Narcolepsy
What is Narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness not caused by another known medical condition or medication. People with narcolepsy may even fall asleep while in the middle of activities, such as eating, talking, or driving. Narcolepsy can interfere with work, school, or other daily activities as well as adversely affect one’s quality of life.
What are the Signs/Symptoms of Narcolepsy?
Common signs/symptoms of narcolepsy include feeling sleepy during the day; falling asleep suddenly (often at inappropriate times); falling down unexpectedly; going limp or feeling weak, especially when excited, angry, or laughing (also known as cataplexy); being unable to move or speak in the few minutes right after waking up or just before falling asleep; and experiencing visual, aural, or tactile hallucinations in the few moments before falling asleep or right after waking up.
* The symptoms of Narcolepsy can be dangerous if they happen while driving or doing something that could lead to a fall or injury.
How do we Diagnose and Treat Narcolepsy?
If there is a high clinical suspicion for narcolepsy, an in-lab, overnight sleep study will be administered, followed the next day by a mean sleep latency test in order to confirm the diagnosis.
For the study, patients will be admitted to a sleep lab and wear various sensors to monitor heart rate, breathing, brain activity, and movements while asleep. After the overnight study is complete, another test is administered where patients are asked to attempt taking several naps in a private, dimly-lit room.
Both tests are administered because people with narcolepsy have abnormal sleep patterns during naps and at night. These abnormal patterns can be detected during the studies.
Narcolepsy is usually treated with behavior changes and medicines. People with the disorder are encouraged to take the following steps:
- Take naps just before important events (or before driving long distances) and at scheduled times during the day.
- Maintain a regular and consistent sleep schedule.
- Obtain an adequate amount of sleep (at least 7-8 hours per night).
People who are still very sleepy, even are making these changes, can be treated with medication to help them stay awake. Medications can help, but even with treatment, people can still feel sleepy. Because of this, people with narcolepsy must take care when performing certain activities, such as driving, as they can be hazardous for those with narcolepsy.
People with cataplexy (those who have muscle weakness when they feel strong emotions) can also receive medication to help with managing this symptom.