What It's Like To Live With Narcolepsy
Introduction
Narcolepsy is a serious sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and can make it difficult to stay awake during the day. It’s one of the most common disorders associated with fatigue, but it also has other symptoms that can affect your quality of life. It’s estimated that people with narcolepsy experience cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone) about 70% of the time; this means that 30% of people with narcolepsy also have episodes when they fall asleep without warning or when they lose consciousness because their muscles become paralyzed even though they’re still awake. There are two types of narcolepsy: type 1 and type 2; each type has its own set of symptoms, severity levels and treatment options. The next section will discuss those differences in more detail.”
Narcolepsy is a rare disorder, affecting only 1 in 2,000 people worldwide.
Narcolepsy is a rare disorder, affecting only one in every 2,000 people worldwide. The condition can be diagnosed during childhood or adulthood and can occur at any time throughout your life. It has no cure, but there are treatments that can help manage its symptoms.
Narcolepsy affects between 200,000 and 400,000 Americans alone—and it has been diagnosed in all age groups and both sexes equally throughout its history. Narcoleptic individuals do not appear to be predisposed to any particular environmental factors like diet or stress.
People with narcolepsy are often misdiagnosed, as there is no definitive test for the condition.
People with narcolepsy are often misdiagnosed, as there is no definitive test for the condition. Narcolepsy affects only 1 in 2,000 people worldwide, making it one of the rarest disorders—yet it’s frequently mistaken for other conditions because of its symptoms.
Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the most common symptom of narcolepsy; this is when you’re unable to stay awake during normal waking hours and have difficulty concentrating or falling asleep at night. Other signs include cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone), sleep paralysis (difficulty moving or speaking when falling asleep or waking up), hypnagogic hallucinations (dreamlike experiences while falling asleep), automatic behavior and disrupted nighttime sleep due to vivid dreams or nightmares.
Someone with narcolepsy can experience sleep attacks at any time of the day.
- Sleep attacks can happen at any time, including during the day.
- Sleep attacks are often triggered by stress or excitement.
- Sleep attacks typically last only a few minutes and are not considered dangerous to your health. But they can be very frightening.
If you experience frequent sleepiness during waking hours, please see your doctor immediately so that the cause of this problem can be diagnosed and treated appropriately
If you have narcolepsy without cataplexy, you may not recognize that your condition is more than just being sleepy.
If you have narcolepsy without cataplexy, you may not recognize that your condition is more than just being sleepy. You don’t have the dramatic symptoms of cataplexy and might mistake it for depression or a lack of sleep.
Some people with narcolepsy develop the symptoms at an early age; others have their first episode later in life. Most people who are diagnosed with narcolepsy are between 18 and 25 years old, but children as young as 4 years old can be diagnosed with narcolepsy if they have cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
The most noticeable symptom of narcolepsy type 2 is excessive daytime sleepiness.
The most noticeable symptom of narcolepsy type 2 is excessive daytime sleepiness. This means that you may feel tired and want to sleep during the day, even though you’ve had enough sleep at night. People with this type of narcolepsy are known to fall asleep suddenly and unexpectedly. The main symptoms of this condition include:
- Difficulty staying awake during the day
- Excessive sleepiness during waking hours
- Sudden loss of muscle tone when your head nods forward (cataplexy)
Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone.
Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone. It can be in the face, arms, or legs and last for a few seconds or up to several minutes. Cataplexy can be triggered by strong emotions, laughter, excitement—anything that causes happiness (or even just surprise).
In addition to cataplexy, narcolepsy often includes sleep paralysis (the inability to move when waking up from sleep), hypnagogic hallucinations (vivid dreams that occur just before falling asleep), and automatic behaviors such as teeth grinding or hand flapping.
People with type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy may experience unexpected hallucinations while falling asleep or waking up.
Hallucinations are scary. They can be visual or auditory, but they’re not dangerous. Some people with type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy experience pleasant hallucinations, like seeing their favorite celebrity or animal. Others have more frightening experiences, such as being attacked by a monster or being chased by someone who’s trying to kill them.
If you see something or hear something that isn’t there while awake and alert, don’t panic—this is just another symptom of your condition!
Many people with narcolepsy struggle with anxiety and depression.
Many people with narcolepsy struggle with anxiety and depression, due to the fact that their symptoms are often unpredictable and can interfere with their daily lives. This can be especially difficult for those who experience cataplexy, a symptom related to muscle weakness.
Although it’s considered a neurological disorder, narcolepsy is not a mental illness. It is a lifelong condition that cannot be cured but can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes.
Having narcolepsy can put you at higher risk for obesity.
People with narcolepsy are more likely to be overweight, according to Stanford University Medical Center. This is because naps may reduce your energy levels and cause you to feel hungry. The increased need for sleep also increases snacking at night, which can lead to weight gain. The medication that many people with narcolepsy take may also contribute to weight gain by making them feel hungrier or increasing their appetite.
A study in the journal Sleep found that people who had narcolepsy were 2-3 times more likely than the general population to be obese or overweight. Another study found that those who had been diagnosed with narcolepsy were about 50% more likely than those without a history of it (1).
One of the biggest challenges for people who have narcolepsy is dealing with social stigma and misunderstanding about the condition.
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition that causes unusual and uncontrollable sleep patterns. It can affect anyone, but it is most common in young adults. The exact cause of narcolepsy is not known, but it appears to be related to problems with the brain’s ability to regulate sleep cycles.
If you have narcolepsy, you may experience sudden feelings of extreme tiredness (sleep attacks) while engaged in everyday activities like talking or walking around your house. These attacks can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes or hours at a time depending on how long it has been since your last nap or sleep period; if you have had no naps since the previous night then an attack could last for up to 10 hours! Another symptom of narcolepsy is cataplexy: loss of muscle tone during waking moments due to strong emotions such as laughter (known as cataplexy). Cataplexy often causes people who experience it suddenly become unable walk just before falling asleep after being startled by something else happening around them – this happens because they’ve lost all control over their muscles during that momentary state.”
Narcolepsy has several difficult symptoms and it takes time to find treatments that work for each person.
Narcolepsy is a lifelong condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. It is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (sudden loss of muscle tone), hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. In some people with narcolepsy, REM sleep occurs at inappropriate times during the day or night—the hallmark feature that separates it from other types of hypersomnia. However, many patients also experience NREM parasomnias like sleepwalking or nightmares in addition to REM-related symptoms like hypnagogic hallucinations.
Because there’s no cure for narcolepsy yet (and scientists don’t know exactly what causes it), treatments for this condition focus primarily on reducing symptoms so you can live well despite having an ongoing medical issue. Some people take stimulants such as amphetamines every night before bed to keep them awake until they’re ready to fall asleep; others experiment with melatonin supplements after finding out their bodies produce too much of this hormone naturally during long bouts of wakefulness throughout each day (a symptom known as “sleep rebound”).
Conclusion
Narcolepsy is a condition that can be challenging to manage, but there are many resources available to help you. If you think you may have narcolepsy, consult a doctor immediately and get tested for the condition. In addition to medical treatments, there are many lifestyle changes that can help with symptoms like sleepiness and cataplexy during the day—and sometimes at night!