• Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is an uncommon disorder that causes periods of extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden, brief episodes of deep sleep during the day.
• Well, for most people, the occasional bout of daytime sleepiness is related to a poor night or two of sleep and is rectified easily with getting more rest. But for individuals with narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and in some cases episodes of cataplexy (partial or total loss of muscle control, often triggered by a strong emotion such as laughter). Narcolepsy occurs equally in men and women and is thought to affect roughly 1 in 2,000 people.

Occasional Narcolepsy Symptoms

At Brunswick Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine, our experienced team of specialists takes a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to treating the whole patient and can help you understand and overcome the challenges you may be facing if you’ve been diagnosed with a sleep disorder.

What Is Narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to control sleep and wakefulness. People with narcolepsy often feel rested when they wake up but experience excessive daytime sleepiness and occasional involuntary episodes of falling asleep that can occur at any time of day. Narcolepsy often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed. If left untreated, it can inhibit cognitive, social and psychological function and have a significant impact on your relationships, work, academic performance and social activities. Our skilled specialists are well-versed in identifying symptoms of narcolepsy and are committed to providing an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of this complex disorder.

Symptoms Of Narcolepsy

During a regular sleep cycle, rapid eye movement (REM) begins within about 60 to 90 minutes of falling asleep, and the brain inhibits the movement of muscles during this time so you don’t act out your dreams. People with narcolepsy often enter REM sleep much more quickly, within 15 minutes of falling asleep. Muscle weakness and dream activity that’s typically associated with REM sleep may not occur at all while a person with narcolepsy is asleep but can happen while they are awake. Symptoms of narcolepsy often begin between the ages of 7 and 25 but can appear at any age. The most common symptoms include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is characterized by persistent fatigue or sleepiness, regardless of how much sleep you get at night. People with narcolepsy often suffer “sleep attacks” in which a sudden sense of sleepiness comes on very quickly and the person actually falls asleep.
• Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone that leads to weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It may be triggered by strong emotions such as fear, anger, stress, laughter or excitement. Episodes last a few minutes at most, and the person is fully conscious during this time. Mild attacks involve a temporary sense of slight weakness in a limited number of muscles. Severe attacks can result in body collapse during which you may not be able to move, speak or keep your eyes open.
• Sleep paralysis can seem similar to cataplexy but occurs when you are falling asleep or waking up. It usually lasts just a few seconds or minutes and is similar to what happens during the REM stage of sleep. The good news is that after episodes of cataplexy and sleep paralysis, people quickly recover their ability to speak and move.
• Hallucinations are vivid and sometimes alarming visual images and other sensory perceptions that may accompany sleep paralysis.

Other symptoms of narcolepsy include insomnia, sleep apnea, acting out while dreaming and restless leg syndrome.

Treatment For Narcolepsy

There is no cure for narcolepsy, but some symptoms can be treated with medicines and lifestyle changes. Our team of professionals works with you to create a treatment program that’s tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle to help you enjoy a healthier, happier life.

Contact Us

If you need help with a sleep disorder, contact us online or call Brunswick Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine at 732-246-3066. For more information about narcolepsy, check out this National Institutes of Health fact sheet.

Narcolepsy Overview

Narcolepsy is a rare chronic neurological disorder usually associated with the sleep-wake cycle. It, therefore, affects the brain by inhibiting its ability to regulate the patterns of sleeping and waking accordingly. This is henceforth evidenced by affected individuals unwillingly falling asleep at odd hours of the day immensely affecting their everyday activities.

Narcolepsy is a global disorder affecting individuals all over the world. Thus research conducted by several scientists indicates that at least one out of every 2000 people usually has Narcolepsy. This estimates to about 200000 individuals in the USA alone. Researchers however add that many people suffering from narcolepsy may at some point have been misdiagnosed or ignored as a condition contributing to an even higher number of affected persons.

