Overcoming Hypersomnia: Can CBT Help Me Regain My Life?

When it comes to sleep disorders, most people immediately think of insomnia, or the inability to get sufficient quality sleep on a regular basis. That’s because many Americans — more than a third, in fact — experience brief periods of insomnia from time to time.

For older adults and teens that number can be higher — a lot higher.

But while insomnia is relatively common, it’s not the only type of sleep disorder. Many people have the opposite type of problem, a sleep disorder called hypersomnia, which causes excessive sleepiness throughout the day.

Fortunately, sleep therapy can help — in fact, we can tailor sleep therapy specifically for the needs of people with hypersomnia, supporting optimal sleep routines for better health and improved quality of life.

In this post, our team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services reviews the basics of hypersomnia and how sleep therapy can help.

Understanding hypersomnia

Many people get confused between hypersomnia and narcolepsy, a sleep disorder that causes sudden urges to sleep that are severe enough to cause a person to immediately fall asleep, regardless of what they might be doing.

Hypersomnia differs because, while it can also cause daytime sleepiness, it doesn’t progress to immediate sleep, but it can make you want to sleep longer or take naps during the day.

There are two main types of hypersomnia:

Primary hypersomnia (or idiopathic hypersomnia) with no identifiable medical cause
Secondary hypersomnia, which can be traced to an underlying cause, like narcolepsy, depression, sleep apnea, or even certain medications

Identifying which type you have plays a key role in treatment.

Both types of hypersomnia pose significant challenges, causing persistent drowsiness that can interfere with your ability to focus and perform at work and school. Hypersomnia can also cause irritability, anxiety, and other mood changes. And that continual feeling of being tired can make it a lot harder to socialize or take part in activities you’d normally enjoy.

But that’s not all: Like sleeping too little, sleeping too much can increase your risks of serious health problems, including:

Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Depression
Obesity
Chronic headaches

Worse, getting more sleep than your body needs on a regular basis also increases your risk of dying from any medical condition.

Benefits of sleep therapy

Sleep therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that uses special techniques focused on sleep habits and the behaviors that influence those habits. While many people associate sleep therapy with insomnia (CBT-I), it’s also highly effective in treating hypersomnia (and other sleep disorders, too).

In fact, CBT is very flexible, encompassing a broad array of techniques ideal for helping people manage symptoms of drowsiness and unhealthy sleep habits like sleeping for too many hours or taking too many naps.

Sleep therapy for hypersomnia includes exercises and therapies designed to:

Regulate napping habits
Reverse negative thought patterns influencing sleep and drowsiness
Establishing and adhering to a regular sleep schedule
Optimizing wake-time routines
Address underlying issues of anxiety or stress associated with hypersomnia

During your therapy, our team also addresses feelings of frustration, discouragement, and failure that often plague people with sleep disorders, giving you back control over your life and your future.

Like sleep therapy for insomnia, every aspect of sleep therapy for hypersomnia is customized based on your specific needs, lifestyle factors, symptoms, and personal challenges. And of course, regular check-ins ensure your therapy is on track and optimized for your success.

Find relief for hypersomnia symptoms

Hypersomnia can take a big toll on your life, but CBT can help you regain control. To find out how CBT can work you, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health Services in Decatur, Georgia, today.