Disorders of sleep and wakefulness are an enormous global public health issue. Excessive sleepiness is a core symptom of these disorders,
and is defined as difficulty maintaining wakefulness and an intense drive for sleep, even under inappropriate circumstances. A cross-sectional survey using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in ten countries found that 11.6% of subjects were “very sleepy” or “dangerously sleepy”¹.

Excessive sleepiness has far-reaching consequences including increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, impaired interpersonal relationships, and deficits in cognitive function². Excessive sleepiness is common in obstructive sleep apnea; ensuring adherence to continuous positive airway pressure and proper mask fitting for these patients is crucial, but often does not resolve this symptom.

Accurate recognition and diagnosis of excessive sleepiness is challenging as comorbid neurologic, psychiatric, and medical disorders influence management options and outcomes. Given the serious consequences of untreated excessive sleepiness, is a paradigm shift in order? Should clinicians prophylactically treat symptoms of excessive sleepiness before isolating the etiology? In this live and interactive case-based activity, faculty experts will explore the epidemiology and recognition of excessive sleepiness, functional risks and consequences of untreated excessive sleepiness, and circumstances in which patients with excessive sleepiness should be treated.

• Recognize excessive sleepiness as an important medical symptom with a high global prevalence and multifaceted etiology
• Delineate the cognitive, behavioral, and metabolic impact of excessive sleepiness arising from medical conditions or sleep deprivation
• Determine how to effectively manage residual symptoms of excessive sleepiness and when to prophylactically treat excessive sleepiness of an unknown origin