People with idiopathic hypersomnia face a significant disease burden. Idiopathic hypersomnia is associated with challenges that impact daily living activities, such as limitations at school, work, interpersonal relationships, and social activities. Various impairments include 

• • Impacts on attention and cognition, which can be characterized as “brain fog”
  • The burden of memory problems and a feeling of the mind going blank or making a mistake in a habitual activity

Public health and safety are also impacted, as more severe causes of sleepiness can be cause for accidents. Management strategies may not address the underlying sleep dysfunction associated, resulting in suboptimal symptom management. Patient survey and registry data suggest patients continue to experience symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia and residual disease burden. This episode is produced by Sleep Review and is episode 4 of a 5-part series sponsored by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Visit Jazzpharma.com and SleepCountsHCP.com for more information. In episode 4, listen as Sleep Review’s Sree Roy and pulmonologist-sleep specialist Richard K. Bogan, MD, discuss: 

• • What are some limits that people with idiopathic hypersomnia can experience in their daily living activities?
  • How do people with idiopathic hypersomnia commonly describe "brain fog," and what are some of the real-life consequences it?
  • How does prolonged sleep inertia place a burden on the people with idiopathic hypersomnia who experience this symptom?
  • What do you see as the burden of idiopathic hypersomnia on public health and safety?
  • Beyond medications, how is idiopathic hypersomnia typically managed to control for symptoms as much as possible?
  • How do you determine when therapy for idiopathic hypersomnia has been optimized, and what symptoms may remain at this point?