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Most people experience extreme fatigue or excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) from time to time. If this happens to you frequently, you might wonder — 'Do I have narcolepsy?'
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Being drowsy during the day might not mean that narcolepsy is to blame. Narcolepsy is much less common than EDS and produces symptoms beyond brief incidents of daytime sleep.
What Does Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Look Like?
Narcolepsy is a disorder that happens when your brain's control of your sleep-wake cycle is faulty. You can get so drowsy during the day that you might fall asleep suddenly while driving or eating.
EDS happens when the body has difficulty regulating its natural sleep-wake schedule (1), resulting in excessive fatigue (2) during the day. EDS can also lead to an uncontrollable urge to sleep, followed by a sleep attack (3) that causes a person to fall asleep for a few seconds or minutes. These attacks can happen at any time, making them dangerous if the sufferer is driving a car.
EDS affects up to 18% of adults (4). Some people with anxiety or depression also report daytime drowsiness. Frequent EDS without a known cause might indicate a sleep disorder.
What Does Narcolepsy Look Like?
Narcolepsy is a condition of the nervous system that affects about one in 2,000 Americans. It affects women and men about equally, and symptoms usually start between 15 and 30 years of age .
Narcolepsy disrupts a person's sleep-wake functions, causing extreme daytime drowsiness and sleep attacks, which are brief episodes of falling asleep. Most people with narcolepsy have difficulty sleeping at night despite being tired during the day.
Some people with narcolepsy have low amounts of hypocretin (5), a neurotransmitter that helps the body stay awake. The causes of other narcolepsy cases are unknown. Factors like genetics, environment, stroke, tumor, upper airway infections, or autoimmune conditions might play a part.
How Can You Tell the Difference?
People with narcolepsy typically suffer from EDS, but individuals experiencing extreme fatigue do not necessarily have narcolepsy. Extreme sleepiness is narcolepsy's predominant symptom.
In addition to EDS, some people with narcolepsy suffer cataplexy, which affects about one out of five patients. Cataplexy is the inability to control the muscles during attacks that can last up to two minutes. During a cataplexy attack, the person's head or jaw might drop, and the knees buckle. All of this happens while the person is awake. Laughter, anger, or other intense emotions can trigger cataplexy.
Sleep paralysis is another common symptom, affecting about a quarter of people with narcolepsy. During sleep paralysis, a person tries to move, but they can't. Paralysis happens after falling asleep or upon waking up and can last up to 15 minutes. Also, one-third of individuals with narcolepsy experience hallucinations (6), either as they wake up (hypnopompic) or fall asleep (hypnagogic).
How is Narcolepsy Diagnosed?
To diagnose narcolepsy, a doctor typically examines a patient's medical and family history, does a physical examination, and conducts tests. Before diagnosing, the doctor might rule out nervous system conditions or other sleep-related disorders (7), such as restless legs syndrome, insomnia, or sleep apnea.
A doctor might recommend that the patient participates in an overnight sleep study that monitors the patient's overnight sleep patterns, including REM sleep movements. A sleep study also collects information about activities while awake, daytime naps, and sleep disturbances. The study might also include spinal fluid collection to measure hypocretin levels.
A doctor might diagnose a patient with one of two types of narcolepsy. Type 1 includes low hypocretin levels, EDS, and cataplexy. People with Type 2 experience EDS without cataplexy and have average amounts of hypocretin.
What Are Possible Underlying Causes of Excessive Sleepiness?
EDS may be due to narcolepsy, but it can also be caused by other underlying conditions (8). Diabetes, sodium fluctuations, excess calcium in the blood, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, chronic pain, or insomnia could be to blame.
Jet lag, shift work, and insufficient sleep can also trigger EDS. Medications like sleeping pills, tranquilizers, some pain killers, antihistamines, and certain psychiatric drugs can trigger EDS. A mental health issue can also be an underlying factor — EDS and insomnia affect about 80% of people with depression.
What are Tips for Someone Dealing with Daytime Sleepiness or Narcolepsy?
People who struggle with EDS or mild narcolepsy can benefit from improving their sleep hygiene by scheduling daytime naps and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule every day. Keeping the bedroom dark and cool, avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening, relaxing, and exercising can also help.
Although there is currently no cure for narcolepsy, there are effective treatment options. Stimulants like modafinil (9) can treat daytime sleepiness, while patients who suffer from cataplexy might take sodium oxybate (10). A sedative can aid sleep at night, and a doctor can prescribe antidepressants to reduce hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy. As with all sleep disorders, patients with narcolepsy should work closely with their doctor to find the best treatment.
