Understanding Recurrent hypersomnia: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Kleine-Levin syndrome, or "sleeping beauty" syndrome, is a rare disorder characterized by periods of excessive sleepiness. It usually affects teenage boys, and 70 per cent of those who have this disorder are men. During an episode of the disease, the person can sleep even 20 hours a day, and can’t function normally in life. Episodes come and go, and between episodes, they do not experience any symptoms.. The cause for this syndrome is not known, but there are probably some risk factors such as brain injury, after having an infection, and genetics.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Kleine-levin syndrome

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms include extreme sleepiness, trouble getting out of bed, strong desire to go to sleep, fatigue, hallucionations, disorientation, irritability, childish behavior, increased appetite and excessive sex drive.

Diagnosis

Kleine-levin syndrome is hard to diagnose. Diagnosis is made by ruling out other conditions . Diagnosis may include polysomnogram, CT scan or brain MRI, blood tests, and psychiatrist evaluation.

Treatment

Treatment focuses on relieving the symptoms and includes stimulant medications, and mood stabilizers.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

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Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital