Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNarcolepsy SymptomsDiagnosisCauses of NarcolepsyTypesTreatment for NarcolepsyCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Narcolepsy Symptoms
Diagnosis
Causes of Narcolepsy
Types
Treatment for Narcolepsy
Coping
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The condition can have a significant and serious impact on daily activities since people will feeloverwhelmingly tiredand unable to stay awake during the day. They may even unwillingly fall asleep in the middle of activities including driving or eating.
Narcolepsy affects approximately 1, in 2,000 people, although the condition is often believed to go underdiagnosed and undertreated.
Without treatment, narcolepsy can have a significant effect on a person’s ability to function normally. It can lead to impairments in school, work, and relationships.
There are a number of symptoms that characterize narcolepsy. These include:
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness
When a person has this condition, they will experience a feeling of extreme sleepiness that causes them to fall asleep suddenly without warning.This can happen anywhere at any time. This means that a person could fall asleep in the middle of a conversation, while working, or driving.
In addition to these sudden sleep attacks, people can also have trouble concentrating or staying alert at times throughout the day. This is the primary symptom of the condition and it is often the first to appear.
Sleep Paralysis
When falling asleep or waking, people with narcolepsy may find themselves temporarily unable to move or speak. Suchparalysisis usually brief and can last from a matter of a few seconds to several minutes. It can be frightening, but once an episode is over people recover their ability to move and speak.
Hallucinations
People with narcolepsy may also experience very vivid sensoryhallucinationsthat sometimes can be quite frightening. There are two different types of hallucinations that people may experience:
Cataplexy
Changes In REM Sleep
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleepis a phase during which people experience rapid movements of the eyes, low muscle tone through the body, and a tendency to dream. People who have narcolepsy can enter REM sleep quite quickly after falling asleep and may experience this type of sleep at any time of day.
The symptoms of narcolepsy typically begin during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, usually between the ages of 7 and 25. It affects women and men at equal rates.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, symptoms of narcolepsy tend to grow worse over the first two or three decades after their first onset. However, people sometimes find that symptoms of daytime sleepiness become less severe after age 60.
Your doctor may suspect narcolepsy based if you are primarily experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden loss of muscle tone. If your doctor thinks you might have narcolepsy, you will then be referred to a sleep specialist to be evaluated further.
In order to diagnose narcolepsy, your doctor will need to perform a physical exam, take a detailed medical history, and conduct sleep studies. Your doctor will ask you detailed questions about your sleep and your level of sleepiness will be rated using a special scale.
Doctors also utilize two types of specialized test to diagnose narcolepsy:
People who fall asleep in less than an average of eight minutes are classified as having excessive daytime sleepiness. What distinguishes normal sleepiness from narcolepsy, however, is the tendency to enter REM sleep abnormally fast. If people begin REM sleep within 15 minutes during at least two of the daytime naps, they most likely have narcolepsy.
As part of your diagnosis, you may also be asked to wear a wrist sensor called an actigraph and keep a sleep diary for a few weeks. In your diary, you’ll record how many hours of sleep you get, how easy it is to fall asleep, how easy it is to stay asleep, and how wakeful you feel during the day.
Your doctor will also use this information to help rule out other conditions that might be causing your symptoms. Other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea can also lead to sleepiness during the daytime.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeSince people with narcolepsy are often misdiagnosed with other conditions, such as psychiatric disorders or emotional problems, it can take years for someone to get the proper diagnosis.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Since people with narcolepsy are often misdiagnosed with other conditions, such as psychiatric disorders or emotional problems, it can take years for someone to get the proper diagnosis.
The exact causes of narcolepsy are not known, but there are some factors that are believed to play a role in the development of the condition.
One explanation for narcolepsy lies in the loss of a specificneurotransmittercalled hypocretin. This chemical messenger plays an important role in regulating the sleep/wake cycle and plays a part in REM sleep.
People who have narcolepsy tend to have a shortage of hypocretin, which leads to excessive sleepiness.
“In narcolepsy, the cluster of cells that produce hypocretin—located in a region called the hypothalamus—is damaged or completely destroyed. Without hypocretin, the person has trouble staying awake, and also experiences disruptions in the normal sleep-wake cycles,” explains The National Sleep Foundation.
Other Possible Causes
However, there are also other factors that may contribute to the onset of narcolepsy. These include:
Researchers have found that people with narcolepsy have changes in the T cell receptor gene (a type of specialized immune cell) that may cause a genetic predisposition to develop the condition.
There is also a condition known as secondary narcolepsy that can occur if the hypothalamus is damaged. The hypothalamus is located deepinside the brainand is important in the regulation of sleep. Damage to this area can lead to narcolepsy symptoms along with other neurological problems.
There is no cure for narcolepsy and any associated loss of hypocretin is believed to be irreversible. However, many symptoms of the condition can be managed with the use of medications and lifestyle changes.
Medications
Some of the medications that may be used to manage the symptoms of narcolepsy include:
Lifestyle Changes
Certain lifestyle changes can also help people better manage the symptoms of narcolepsy. Some of the recommended changes include:
In addition to following the treatment advice of your doctor, there are also some things you can do that will help you cope with your condition. Some tips that may help:
Know Your Rights
The Americans With Disabilities Act requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees who have disabilities. See if you can structure your daily tasks so that you can do your work when you are at your most alert. If possible, see if your employer can change your schedule so that you can take short naps when you need to during the day.
Schools, colleges, and universities should also take reasonable steps to accommodate your needs, such as setting a class schedule that will allow you to take naps.
Certain activities can be dangerous if you have narcolepsy. This includes such things as driving or operating heavy machinery, but even many normally safe activities (such as walking downstairs or taking a shower) can be dangerous if you are experiencing sleep attacks or cataplexy. Some things you can do that may help:
Always ask your doctor if it is safe for you to drive before you operate a motor vehicle. The risk of an accident is higher if your condition is untreated, but taking medications to control your symptoms can lower this risk.
Seek Support
You may also find it helpful to enlist the support of your friends and family. Ask your loved ones for assistance with tasks such as driving or running errands. Joining a narcolepsy support group can also be a great way to find resources and support from people who are having similar experiences.
Narcolepsy affects many different areas of your life and often makes it difficult to cope and function normally. If you are experiencing symptoms of stress or anxiety as a result of your condition, you may also find it helpful to talk to a therapist or other mental health professional.
How to Find a Therapist
7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Narcolepsy.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy information page.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: diagnosis and tests.National Sleep Foundation.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy fact sheet.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: management and treatment.
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Narcolepsy.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy information page.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: diagnosis and tests.National Sleep Foundation.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy fact sheet.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: management and treatment.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Narcolepsy.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy information page.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: diagnosis and tests.National Sleep Foundation.Narcolepsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy fact sheet.Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: management and treatment.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Narcolepsy.
Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy information page.
Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: diagnosis and tests.
National Sleep Foundation.Narcolepsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Narcolepsy fact sheet.
Cleveland Clinic.Narcolepsy: management and treatment.
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