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It’s natural to feel sleepy after a tiring day. However, if daytime drowsiness is constant and sudden attacks of sleep are frequent, it could be narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects approximately one in 2000 people. Contrary to popular belief, it is not caused by extreme fatigue, depression, or seizures. Narcolepsy has no known cause, although many experts believe that genetics are a factor. Scientists have also discovered that people with narcolepsy have low levels of hypocretin, a neurotransmitter that regulates wakefulness, in their spinal fluid.
When a non-narcoleptic person falls asleep, he or she enters non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM). After about an hour and a half, he or she enters rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Intense, vivid dreams often occur during the REM stages, as well as loss of motor control. People with narcolepsy do not go through the NREM stage, which may explain why they sometimes experience sleep paralysis and hallucinations.
Image Source: thesleepparalysisproject.org
The following are some of the symptons of narcolepsy.
Cataplexy: A sudden loss of muscle control.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS): A sudden and uncontrollable urge to sleep
Nighttime wakefulness: Disturbed, restless sleep
Sleep paralysis: A less-common symptom in which an individual is unable to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up.
Hallucinations: Another infrequent symptom, in which an individual has vivid and often frightening hallucinations upon falling asleep or waking up
Obesity: Many people with narcolepsy easily gain weight, although they often eat less than people without narcolepsy, which may be due to the lack of hypocretin, which also regulates hunger as well as wakefulness.
Other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea and restless legs syndrome, share the same symptoms as narcolepsy. Additionally, certain medications, and physical and mental health conditions can also cause extreme daytime drowsiness and other symptoms similar to those of epilepsy. If narcolepsy is suspected, it’s best to consult a sleep specialist as soon as possible. While narcolepsy itself is not a fatal condition, it can lead to potentially fatal accidents, such as automobile crashes.
Image Source: neurosciences.beaumont.edu
Lisa Marie Cannon, MD is a New Jersey-based physician who specializes in sleep medicine. Follow this Twitter account for discussions on narcolepsy and other sleep disorders.
Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon 