Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is a lifelong sleep disorder that makes you feel overwhelmingly tired, and in severe cases, have sudden uncontrollable sleep attacks. Narcolepsy can impact nearly every aspect of your life. It is dangerous because you can have excessive sleepiness or a sleep attack at any time of the day, in the middle of any activity including eating, walking or driving. Driving a vehicle with untreated narcolepsy can be very dangerous and some states even have laws against it.
Symptoms
Symptoms of narcolepsy usually begin between the ages of 15 to 25, but it is possible to experience symptoms at a much younger or older age. The symptoms usually worsen after the first few years. You may experience the following:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Hallucinations
- Sleep paralysis
- Disturbed nighttime sleep
- Memory problems
- Sudden loss in muscle tone - cataplexy
Diagnosis
Answer the following questions to see if you may have narcolepsy.
- Have you had the sudden urge to sleep during the day even though you are getting enough sleep at night?
- Have you fallen asleep while working, eating or speaking with someone?
- Have you felt alert after a brief nap but then the alertness quickly changes to sleepiness?
- Do you daydream excessively
- Cataplexy - feeling of muscle weakness when you have a strong emotion such as laughing
- Sleep paralysis - feeling you are awake but you can not move.
If so, the following tests should be performed to confirm a diagnosis:
- In-lab overnight sleep study
- Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) or nap test
Treatment
There is no cure for narcolepsy, but the sleep disorder is manageable through medication and lifestyle changes. It may take some time to find the right treatment plan for you. Treatments may include:
- Stimulants
- Antidepressants
- Lifestyle changes