Narcolepsy

About Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological sleep disorder characterized by recurrent periods of an irrepressible need to sleep, lapsing into sleep or napping during the day. Many people also experience cataplexy, brief episodes of sudden muscle weakness usually triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, as well as sleep paralysis, vivid dream like experiences when falling asleep or waking, and disrupted night time sleep. Narcolepsy type 1, which includes cataplexy, is associated with a loss of brain cells that produce hypocretin, also called orexin, a chemical that helps regulate wakefulness, and an autoimmune process is suspected. Symptoms often begin in adolescence or young adulthood, and diagnosis is frequently delayed for years. It is considered uncommon. Diagnosis usually involves overnight sleep studies and daytime nap testing. There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed with scheduled naps, good sleep routines and medications that promote wakefulness and reduce cataplexy, under the care of sleep specialists.