Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Britin sleeps 22 hours

Young woman keeps falling in „sleeping Beauty“

24/10/2014

Just sleeping all day - a nice idea for many people, especially when it's dark, cold and rainy outside. For the Briton Beth Goddier, this has become a bitter reality because of the very rare „Sleeping Beauty syndrome“ Partly the young woman sleeps up to 22 hours a day.

The main symptom of KLS is a periodically increased need for sleep
„Sleep a little more, that would be nice“ - Almost everyone thinks when waking up, especially when it is still dark in the cold season in the morning. But prolonged sleep can also be a nightmare. As in the case of the Briton Beth Goddier, the very rare „Kleine-Levin Syndrome“ (KLS) suffers, which colloquially also as „Sleeping Beauty Syndrome“ referred to as.

Britin sleeps up to 22 hours daily
The disease leads to a periodically increased need for sleep (hypersomnia), causing the 20-year-old from Manchester, according to a report of the „BBC“ sleeps in acute phases up to 22 hours. But since with KLS also typically perception and behavioral disturbances occur, could also in the remaining two „watch“ Hours are spoken only in a limited way by a conscious state, so the „BBC“ continue. As a result of the long sleep phases, it is difficult for Goodier to distinguish between reality and dream, which at times even leads to a recourse to childlike patterns of behavior (regression). In these moments, the mother's support was particularly important - which had already quit her job in response to her daughter's illness.

Only one or two cases per million inhabitants
In which „Sleeping Beauty Syndrome“ It is an extremely rare disease whose prevalence is one to two cases per million population. The causes are not yet clear, but often a genetic origin is suspected. The 20-year-old British woman had the disease broke out at the age of 16 years, since the young woman suffers from recurring phases with a significantly increased need for sleep. Nevertheless, there are also longer waking times in which Beth is a near „normal“ Life could lead without complaints, so the mother to the BBC. „We have come to appreciate those days when Beth is active. Because the time she is doing well is so rare, we never say 'this and that we will do next week'. We'll do things right away, "continues Beth's mother.

Syndrome disappears after 10 to 15 years
However, no one can predict how long such a phase will last. It is typical for the small Levin syndrome, however, that it gradually disappears over time. After about 10 to 15 years, those affected were back „exempt“, but until then they suffer from the unpredictable sleep attacks. For Beth Goddier this means a tiring and agonizing time with many limitations: „I'm at an age where I would love to move out because I'm ready. But I can not, because when the disease gets active, I need my mother's supervision. It is really frustrating“, said Beth Goodier to the BBC.

„Devastating condition“ for the young victims
This also confirms Dr. Guy Leschziner, a specialist in neurology at Guy Hospital in London. KLS is "appalling for young people because they are already in a particularly difficult phase of their lives" when the first symptoms appear: „They are at a critical juncture in terms of their education, social life, family and professional life. In this context, it is a very, very devastating condition, mainly because of its unpredictable nature, "said the physician to the BBC. (Nr)