Finding the best treatment for sleep disorders is usually a lifelong process. Your treatment will likely change over time as your healthcare needs change and new treatment options become available. This page will give you up-to-date information on treatments and help you find the doctors who can give the care you need, whether you have idiopathic hypersomnia, narcolepsy type 1 or 2, or Kleine-Levin syndrome.
Finding and working with doctors who treat hypersomnias
Learn what a sleep medicine doctor is, how to find a doctor with experience in hypersomnia disorders, and tips on deciding if a doctor is a good fit for your needs. You’ll also find tips on advocating for yourself and making the most of your doctor appointments, both in-person and telehealth.
International Directory of Healthcare Professionals
Our directory is a tool you can use to find your next sleep doctor and other healthcare professionals who can help treat your hypersomnia sleep disorder, such as behavioral sleep medicine specialists, psychologists, and physician assistants (PAs).
Medicines for idiopathic hypersomnia and narcolepsy
On this page, you’ll read about medicines for treatment and tips for how to find the best combination and doses of medicines for you. For example, if you take a hormone medicine, such as birth control, hormone replacement therapy, or gender-affirming therapy, you'll find out which hypersomnia medicines affect your hormone dose and what to ask your doctor about.
Quality of life tips
Discover ways to try to improve your quality of life after your hypersomnia diagnosis. Naps, meditation, sleep hygiene, exercise, and a change in diet usually won’t significantly improve your symptoms, but they can be helpful for your quality of life. Other tips include keeping a sleep journal, being aware of changes in your body and alertness, and building a support community.
Sleep-wake journaling
A sleep-wake journal includes your sleep patterns, your treatments, and your daytime activities and symptoms. Information from your journal can help with diagnosis and treatment. Finding patterns may help you make changes that improve your quality of life.
Preparing for anesthesia, hospital stays, and medical emergencies
People with idiopathic hypersomnia and narcolepsy types 1 and 2 should prepare in advance for anesthesia, hospital stays, and medical emergencies. On this page, we offer our PDF guide for healthcare professionals about symptoms, common problems, and helpful accommodations (changes to your treatment plan). Share it with your healthcare team members along with our care plan PDF that you can fill out together.
Pregnancy and safe baby care
If you’re considering having children, or parenting a baby already, you may have questions about how your sleep disorder will affect you and your family. Learn about heredity of hypersomnia sleep disorders, managing symptoms and medicines during pregnancy and nursing, and tips for safely caring for your baby.