Table of Contents
What is hypersomnia?
Hypersomnia is characterized by excessive sleepiness during the daytime. It is also known as somnolence, excessive daytime sleepiness, or prolonged drowsiness. Cancer and cancer treatment can affect your sleep.
Hypersomnia can be a primary condition or a secondary condition. Primary hypersomnia occurs with no other medical conditions present. The only symptom is excessive fatigue. The secondary is the result of medical condition.
How bad is my hypersomnia?
Mild: The symptoms include sleeping for longer than usual at nigh (more than 12 hrs), and difficulty in waking up. Most of the time, mild symptoms can be safely managed at home by following the tips given in the section below.
Moderate: The symptoms are feeling sleepy during the day, taking long naps and sleep feels unrefreshing.
Severe: Visit your doctor immediately if you often fall asleep during the day or sleepiness is affecting your life.
How to manage mild hypersomnia?
Keep track of your sleep cycle using Ankr (myAnkr web portal or the Ankr app). It will help you describe the problem to your doctor or nurse.
- Sleep a few hours longer at night
- Exercise daily in the morning and not at bedtime
- Indulge in enjoyable activities that require your attention
- Try to sleep and wake up at the same time daily
- Avoid eating a heavy meal or drinking a lot of liquid in the evening
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine
How to manage moderate and severe hypersomnia?
If you find yourself tired on days after long nights of sleep, that could be a sign that you need to make an appointment with your doctor. Don’t ignore sleep problems. Feeling drained of energy after having more than adequate sleep could be a sign of anemia.
What causes hypersomnia?
- The cancer-related causes are:
- Anemia
- Anxiety or depression
- Chronic pain
- Hypercalcemia
- Hormonal imbalance
- Hypokalemia
- Chemotherapy
- Tumor in your brain and central nervous system (CNS)
2. Prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications related cause:
