Hypersomnia is characterized by excessive amount of sleep. Hypersomnia patients (or hypersomniacs) generally have prolonged sleep at night, as well as they strongly tent to sleep during daytime. They often complain of sleepiness and irresistable fatigue. Quite often these symptoms are combined with anxiety and fear, or, on the contrary, depression and indifference towards everything that’s going on around them. Insomniacs usually have an insuperable inclination to fall asleep suddenly at any time of the day.

There are two kinds of this sleeping disorder. Short-term hypersomnia is just a temporary disorder that is caused by recent stress or emotional strains, as well as it can accompany some general diseases, for example, flu, intoxication, etc. Long-term (or chronic) hypersomnia can develop in course of many years and, as a result, is very difficult to treat.

However, hypersomnia is mostly caused by serious brain damage, uremia, fibromyalgia, brain tumours that can lead to high intracranial pressure. It can also be and also can be the consequence of clinical depression, abuse of somnolent preparations, some forms of encephalitis.

There are three stages of insomnia (or sleeplessness). The first of them happens when you have trouble while falling asleep. The second phase is when you can’t keep your sleep permanent: you awaken and fall back asleep for short periods all the time. The third phase is connected with early awakening with no subsequent sleep.

The causes of insomnia are various. It can be the result of stress, chronic emotional conflict or some somatic disease. Quite often insomnia is cause by psychostimulants, coffeine, disturbed or unstable regimen, etc.

Development of chronic insomnia is promoted by various factors, including emotional conflicts, incorrect (non-adaptive) reaction to stress, fear of bad dreams and anxiety.