Sleeping beauty syndrome is otherwise called hypersomnia, pathological drowsiness or Kleine-Levin syndrome. This is a fairly rare disease that affects the nervous system. It most often develops in adolescents under the age of 16. At the same time, girls get sick much less often than boys.
For the first time, they began to talk about hypersomnia in medical circles in 1786. However, it was not until the 1930s of the 20th century that this phenomenon began to be seriously studied. Psychiatrist Willie Klein and neuropathologist Max Levin dealt with this neurological pathology. Therefore, as a result, the sleeping beauty syndrome received the corresponding scientific name - Kleine-Levin syndrome.
To date, this disease is not common, however, several diagnoses a year around the world are nevertheless made. What are the reasons for this pathology?
Why does hypersomnia occur?
The root cause of pathological drowsiness is usually a malfunction in the nervous system, brain. According to the results of the studies carried out, it was revealed that people with sleeping beauty syndrome have malfunctions in the work of the hypothalamus. In addition, hormonal levels affect the development of the syndrome. For this reason, adolescents are more likely than adults to experience such a neurological disorder.
Specifically, doctors identify the following grounds for the development of Kleine-Levin syndrome:
- heredity, which can provoke mutations in genes and cause hypersomnia;
- traumatic brain injury, especially affecting the hypothalamus;
- viral infections, brain diseases, including cancer;
- malfunction of the hormonal system;
- constantly elevated body temperature or high fever caused by overheating, poisoning, flu, and so on.
Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Signs
The main symptom of neurological pathology is a constant desire to sleep. A person suffering from this disease can be asleep for up to two weeks in a row, waking up for a short time in order to eat and go to the toilet. Sleep with the syndrome of sleeping handsome men can be both very superficial and disturbing, and deep, strong. In any case, it is not recommended to forcibly wake a person, otherwise you may encounter affective behavior, aggression, uncontrollable anger.
Another important symptom of Kleine-Levin syndrome is gluttony, which can gradually transform into a mental pathology such as bulimia. Sick people, despite a complete breakdown and a constant desire to sleep, experience a very strong hunger. In rare moments of wakefulness during an exacerbation of the disease, such people can eat a huge amount of food, while not feeling full. They may feel sick from eating, in some cases nausea and vomiting appear, but the patients simply cannot control themselves.
Additional signs of Sleeping Beauty Syndrome include:
- gradual loss of interest in business, work, study, hobbies before an outbreak of exacerbation of the condition;
- increased sexuality, excessive desire for intimacy both before the onset of "hibernation" and during the period of hypersomnia;
- increased sweating and malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system;
- absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, tearfulness, confusion, loss of orientation in space;
- excessive painful reactions to any light or noise sources;
- restless legs syndrome, pain in muscles and joints, severe tension in the body, which makes sleep very intermittent;
- increased blood sugar;
- pallor or cyanosis of the skin, especially in the lips and on the hands.
Treatment of pathological drowsiness
Elimination of the syndrome of the sleeping handsome man is possible only if the cause of this pathology is precisely established. It is not the syndrome itself that needs to be treated, but what causes it. The sleeping beauty syndrome itself is not amenable to treatment, therapy is aimed at reducing the frequency of attacks of hypersomnia.
To alleviate the general condition and relieve severe symptoms, it is usually necessary to work with a psychotherapist or psychologist. In addition, the closest environment of a sick person should also communicate with a specialist in order to know how to behave in moments of exacerbation of pathology.
As a rule, the treatment of Kleine-Levin syndrome takes place in stationary conditions in the department of neuroses. There, the necessary care is provided for the patient. In rare cases, if the root cause of the pathology cannot be identified, patients are prescribed drug treatment and electroconvulsive therapy.
Among the methods of psychotherapy in working with the sleeping beauty syndrome, psychoanalysis and art therapy have proven themselves well.
