Around 34% of Americans say they have bad sleep quality, with an average of 60 million Americans struggling with sleep disorders. Understanding sleep disorders and their impact on daily life is essential, especially if you are struggling with symptoms of a sleep disorder. This article will review idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) and narcolepsy as common but distinct sleep disorders.
Understanding Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Hypersomnia applies to any individual who sleeps excessively. Someone with hypersomnia will get at least 6 hours each night but it doesn’t matter how many hours they get because they’ll feel tired throughout the day and have issues waking in the morning because the sleep itself may have been poor quality or disrupted.
Hypersomnia is a unique category among sleep conditions, and idiopathic hypersomnia refers to hypersomnia that does not have a clear cause.
Understanding Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder, and it has several symptoms that stem from the inability to regulate a sleep-wake cycle. This includes drowsiness throughout the day, sleep attacks where you cannot stop yourself from falling asleep, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy.
Idiopathic Hypersomnia vs Narcolepsy: Key Differences
So, what are the key differences between the two?
Nature of Sleepiness
One of the first differences is the nature of the sleepiness. Someone with idiopathic hypersomnia will get a lot of sleep, usually ten or more hours, and they might even take naps during the day, but they still feel exhausted all day. Someone with narcolepsy cannot control when they are awake or asleep because they have hypocretin deficiencies and characteristic abnormalities for their nocturnal polysomnogram, one of the ways that this is tested.
Presence of Cataplexy
Idiopathic hypersomnia does not present with cataplexy, but narcolepsy does.
Sleep Paralysis and Hallucinations
Narcolepsy can present with sleep paralysis and hallucinations but not with idiopathic hypersomnia.
Daytime Functioning
Narcolepsy means an individual can’t control REM cycles, so they can’t guarantee restorative sleep, and this has a significant impact on daily function. Someone with idiopathic hypersomnia is able to sleep but they don’t get restorative sleep. However, they can control REM cycles.
Treatment Options for Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Narcolepsy
So, what are the treatment options for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia?
Medications for Narcolepsy
Sometimes, medications can be used to help treat narcolepsy. Central nervous system stimulants are commonly prescribed to treat narcolepsy. You might also be prescribed a stimulant to help with daytime sleepiness.
Medications for Idiopathic Hypersomnia
The same types of central nervous system stimulants can be prescribed for idiopathic hypersomnia to help you stay awake and create a regular sleep schedule.
Lifestyle Modifications
Lifestyle modifications are very important, especially for idiopathic hypersomnia. Some examples of helpful tactics include the following:
- Having flexible work schedules so that you can start work later in the day if you have difficulty waking up
- Keeping a journal to identify triggers
- Avoiding activities late at night that might interfere with a good bedtime
- Having proper sleep hygiene
- Getting regular exercise
- Eating small, frequent meals instead of large meals so that you don’t feel sleepy after
- Taking naps if they are helpful but not if they make your symptoms worse
- Meditating, especially before bed, to help you relax
For narcolepsy, many of the same lifestyle modifications are encouraged, including the following:
- Taking precautions when driving
- Reducing stress to help improve sleep quality
- Avoiding substances like alcohol or caffeine at night
- Exercising regularly around 4 hours before your bedtime
- Tackling daytime sleepiness with short naps
- Maintaining the right sleep schedule
- Avoiding heavy meals, especially before bed
Long-Term Management
For those with narcolepsy vs. idiopathic hypersomnia, long-term management will include the same types of lifestyle adjustments.
For example, if you have idiopathic hypersomnia and there are days when you’re sleeping is so extreme that you can’t keep yourself awake despite however you try, you might test whether or not taking naps is an effective long-term strategy or whether it interferes with your sleep schedule the following night without leaving you feeling refreshed after.
If you have narcolepsy, you might need to work with your company such that you’re able to take naps on your office floor to help you feel recharged throughout the day, making up for the lost time at the end of your shift or the following day.
The way you manage idiopathic hypersomnia vs. narcolepsy might also include inpatient vs. outpatient psychiatric treatment to help with any underlying mental health disorders or stress that might be contributing to your symptoms.
Which Sleep Disorder Do You Have? Seeking Professional Help
If you are worried about the difference between narcolepsy and hypersomnia and figuring out which one you have, it’s important that you not only learn how to recognize symptoms but also figure out when to seek help.
Recognizing Symptoms and When to Seek Help
If you think you might have narcolepsy vs. idiopathic hypersomnia, you should seek help when either condition becomes so disruptive that you are unable to function normally. You don’t have to wait for things to get severe. You can reach out to a mental health professional or a doctor for a clinical evaluation as soon as symptoms become consistent.
For a diagnosis of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, there are time frames required. In general, hypersomnia requires symptoms that manifest for at least three months.
The Role of Sleep Studies
In some cases, you will likely undergo a sleep study. A sleep study is very important in differentiating between narcolepsy vs. idiopathic hypersomnia because those who have narcolepsy cannot control REM cycles, and this is something that will show up with a sleep study.
Next Steps After Diagnosis
After your diagnosis of idiopathic hypersomnia vs. narcolepsy, you’ll be able to focus on treatment. In many cases, you participate in therapy to help you change the relationship you have with your symptoms. medication might be used to help you get to sleep and achieve restorative sleep if you have narcolepsy, but therapy is a bit more effective for hypersomnia, especially idiopathic hypersomnia, where the cause is not known. Medication and therapy combined can help tackle issues of poor sleep, sleep paralysis, and even cataplexy.
Conclusion
Overall, there are major differences between idiopathic hypersomnia and narcolepsy, primarily the sleep paralysis and hallucinations that are associated with narcolepsy and the quality of the sleep that’s achieved with either condition. If you are experiencing symptoms, don’t be afraid to seek help and undergo proper testing for an official diagnosis and personalized care.