Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. can cause serious disruptions in your daily routine.
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Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that features excessive daytime sleepiness.
In a typical sleep cycle, a person will first enter the early stage of sleep, then the deeper sleep stages. This is when REM sleep occurs. It takes around 60–90 minutes Trusted Source to reach the stage of REM sleep.
For people with narcolepsy, however, REM sleep occurs within 15 minutes in the sleep cycle and intermittently during the waking hours. It is during REM sleep that vivid dreams and muscle paralysis occur.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes persistent sleepiness and additional symptoms such as brief episodes of muscle weakness known as cataplexy, vivid, dreamlike hallucinations, brief episodes of paralysis when falling asleep or upon awakening (sleep paralysis), and fragmented nighttime sleep.
There are 5 main symptoms :
Cataplexy, Hallucinations, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Sleep paralysis, Sleep disruption. While all patients with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness, they may not experience all 5 symptoms.
Types of Narcolepsy
Type 1: involves sleepiness and cataplexy. Tests will show that the person is almost entirely missing a neurotransmitter known as hypocretin. This may occur after an infection triggers an autoimmune condition.
Type 2 : mainly involves excessive daytime sleepiness, but there is usually no sudden weakness.
Secondary narcolepsy can result when trauma or a tumor results in damage to the hypothalamus. This is a part of the brain involved in sleep.
Symptom:
- The primary symptom Trusted Source of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness, but it may also involve cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis.
- It can also disrupt nighttime sleep patterns. Overall, however, a person with usually spends the same amount of time asleep as a person without the condition.
Excessive daytime sleepiness:
People with narcolepsy will usually have a persistent feeling of sleepiness with a tendency to doze off at intervals throughout the day, often at inappropriate times.
They may also experience:
- brain fog
- poor concentration
- decreased energy
- memory lapses
- exhaustion
- a depressed mood
Latest research :
Researchers have discovered autoreactive cells in persons suffering from narcolepsy. This is a new, important proof that the sleep disorder is an autoimmune disease. This knowledge may lead to better treatment of the chronic condition, the researchers behind the new discovery believe
Trends:
This can be attributed to the rising prevalence of narcolepsy with cataplexy, which causes severe, irresistible daytime sleepiness and a sudden loss of muscle tone. As per the study of the National Sleep Foundation, almost 60-70% of narcoleptic patients suffer from with cataplexy.
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Conclusion:
It is hard to say what the cause of narcolepsy is exactly, as of now. It may be a mix of environmental and genetic factors. Most research in recent years has pointed to hypocretin, and why this hormone is being diminished in narcoleptics. Although I may never be cured of my disorder, I can get gain control of my symptoms through simple lifestyle changes and medication. Knowing that my children will be forty times more likely to have , I need to keep following the research to see if this could easily be prevented for my children. If the Stanford study is proven accurate, a narcoleptic should have their children receive the flu vaccine. A narcoleptic should not drink alcohol, for it interferes with the sleep cycle, and they should maintain a regular sleep schedule to ensure they are getting the most sleep possible
