Hypersomnia In Children
Hypersomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by continuous and involuntary episodes of drowsiness, especially during the daytime. In particular, hypersomnia in children is often confused with other age-related disorders or behaviors. How to differentiate your symptoms?
Although it develops most often in adolescents and young adults, the diagnosis of hypersomnia can be made at any stage, including childhood. In children from 2 to 7 years old, it manifests with nighttime sleep lapses greater than eight hours.
Boys are sleepy and have recurrent naps during the day; This happens even in the presence of other children and in the middle of an activity. Sometimes, instead, they develop an unexpected hyperactivity.
In addition to the unexplained sleep, loss of concentration, irritability, bad behavior and poor school performance are evident. When it comes to hypersomnia in adolescents, their physical, mental and emotional state is affected.
Young people do not control heaviness or nodding, they have anxiety, they lose their orientation and their character becomes quite aggressive.
Types of hypersomnia
Hypersomnia or excessive sleepiness must be differentiated from simple tiredness. Those who feel weak, fatigued or depressed, choose sleep as a revitalizing agent.
The disorder —on the contrary— “forces” to sleep at any time and occasion, regardless of whether the body needs it or not. In essence, it modifies the normal sleep cycle, generates memory loss and attention deficit.
There are two types of hypersomnias:
- The primary, originated in the central nervous system;
- the secondary ones, produced by chronic sleep deprivation. This is the most common in children and adolescents.
Although diagnosed to a lesser extent, primary hypersomnia deserve a lot of attention. It is caused by narcolepsy, Kleine-Levin Syndrome (Sleeping Beauty Syndrome) or by idiopathic or unknown reasons.
Narcolepsy, specifically, generates a clinical picture of cataplexy (muscular hypotonia), sleep interruption, and unrealistic perceptions. In addition, it can make limb mobility impossible and trigger rapid eye movements and recurrent parasomnias.
What Causes Hypersomnia in Children?
The most common cause of hypersomnia in children is chronic sleep deprivation, caused by changes in schedules, diseases, neurological conditions, or primary sleep disorders.
The circadian rhythm becomes out of adjustment when the sleep phase is advanced or delayed, just as when there are sudden changes in time zone. Also when doing intense activities at night.
In children, daytime hypersomnia responds mostly to insufficient rest. It occurs when they spend hours in front of the television, PC, or other electronic device at night. As a consequence, their rest is shortened by having to get up early to fulfill their school obligations.
Another of the main triggers, especially between the ages of 2 and 8, is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). This disorder prevents, for a fraction of seconds, breathing while sleeping, thus preventing complete rest.
Other agents can influence the appearance of hypersomnia. Among them are:
- Head injuries
- Neurological pathologies.
- Action of drugs.
- Over weight.
If there are compromises in the central nervous system, presence of tumors or family medical history, there may also be a diagnosis.
What other discomfort does it generate?
The main result of hypersomnia is exaggerated and uncontrollable sleepiness. The hours of rest will never be enough. To be identified as such, sleep disturbances must prevail for at least a month.
With the numbness other discomforts are generated such as anguish, slowness in thinking and speech and loss of appetite. Likewise, there may be difficulty remembering, lack of energy and inability to function in social settings.
If hypersomnia is linked to Kleine-Levin Syndrome, the affected person can sleep 18 hours or more.
Most common treatments for hypersomnia
The initial recommendation is to monitor the child’s sleep cycles, as well as to record the alterations and possible risk factors. The relationship with the environment and lifestyle will tell the parents and the specialist a lot about the complexity of the disorder.
When hypersomnia responds to narcolepsy, a normal life can be assured for the child, provided there is a comprehensive approach. Family, teachers and school colleagues must be involved in the treatment.
In general, hypersomnia in children, adolescents and adults should be treated therapeutically, even pharmacologically if necessary. Otherwise, the condition will become more acute.
Patients can go from frequent sleep episodes to sleeping 12 to 18 hours a day, which will affect their ability to interact and perform at their jobs. To prevent this from happening, you can resort to body, communication and attention therapies.
