Table of contents:
- What is a syndrome sleeping beauty?
- What are the characteristics of the syndrome sleeping beauty?
- What causes the syndrome sleeping beauty?
- How is treatment for syndrome sufferers sleeping beauty?
The sleeping princess, a fairy tale that has been known from time to time, is not entirely a myth. Syndrome sleeping beauty is a situation that actually happened in real life. Syndrome sleeping beauty or in the medical world known as Kleine-Levin Syndrome is a neurological disorder that is arguably rare. It is so rare, it is reported that there are only about 1000 people worldwide who suffer from this disease.
What is a syndrome sleeping beauty?
Kleine-Levine syndrome is a rare neurological disease that uniquely affects adult men, about 70% of the total number of people with the syndrome. sleeping beauty is a boy. The main characteristic of this disease is the ongoing period in which the sufferer sleeps for a long time, approximately more than 20 hours per day. This period can last from a few days to several months. But after that period is over, the sufferer of the syndrome sleeping beauty can do normal activities like normal people.
The first case of this syndrome was reported by Brierre de Boismont in 1862. This case appeared several decades before the onset of epidemic encephalitis lethargica. But it was not until 1925 that cases of hyperinsomnia that were recurring were collected and reported by Willi Kleine in Frankfurt. Max Levin then continued his research on the syndrome sleeping beauty by adding some supporting theories. Syndrome sleeping beauty later named Kleine-Levin Syndrome by Critchley in 1962 after he had previously monitored 15 cases of syndrome-related symptoms sleeping beauty which appeared in British soldiers who served in World War II.
What are the characteristics of the syndrome sleeping beauty?
The main characteristic is excessive sleeping time when the syndrome strikes, these times are called "episodes". If an episode occurs, the sufferer can have the following characteristics:
- The sufferer cannot tell which reality is a dream. Not infrequently between episodes, sufferers often daydream and look as if they are not aware of their surroundings.
- When waking up in the middle of a long sleep, sufferers can act like a child, feel confused, disoriented, lethargic (loss of energy and feel very weak), to apathy or show no emotion to what is happening around them.
- Sufferers are also reported to be more sensitive to things such as sound and light. Loss of appetite can also occur while an episode is in progress. Some also report the appearance of a sudden increase in sexual desire.
- Syndrome sleeping beauty it's a cycle. Each episode can last for days, weeks, even months. When an episode progresses, the sufferer cannot do normal work, such as going to work or school. Because more than half of the day will be used for sleeping. They also cannot take care of themselves because even if they wake up, they will then feel too tired, have no energy, and experience disorientation.
What causes the syndrome sleeping beauty?
Just like other rare diseases, there is still no explanation regarding what exactly causes this disease. But the symptoms that appear in this syndrome indicate a malfunction of the hypothalamus and thalamus in the brain. These two parts of the brain play a role in regulating appetite and sleep.
How is treatment for syndrome sufferers sleeping beauty?
Compared with drug therapy, mentoring and home management during a syndrome episode sleeping beauty appears much more emphasized. Several types of drugs can be consumed but the goal is not to treat the syndrome but only reduce the symptoms. Drugs in the form of stimulants such as amphetamine, methylphenidate, and modafinil can be used to treat the excessive drowsiness caused by the syndrome. sleeping beauty. But these types of drugs can increase the irritability of the sufferer and have no effect on reducing the abnormalities of cognitive abilities that occur during the episode.
Therefore, monitoring and handling at home during the episode is very important. Sufferers will have difficulty taking care of themselves so that the help of others is needed. After an episode is over, sufferers usually won't remember what happened during the syndrome episode. Usually syndromic episodes sleeping beauty over time, the duration and intensity will decrease. This process can take 8 to 12 years.