Final Thoughts
Excessive sleepiness is not always a sign of narcolepsy. Knowing the difference between the two can help you understand how to cope with daytime fatigue. Although there is currently no cure for narcolepsy, medicinal treatment and behavioral changes can help patients reduce their symptoms and maintain active lives.
References
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Narcolepsy-Fact-Sheet. Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/brain,-spinal-cord,-and-nerve-disorders/sleep-disorders/insomnia-and-excessive-daytime-sleepiness-eds Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000802.htm Accessed on March 10,2021.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23205286/ Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/narcolepsy Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21637632/ Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-studies. Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003208.htm Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a602016.html Accessed on March 10, 2021.
- https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a605032.html Accessed on March 10, 2021.
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Narcolepsy is a rare long-term brain condition that causes a person to suddenly fall asleep at inappropriate times.
https://machinefree-bet-dailyslotchancesfwcb.peatix.com. The brain is unable to regulate sleeping and waking patterns normally, which can result in:
- excessive daytime sleepiness – feeling very drowsy throughout the day and finding it difficult to concentrate and stay awake
- sleep attacks – falling asleep suddenly and without warning
- cataplexy – temporary loss of muscle control resulting in weakness and possible collapse, often in response to emotions such as laughter and anger
- sleep paralysis – a temporary inability to move or speak when waking up or falling asleep
- excessive dreaming and waking in the night – dreams often come as you fall asleep (hypnogogic hallucinations) or just before or during waking (hypnopompic hallucinations)
Narcolepsy does not cause serious or long-term physical health problems, but it can have a significant impact on daily life and be difficult to cope with emotionally.
Find out more about the symptoms of narcolepsy.
What causes narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is often caused by a lack of the brain chemical hypocretin (also known as orexin), which regulates wakefulness.
The lack of hypocretin is thought to be caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking the cells that produce it or the receptors that allow it to work.
But this does not explain all cases of narcolepsy, and the exact cause of the problem is often unclear.
Things that have been suggested as possible triggers of narcolepsy include:
- hormonal changes, which can occur during puberty or the menopause
- major psychological stress
- an infection, such as swine flu, or the medicine used to vaccinate against it (Pandemrix)
Find out more about the causes of narcolepsy. Discouraged workers teen version mac os.
Who's affected
Narcolepsy is a fairly rare condition. It's difficult to know exactly how many people have narcolepsy because many cases are thought to go unreported.
You, with me mac os. But it's estimated to affect about 30,000 people in the UK.
Men and women are thought to be affected equally by narcolepsy, although some studies have suggested the condition may be more common in men.
The symptoms of narcolepsy often begin during adolescence, although it's usually diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.
Diagnosing narcolepsy
See a GP if you think you may have narcolepsy. They may ask about your sleeping habits and any other symptoms you have.
They may also carry out tests to help rule out other conditions that could be causing your excessive daytime sleepiness, such as sleep apnoea, restless legs in bed and kicking during sleep, or an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
If necessary, you'll be referred to a specialist in sleep disorders, who'll analyse your sleep patterns.
This will usually involve staying overnight in a specialist sleep centre so various aspects of your sleep can be monitored.
Find out more about diagnosing narcolepsy.
Treating narcolepsy
There's currently no cure for narcolepsy, but making changes to improve your sleeping habits and taking medicine can help minimise the impact the condition has on your daily life.
Taking frequent, brief naps evenly spaced throughout the day is one of the best ways to manage excessive daytime drowsiness.
This may be difficult when you're at work or school, but a GP or specialist may be able to devise a sleep schedule that will help you get into a routine of taking naps.
Keeping to a strict bedtime routine can also help, so you should go to bed at the same time each night whenever possible.
If your symptoms are particularly troublesome, you may be prescribed medicine that can help reduce daytime sleepiness, prevent cataplexy attacks and improve your sleep at night.
These medicines are usually taken as daily tablets, capsules or drinkable solutions.
Find out more about treating narcolepsy.
National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service
If you or your child has narcolepsy, your clinical team will pass information about you or your child on to the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Diseases Registration Service (NCARDRS).
The NCARDRS helps scientists look for better ways to prevent and treat narcolepsy. You can opt out of the register at any time. Green in roulette. Power stars slot.
Narcolepsy and driving
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If you're diagnosed with narcolepsy, it may affect your ability to drive.
Stop driving immediately and inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
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You'll need to complete a medical questionnaire so your individual circumstances can be assessed.
You'll usually be allowed to drive again if your narcolepsy is well controlled and you have regular reviews to assess your condition.
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GOV.UK has more information about narcolepsy and driving.
The Narcolepsy UK website also has more on driving and narcolepsy.
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Page last reviewed: 13 May 2019
Next review due: 13 May 2022
