Periodic hypersomnia: Stress as a trigger

Periodic hypersomnia, with or without associated hyperphagia and behavioral disturbances, is a relatively rare disorder. It typically occurs spontaneously in healthy adolescent males. These syndromes have also been reported following interactions, encephalitis, head trauma and cerebral infarction. In the present report we describe three cases of periodic hypersomnia in young soldiers, apparently induced by unusually intense physical stress, preceding the onset of the syndromes by several days to a week. This relationship between extreme physical stress and hyper somnolence, which is reported for the first time, should be added to the list of factors which may induce the hypersomnia syndromes.