CultureAugust 10, 2026

hypersomnia

HY-per-SOM-nee-uh

Definition

A condition characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or an excessive amount of sleep.

Etymology

The word is derived from the Greek 'hyper-' meaning 'over' or 'excessive' and the Latin 'somnus' meaning 'sleep'. It entered medical terminology to describe clinical states of prolonged sleep.

In the news

In this article, hypersomnia is used as a defining symptom of the AERS+ subtype of major depressive disorder, specifically paired with increased appetite and weight gain. It serves as a key clinical marker to distinguish this subtype from MDD cases presenting with insomnia.

AERS Subtypes Show Distinct Genetic Architecture in MDD

Read the full article ↗

HCPLive

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