Strange Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Young patient oversleeps most of her life

Rare Disease 23-year-old American always has weeks of sleep
Especially on cold, gray days, many wish to be able to sleep as long as possible. Delanie Weyer from the USA sleeps long even without bad weather - even for a very long time. The 23-year-old suffers from the so-called "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome" and is therefore repeatedly haunted by weeks of sleep. The rare disease usually disappears after a few years. It can not be healed so far.

Young American woman sleeps up to 20 hours a day
Statistically, humans spend about one-third of their lives in their sleep, an average of eight hours a day. For the US-American Delanie Weyer this is not enough in certain phases. The 23-year-old suffers from the "small Levin syndrome" (KLS), she sometimes sleeps up to 20 hours a day. The rare disease is also referred to as the "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome" because of the symptoms. There is no cure yet.

A young American woman sleeps up to 20 hours a day. She suffers from "small levin syndrome". The rare disease, also known as the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, is not curable. (Image: mashe / fotolia.com)

Like in hibernation
Actually, Delanie Weyer from Minnesota wanted to lead an adventurous life: fishing, traveling, getting to know the world. But about five years ago, the 23 year old passed something on a school trip that could not be explained for years.

She suddenly became very tired and fell into a long-lasting sleep. Since then, she has had periods of two to five weeks sleeping "like a bear in hibernation", reports the news portal "WCCO".

Meanwhile, the young woman knows why it comes to the extreme sleep phases: She suffers from the "small Levin syndrome" (KLS), a rare disease for which there is no therapy.

Years of illness
"Small levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare neurological disease of unknown cause," says Orphanet, a rare disease database.

The disease is said to start at an average age of 15 and affects more men than women. "Patients undergo 7-19 neurological episodes, lasting 10-13 days and occurring every 3.5 months. This distance is shorter when the disease begins in childhood, "the experts report.

During these episodes, patients experience hypersomnia (somnolence). Sleep periods last 15-21 hours a day. Affected "are then cognitively restricted (apathetic, confused, slowed down, amnestic) and have a specific sense of derealization (dream-like state with altered perception)".

According to Orphanet, sleep, wakefulness and eating habits between episodes are "remarkably normal, but patients with KLS have an increased body mass index. The mean disease duration is 8-14 years. Prolonged disease duration is observed in males, in patients with hypersexuality, and at the onset of disease after the age of 20 years. ".

Drowsiness in the waking phases
Delanie Weyer remembers how everything started with her: "When I was 18, I had my first episode, as they call it. I slept a lot and when I was awake, I was delusional. "Over the past five years, she has had four more" episodes "that she barely remembered afterwards.

"I sleep anywhere, 15 to 20 hours a day. When I'm awake, I'm very dazed, delusional, just not right in reality. I just have no motivation to do anything, I'm depressed and frustrated because I do not know what's going on. "

She says she only gets up during these phases to eat and drink and go to the bathroom. The last episode lasted five weeks.

The illness was to blame for missing out on important events: "I missed Thanksgiving, I missed Easter, I missed my grandfather's 85th birthday, and my 21st birthday because I was in an episode," said the 23-year-old. years.

Has nothing to do with laziness
Her mother Jean Weyer was also very worried. According to "WCCO," she initially thought her daughter might just be lazy or take drugs.

After Delanie Weyer had visited numerous doctors and therapists, Dr. Ranji from the "Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center" finally diagnosed: "Small Levin Syndrome".

The psychiatrist had never diagnosed the disease before. "It's not because of any psychiatric problems, bad habits or laziness. It's a dysfunction of the brain, "explained the expert.

Around 500 cases known
According to Varghese, only about 500 cases have been documented so far, most of them in male adolescents. "We do not know what causes it. We suspect that it might have something to do with an inflammatory process in the brain, but so far no one has been able to confirm that, "says Varghese.

The family is doing well that the diagnosis is now established. While there is no cure, there are medications that can reduce the length and intensity of episodes and their number.

In the next episode, the mother will take her daughter to the Sleep Disorders Center, where she will be monitored for a few days to find out more about what's going on with her during an episode. As a result, doctors can learn more about the rare disease. (Ad)