Symptoms associated

Narcolepsy affects both males and females equally with symptoms appearing at any point in life. Nevertheless, these symptoms are usually vivid between the ages of 7 and 25. The symptoms include:

Excessive daytime sleepiness

This is usually the most common and devastating. It is usually characterized by persistent sleep attacks by suddenly succumbing to sleep without warning at any time of the day regardless of the sufficiency of sleep received at night. These usually last from seconds to several minutes and are usually devastating as they can occur during an engagement/activity.

Cataplexy

This is the sudden, temporary loss of muscle tone characterized by muscle weakness and loss of voluntary muscle control while an individual is awake. These attacks usually last from seconds to several minutes varying from each individual. Some of the associated side effects include jaw-dropping, uncontrollable leg collapsing, slurred speech, double vision, and even total body collapse. These may be experienced several times a day or occasionally every year. Cataplexy attacks are usually triggered by heightened emotions such as excitement, laughter, anger, and surprise among others.

Sleep paralysis

This is the temporary inability of an individual to move or speak when falling asleep or immediately waking up, a condition replicated only during deep sleep. This may take second to minutes. It is nonetheless harmful in any way apart from the occasional fright of the moment.

Hallucinations

Occasional Narcolepsy Test

These symptoms are usually frightening as they usually appear as dreams amidst the process of falling asleep or waking up thus while they are partially awake making them seem like reality to many individuals suffering from narcolepsy. It usually involves a variety of senses making it a very vivid experience.

Other common symptoms include

• Headaches
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Automatic behavior

Causes of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disorder currently still under deeper research and studies thus, many characteristics inclusive of the causes are not yet properly comprehensive. Nevertheless, some of the compiled causes associated include:

Autoimmune disorders

This is attributed to the rare occasional attacks on the healthy body tissues and systems by antibodies. Researchers deduced that in individuals with type 1 narcolepsy, the body’s immune system selectively attacks the brain cells which produces hypocretin, a vital hormone in promoting wakefulness and regulating REM sleeping. Thus, immensely reducing the levels of the hypocretin hormone to extremely low levels leading to narcolepsy and cataplexy.

Family history

This is in relation to inherited hereditary faulty genes through generations and environmental factors. Despite this still being subject under research, scientists have deduced that at least 10 percent of affected individuals reported having close relatives with similar afflictions.

Occasional Narcolepsy Causes

Underlying conditions

These are usually attributed to the major causes of secondary narcolepsy in many individuals. This is due to incurred damages to parts of the brain responsible for sleep regulation which is the hypothalamus. Therefore, trauma to the head, a brain tumor, or even multiple sclerosis may immensely affect the hypothalamus which in turn will disrupt its ability to produce orexin (hypocretin) resulting in narcolepsy.

Diagnosis and treatment

After noticing some of the above-mentioned symptoms, an individual should seek out medical advice and assistance from a nearby health facility. The diagnosis process may usually last a while as the doctor usually needs to record sleep patterns and symptoms for one or two weeks.

This is usually then sealed with a physical exam to confirm the diagnosis. The exam is usually done by utilizing either of the following specialized tests.

1. The polysomnogram (sleep study)
2. Multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT)
3. Epworth sleepiness scale

After confirmation of the disorder, the doctors will draft a treatment plan which is usually inclusive of both medications and lifestyle changes. Some of the medications include modafinil and armodafinil.

Occasional Narcolepsy

Modafinil

Modafinil (generic Provigil) is the initial and most utilized medication for narcolepsy. However, when it comes to Modafinil cost, it is important to research competitors and find the bargain. There are other options too. Some of which include;

• Amphetamine-like stimulants
• Antidepressants
• Sodium oxybate

Occasional Narcolepsy Meaning

Lifestyle changes proposed by medical practitioners

• Taking short and regularly scheduled naps
• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed
• Engaging in everyday exercises
• Avoid smoking
• Eat responsibly and avoid heavy meals right before sleeping

Narcolepsy is usually not a very harmful disorder however, some of the associated symptoms usually result in safety issues such as accidents and even deaths if not properly controlled and regulated.