I bet every single person with Idiopathic Hypersomnia can relate to this “But what you don’t know is that I pass on many experiences and opportunities because I am sick. Some things are too difficult, some things are not worth it, and some things could be detrimental to me. What you don’t know is that having a chronic illness is like losing every part of what made you who you are. Sometimes I feel like I’m reaching out for a tiny thread that is tied to life — not life itself

Dr. David Rye’s 2013 session at the Narcolepsy Network conference entitled: What’s in a Name? Understanding the Origins of the Terminologies for the Family of Hypersomnias. This video is a fascinating examination of semantics and the signs and symptoms of hypersomnia. “Narcolepsy, real narcolepsy, narcolepsy with cataplexy is under the Hypersomnias, but narcolepts don’t sleep anymore over 24hrs than anyone else does, that’s been shown in numerous studies…. Hypersomnia means

The founder of Hypersomnolence Australia and Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week, Michelle Chadwick was interviewed live on ABC Radio on 5th September during the 2017 Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week. . Know someone that doesn't understand what Idiopathic Hypersomnia is and what it is like to live with it? Get them to listen to this radio interview >> click here #IdiopathicHypersomnia #RadioInterview #IHAW2017 #MichelleChadwick #IdiopathicHypersomniaAwareness #Idio

The terms 'hypersomnia of unknown origin' and 'excessive daytime sleepiness' are not synonymous with idiopathic hypersomnia (they do not mean the same thing). Idiopathic Hypersomnia is an unfortunate name. This is because the word “idiopathic” means ‘unknown cause’ and this can lead people to assume it is merely a symptom – the symptom of being ‘sleepy’ and doctors don’t know why. This is not correct. Idiopathic hypersomnia was identified and described as a separate disease e

The theme for this year’s Idiopathic Hypersomnia Awareness Week is “Research”. We share the theme of “Research” with this year’s Rare Disease Day. “Imagine going to see your doctor only to be told that they don’t know what is happening to your body, that they don’t know what your disease is. Imagine that they can diagnose your disease but tell you that there is no cure or treatment available. Or that the treatment available is not fully effective but just the best possible op