Narcolepsy is a rare, neurological sleep disorder of the central nervous system. It is characterized by uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep at any place—driving, working, or talking) or any time—you may even experience overwhelming daytime drowsiness. A sleep attack can occur for 10 to 15 minutes where the person will feel rested, but that feeling won’t last long. The narcoleptic will return to a state of tiredness and discomfort.

Narcolepsy is a chronic condition and never completely goes away. Narcolepsy normally occurs between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can happen at any age. Oftentimes, narcolepsy goes undiagnosed and, therefore, untreated.

Common Symptoms of Narcolepsy

The signs and symptoms of narcolepsy usually begin to develop between the ages of 10 and 30. It can occur in children under the age of 10, but is less common.

The signs and symptoms of narcolepsy include:
• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). This is the main symptom of narcolepsy and is characterized by overwhelming drowsiness and an uncontrollable need to sleep during the day. Narcoleptics can fall asleep any time, anywhere and without warning. Even if you’re at work talking to colleagues, you may suddenly nod off. You could fall asleep for just a few minutes or up to half an hour before waking.
The narcoleptic may also experience decreased energy throughout the day. EDS makes it difficult to concentrate during the day and can be associated with memory lapses, mental cloudiness and extreme exhaustion.
• Sudden loss of muscle tone (also known as cataplexy) which can contribute to weakness and loss of muscle control. Symptoms can range from slurred speech to complete loss of voluntary muscle control. Cataplexy is uncontrollable and may last anywhere from a few seconds to a couple minutes. Intense emotions (positive or negative) often trigger cataplexy—anger, fear, surprise, laughter. Cataplexy may be partial or complete and the narcoleptic may experience arm weakness, a sagging jaw, a drooping head and knee buckling.

• Sleep paralysis. This symptom is similar to the paralysis that normally happens during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is where dreaming usually occurs. The narcoleptic experiences a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or when waking. These episodes can last from several seconds to several minutes.

• Hallucinations (or hypnagogia hallucinations). These delusions often occur while falling asleep or upon waking and are very vivid and sensory (auditory, visual, or tactile). The narcoleptic’s dreams can be quite frightening because he/she experiences them as reality.

Narcoleptics may flail their arms, kick and scream as they act out their nightly dreams.

Causes of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy can be difficult to diagnose and is often mistaken for insomnia, depression, a seizure disorder, fainting, lack of sleep, or other sleep conditions.

Although the cause of narcolepsy has not yet been determined, experts believe it may be caused by a hypocretin deficiency in the brain combined with other contributing factors of neurological dysfunction.

Hypocretin is a chemical in the brain that regulates sleep. It promotes and helps stabilize wakefulness and sleep. Hypocretin levels have been found to be low in recent studies of patients with narcolepsy.

Home Remedies and Tips for Narcolepsy

There’s no cure for narcolepsy and it can lead to disturbances at work and in your personal life. However, lifestyle changes can help you cope with the symptoms.

Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule where you go to bed at the same time every day, even on weekends. Be sure to rid yourself of all distractions—turn the television off, block out light.

Short naps. Schedule short naps during the day to help you stay awake and refreshed.

Avoid alcohol and heavy meals because they can throw your sleep cycle off.

DO NOT DRIVE if you feel sleepy. Call a friend or family member to drive you home.

Get moving! Exercise 20 minutes a day around 4 to 5 hours before bedtime to keep you more awake during the day and to help you sleep better throughout the night.

B complex vitamins help to boost energy levels which can aid in the reducing stress levels.

-Nolan

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