It is a common known fact that not getting enough sleep can
be detrimental to your health. However, newer studies are revealing that too
much sleep may also begin to cause some problems.
Different health issues such as diabetes, depression, low
thyroid, or obstructive sleep apnea, can all induce the urge to sleep. Now, when all these problems are ruled out,
the next diagnosis is usually primary hypersomnia. It is found that patients
with this problem have a substance in their cerebrospinal fluid that causes the
brain to sedate itself. Symptoms of this condition hit people who are usually
in their early 20’s.
Researches at Emory University believe that the substance in
the cerebrospinal fluid that acts as a sleep agent (somnogen), supercharges a
sleep-inducing brain chemical called GABA. A patient with this condition was
treated with flumazenil, a drug that is administered to counteract an overdose
of sedatives, and began to feel more “alive” several days later.
Although the actual chemical that causes this brain sedation
has not yet been discovered, it is believed that it can be the cause of many
other conditions that involve excessive drowsiness. Doctors have been able to
find that same sleep-inducing spinal fluid in patients that have narcolepsy and
a rare form of hypersomnia called Kleine-Levin syndrome.
Ever since this new research has come about, many patients
have been contacting their doctors and several sleep clinics to discuss the
possibility of having the condition. Because many factors can cause excessive
drowsiness, such as simply not getting enough sleep at night, many patients
have gone undiagnosed and are now looking for answers. The drug that helps
counter the excessive drowsiness, flumazenil, is in low supply, and the search
to find alternatives that would provide the same effect is now in effect.
Of course if, take for an example, a patient regularly
sleeps for more than a day a problem is apparent, in comparison to a patient
who may sleep more than a day due to lack of sleep the night before. Taking
this into consideration, how do you draw the line between a health condition and a simple routine issue? Do you think people who are just not getting
enough sleep and feeling drowsy all the time are going to take advantage of
this condition to get personal pardons?
I think the biggest factor to consider here is lifestyle. I myself suffer from sleep problems, but that is because of my lifestyle. I took 16 credits this semester and have two jobs, one of which involves overnight or "graveyard" shifts. I am pretty drowsy a lot of the time BUT that is because I work between 6-8 overnight, get 6 hours of sleep and then go to class later that day. When I get the chance I usually can sleep an entire day, but I don't see this at abnormal, it's just recharging. However, someone who just takes classes (a normal amount around 15 credits), does not have a job, and doesn't stay up till like 5 am partying every night does not have the same "excuse" (for lack of better word) if they are sleeping for days at a time, and therefore might consider a disorder.
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