Narcolepsy
So what is narcolepsy? According to Harvey (2014), “narcolepsy is considered a primary hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness) condition.” Being a primary condition, it is not caused by another disease. Narcolepsy affects about 1 in 2,000 people, but is not caused by mental illness or psychological problems. However, having a family member with narcolepsy presents a 20-40 times higher risk of developing the condition compared to the general population. The four major signs and symptoms of narcolepsy are extreme daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (muscle weakness) while awake, and hallucinations and sleep paralysis during sleep “What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Narcolepsy” (2010).
During the day, people who are experiencing narcolepsy have few or many periods of sleepiness. Each period lasts 30 minutes or less. Strong emotions such as anger, fear, laughter, or excitement can trigger this sleepiness. People who have daytime sleepiness often complain of mental cloudiness, memory problems or problems focusing, lack of energy or extreme exhaustion, and depression “What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Narcolepsy” (2010). The second major symptom is cataplexy. This condition causes muscle tone loss while awake. This weakness can affect parts or all of a person’s body. Similar to random sleep periods, strong emotions often trigger cataplexy. It usually lasts a few seconds or minutes, often during consciousness. Hallucinations affect people with narcolepsy just as much. Those with narcolepsy may have vivid dreams while falling asleep or waking up. These dreams can appear real, using most of the person’s senses. The last major symptom is sleep paralysis. This condition prevents movement while falling asleep or waking up. Still, this may happen while the person is fully conscious. Most people that have narcolepsy don’t know it until it’s too late. So, it’s important to be tested when experiencing these symptoms. In-lab overnight sleep studies require a patient to stay
During the day, people who are experiencing narcolepsy have few or many periods of sleepiness. Each period lasts 30 minutes or less. Strong emotions such as anger, fear, laughter, or excitement can trigger this sleepiness. People who have daytime sleepiness often complain of mental cloudiness, memory problems or problems focusing, lack of energy or extreme exhaustion, and depression “What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Narcolepsy” (2010). The second major symptom is cataplexy. This condition causes muscle tone loss while awake. This weakness can affect parts or all of a person’s body. Similar to random sleep periods, strong emotions often trigger cataplexy. It usually lasts a few seconds or minutes, often during consciousness. Hallucinations affect people with narcolepsy just as much. Those with narcolepsy may have vivid dreams while falling asleep or waking up. These dreams can appear real, using most of the person’s senses. The last major symptom is sleep paralysis. This condition prevents movement while falling asleep or waking up. Still, this may happen while the person is fully conscious. Most people that have narcolepsy don’t know it until it’s too late. So, it’s important to be tested when experiencing these symptoms. In-lab overnight sleep studies require a patient to stay