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Kleine-Levin Syndrome

Description

Kleine-Levin syndrome is a rare brain disorder that can cause a patient to sleep as much as 20 hours per day. Episodes can last weeks, and some patients become sexually uninhibited and experience hallucinations during this time.

Diagnosis

Symptoms include irritability, disorientation, lack of energy, excessive eating and extreme sensitivity to noise. Patients will complain of sleeping too much for weeks at a time. When not experiencing a sleep episode, sufferers will be normal.

Treatment

Stimulants are generally prescribed to combat excessive sleepiness. For most, the disorder fades as they grow older.

Source: Adapted from International Classification of Sleep Disorders Diagnostic & Coding Manual, American Academy of Sleep Medicine.