6-12th SEPTEMBER 2021
The most important annual event for Idiopathic Hypersomnia is the Worldwide Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week® hosted by Hypersomnolence Australia. It is held annually in the first full week in September.
The Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week®’s social media is the central hub for the Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week event so make sure to "like" our Facebook page, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
It is the mission of Worldwide Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week® to raise awareness and to help improve the level of education of Idiopathic Hypersomnia among the general public, people with Hypersomnia, and medical professionals. Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week® is hosted by Hypersomnolence Australia and actively encourages other people and organisations to join in this effort. After all, we have similar goals and we champion this cause for the same reasons. We believe the key to success is a unified voice under one banner.
The IHAW is a truly worldwide event. We have worked with Ambassadors in the US, Canada, UK, Europe, Japan, and Australasia.
If you are an individual, group, or organisation and would like to hold an appropriate awareness event you can register your event by completing this form.
The Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week® is a registered Trademark in the United States and Australia and is recognised throughout the world as Idiopathic Hypersomnia's most significant annual awareness raising event. We are a non-profit organisation that does not receive funding and we do not charge membership. To allow us to continue to host this very important event we need your help!
How does the IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNIA AWARENESS WEEK® Logo represent Idiopathic Hypersomnia?
The wavy line means more than you might think!
While there may not yet be any biomarkers or other clinical tests that can confirm Idiopathic Hypersomnia various research over the years shows that people with Idiopathic Hypersomnia, (particularly the complete form) often have more “slow wave sleep” (also referred to as “deep sleep”) than the average person.
Delta waves, like other brain waves, are recorded by EEG during
an overnight sleep study (polysomnogram). Delta waves are usually associated with the deep sleep experienced during stage 3 of NREM sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS). Below is an example of what delta waves look like during Slow Wave Sleep (stage 3).

I guess you can see now how we came up with the image in our logo but did you notice that the shape of the “delta waves” in the IHAW logo depicts a horizontal face?

The IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNIA AWARENESS WEEK® logo represents Idiopathic Hypersomnia in two ways. The delta waves represent the typical increased slow wave sleep experienced by people with Idiopathic Hypersomnia and the horizontal sleeping face is representative of the people with Idiopathic Hypersomnia.
Talinka Hill is the graphic designer responsible for the IDIOPATHIC HYPERSOMNIA AWARENESS WEEK® logo. We are extremely grateful to her for volunteering her time and talent to this project.

ADD A FACEBOOK FRAME TO YOUR PROFILE PIC
Click on one of the two below.
WE ALSO HAVE A FACEBOOK COVER PHOTO
Check out the IHAW FACEBOOK PAGE

Click on a sign below to download a copy.
Take a photo of you holding it and share it online.
Write in the space in the middle what living with Idiopathic Hypersomnia is like for you.
Take a photo of you holding it and share it online with #LivingWithIdiopathicHypersomnia
The example below is Angel during IHAW2020

When sharing your photos use #LivingWithIdiopathicHypersomnia and/or #IHAW #IdiopathicHypersomniaAwareness
You can also send us your photo and we will share it on our social media too!

IHAW TShirts come in white or grey
If you are in Australia please order via the HA Store. $28, includes standard postage.
If you are in the US TShirts are $25US*, includes standard postage.
If you are in the UK TShirts are £18.50*, includes standard postage.
*We do not make any money from our TShirts. They are custom ordered. What you pay is what the supplier charges us so the price is subject to change.
If you would like to buy one please email us at ihaweek@gmail.com.
Please DO NOT order via HA'S Store.
Please let us know if you would like white or grey and also your delivery address and contact phone number. We will reply with your local size chart and details for payment. Payment is made via a secure PayPal link.
If you live elsewhere in the world and would like to buy a TShirt please email us your delivery address, including whether you would like white or grey and we will reply with a price.
View and Download a copy of Hypersomnolence Australia's Idiopathic Hypersomnia Factsheet
You can also download a copy of Hypersomnolence Australia and Hypersomnia Foundation Idiopathic Hypersomnia Trifold Brochures.
Summary pages are available for each of the past Awareness Weeks: IHAW2020, IHAW2019, IHAW2018, IHAW2017, IHAW2016
For a summary of the IHAW from 2013 -2015 click here.
Images to download and share
There are more images you can share on the other IHAW pages - links above and also on our Living with Idiopathic Hypersomnia page