in a decreased ability to regulate the sleep and wake cycles. Patients often experience excessive daytime sleepiness that ranges from several seconds to minutes. These episodes can occur at any time. 70 percent of narcolepsy patients often experience sudden loss of muscle strength known as cataplexy that can be triggered by strong emotions. There can be inability to move or vivid hallucinations.
While patients with narcolepsy sleep the same number of hours as normal people, their quality of sleep is usually worse. The cause of narcolepsy is still unknown but there are several theories: where one suggests the low levels of neuropeptide orexin due to an autoimmune disorder, toxins, psychological stress, infections, and more.
