The sleep study checks for other explanations that could account for daytime sleepiness, such as sleep apnea or other causes of sleep interruptions. To diagnose narcolepsy, your doctor will ask you about your history of typical episodes and will have you undergo an overnight sleep study. ![]() Later in the course of narcolepsy, a person also can develop insomnia ( difficulty sleeping) during normal sleeping hours. During such episodes, a person may get lost while walking or driving, write or speak nonsense, misplace objects, or bump into things. They are periods of sleep that last only a few seconds, and usually are not noticed. Micro-sleeps are not unique to people with narcolepsy, and they can be experienced by anyone who is severely sleep deprived. More than 50% of people with narcolepsy experience periods of memory lapse or blackouts caused by very short periods of sleep called micro-sleeps. Memory lapses and visual disturbances may be particularly upsetting. Excessive daytime sleepiness can be disabling and may greatly diminish a person's quality of life. People with narcolepsy complain of fatigue, experience impaired performance at work and school, and may have difficulty in social relationships. Symptoms usually begin during adolescence or young adulthood. They tend to occur in people who also have sleep paralysis. These often-frightening visions are seen just as the person is falling asleep or waking up. Hypnagogic hallucinations - These are dreamlike images that are seen during the awake state instead of during sleep.Like cataplexy, sleep paralysis probably is related to insufficient separation between REM sleep and the awake state. Sleep paralysis - This is the temporary inability to move while falling asleep or awakening.The sudden relaxing of muscle tone is probably the result of the brain abruptly entering REM sleep. Typically, cataplexy is brought on by laughter, excitement or anger. Severe attacks can cause the knees to buckle, leading to collapse. Mild attacks can cause slurred or stuttering speech, drooping eyelids or hand weakness that causes the person to drop objects. It can last a few seconds or several minutes. Cataplexy - This is the sudden, temporary loss of muscle tone, which causes paralysis of the head or body while the person remains conscious.Excessive daytime sleepiness - This is always present and is usually the most prominent symptom.It is common for people with narcolepsy to have more than one symptom, but it is rare for a person with the disease to experience all four: However, it may take years to recognize the disorder because other, more common causes of daytime sleepiness often are blamed for the symptoms. The earliest symptom of narcolepsy is usually daytime sleepiness, which may be extreme. In narcolepsy, the brain-wave pattern can skip some or all of the other sleep stages, causing the person to move from the awake state immediately to REM sleep, or to awaken directly from the REM sleep stage. During REM sleep, your brain waves resemble those of an awake person, visual dreams occur and muscle tone is slack. During the night, healthy people normally progress through several stages of sleep before entering or leaving the state of sleep called rapid eye movement (REM). People with narcolepsy don't require extra hours of sleep, but they do need daytime naps because they have difficulty staying awake for long periods. A genetic (inherited) predisposition appears to play a role. The cause of other types of narcolepsy is unknown. ![]() This type of narcolepsy is associated with a shortage of a brain-stimulating protein called orexin (also known as hypocretin). The muscle weakness can be so severe that a person with narcolepsy will collapse to the floor, but not become unconscious. ![]() Men and women are affected equally.Ībout 50% of people with diagnosed narcolepsy have the combination of marked daytime sleepiness and sudden episodes of muscle weakness (called cataplexy). Once it appears, narcolepsy is present for life. Narcolepsy usually appears between ages 15 and 30, but the condition can appear earlier or later. Although sleep episodes can happen at any time, they may be more frequent during periods of inactivity or monotonous, repetitive activity. These episodes can occur often and at inappropriate times, for example while a person is talking, eating or driving. Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes sudden episodes of deep sleep.
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