Central hypersomnias in children

Increased daytime sleepiness is an important symptom of disturbed night sleep, which should not be neglected. Hypersomnia reduces the quality of life, complicates socialization, can provoke insomnia, impulsive behaviour, and even depression or suicidal tendencies. The causes of increased daytime sleepiness may be non-compliance with sleep hygiene, nighttime sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, etc.). If these conditions are excluded, you need to pay attention to rare forms of sleep pathology included in the group of central hypersomnia. Aim of the review: to determine the prevalence, pathogenesis, clinic, diagnosis, and treatment of hypersomnia in children. Among the central hypersomnia, narcolepsy is more common than the rest in the population. Idiopathic hypersomnia and Kleine-Levin syndrome are more rare forms of pathology. The pathogenesis of central hypersomnia has not yet been sufficiently studied, disorders of the immune system are of key importance, but there may be other causes. The leading clinical manifestation is daytime sleepiness, which worsens the child’s quality of life. In the diagnosis of hypersomnia, polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test (MTLS) are of key importance, in some cases other diagnostic methods (MRI) should be used. Pharmacotherapy relieves the condition in sick children, but does not completely eliminate the symptoms. New medicines are being developed. Treatment of hypertension should be comprehensive, not limited to drug therapy.