Hypersomnia

Emory Sleep Center has received accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. We offer care for all hypersomnia disorders, including narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and Kleine-Levin syndrome. We also perform research to advance sleep medicine and improve treatment for sleep disorders.

Our expert team includes physicians, nurse practitioners and sleep technologists. Together, we work to identify the cause of your hypersomnia and provide evidence-based treatments that are best for you.

For some patients with hypersomnia disorders, The Emory Sleep Center’s specialized Central Disorders of Hypersomnia Clinic may provide more intensive treatment. Information about this option can be obtained when calling to schedule an appointment.

The central disorders of hypersomnia are a group of disorders whose main symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness. There are several different hypersomnia disorders, which each have different symptoms. We don’t know what’s behind every case of hypersomnia. But possible causes include:

The most common symptoms of hypersomnia disorders include:

• Sleepiness during the day no matter how much sleep you get
• Frequent daytime naps, which may be short or last for hours
• Sleeping for long periods of time (more than 10 hours/night) Difficulty waking up after a full night of sleep
• Tiredness during the day no matter how much sleep you get
• Other symptoms may include: Episodes of muscle weakness triggered by strong emotions
• Hallucinations when you are falling asleep or waking up
• Difficulty with attention or thinking

• Do you fall asleep during the day even if you don’t intend to?
• Do you lack alertness, even if you take stimulant medications, such as Adderall or Dexedrine?
• Do you sleep more than 10 hours a night?
• Do you wake up after a full night’s sleep and still feel unrefreshed?
• Is it hard for you to wake up in the morning? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might benefit from an evaluation with a sleep medicine specialist.

To make a diagnosis, we talk to you about your symptoms, medical history and sleeping habits. We may also ask you to track your sleep and symptoms in a daily log. Tests we may recommend include:

• A sleep study or polysomnogram. This test records brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate and rhythm, and more with equipment attached to your body while you sleep. Usually, the test takes place during an overnight stay at Emory Sleep Center.
• A multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). We may conduct this test after a sleep study if the study rules out other causes of sleepiness. An MSLT helps us quantify sleepiness. The test begins one-and-a-half to two hours after waking up in the morning. We then encourage you to sleep five more times, once every two hours.
• Actigraphy. This is a wearable, wristwatch-like device that tracks your patterns of rest and activity, which can help us understand your rhythms and interpret your sleep testing results.