insomnia hypersomnia

Insomnia and Hypersomnia

Insomnia and hypersomnia both involve disruption of normal sleep patterns. They can be illnesses of their own right but can also often be part of bipolar disorder. That is the manner in which we will discuss them here.
Insomnia is commonly thought of as the inability to fall asleep. That is not entirely accurate. Insomnia is a lack of sleep or disruption of the sleep pattern that interferes with a person getting adequate sleep. It can involve difficulty falling asleep, early-morning waking with an inability to get back to sleep, or waking periodically in the middle of the night with difficulty falling back to sleep (but eventually being able to do so). When a child/teen is suffering from insomnia, they will be tired, exhausted even, and show problems related to that (poor attention, low energy level, daytime fatigue, desire to nap further disrupting the sleep pattern, etc.) Insomnia is typically a symptom of depression. If your child is sleeping only short periods each night yet has tons of energy, that is mania, a very different thing.

Hypersomnia is also a symptom of depression. It involves too much sleeping, such as sleeping long periods each night, taking frequent long naps, and so forth. Often people with hypersomnia related to depression may still report fatigue after all this sleep and may still show signs of exhaustion (low energy, desire for even more sleep, poor attention, etc.) Both insomnia and hypersomnia can often be improved or eliminated by better medicating the underlying depression and by good sleep hygiene (life style choices that are conducive to good sleep).

Also keep in mind that some kids/teens, if allowed to do so, may develop sleep-wake cycle reversal, wanting to be awake all night long and sleep all day. In this case it is not the amount of sleep that is the problem but rather the times at which the person sleeps. Some medications may also cause fatigue or increased energy, so medications side effects can affect sleep as well. If any of these sleep disruptions are evident in your child or teen, talk to their tdoc/pdoc to get assistance in remedying the problem.

THE FINE PRINT

The information on these web pages is the compilation of parents who are trying to help our kids and in the process help others as well. The information found on this site is intended solely for informational, educational and support purposes only. There are no claims made of medical, legal, educational or other advice nor are there any guarantees implied. Do not make any medication or therapy changes, legal, educational or other decisions based on information found here without first consulting a professional who knows your child and family. Many websites, books and other sources are referenced for information, such reference does not imply endorsement.

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