One of the best known symptoms of narcolepsy is falling asleep suddenly and uncontrollably while doing something else (like talking or laughing). But this chronic neurological disorder can cause a number of other symptoms that interfere with getting a good night’s sleep and staying awake during the day. Actually, excessive daytime sleepiness is the main symptom of this disease, as it is experienced by all people with narcolepsy – as opposed to sudden “sleep attacks”, which do not necessarily affect everyone who suffers from it so frequently. . In this article we tell you what it means to have narcolepsy, the causes of the disorder, the symptoms it can present and how to live with them.
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that affects approximately 1 in 2,000 people, which means that it is not extremely common, but not a rare disease either. Doctors suspect that it is often underdiagnosed as it is confused with other sleep problems (such as sleep apnea or insomnia) because some of the symptoms overlap.
Narcolepsy is defined as a neurological condition that affects the brain’s ability to regulate sleep-wake cycles. Individuals who suffer from it experience problems sleeping at night and also periods of intense sleepiness during the day due to the wrong stages of sleep. People with narcolepsy can fall asleep uncontrollably, in some cases right in the middle of an activity like laughing, eating, or talking. These “sleep attacks” are usually brief, and can last from several seconds to several hours.
Main symptoms
The REM phase is the phase of sleep in which our bodies are naturally immobilized so that we do not harm ourselves while we sleep by repeating the movements we are dreaming of. In people with narcolepsy, the REM phase does not occur when it should and the lines between sleep and wakefulness can blur, causing any of the following symptoms – in addition to sleep attacks and continued drowsiness:
Cataplexy
Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone and movement that occurs when someone with narcolepsy experiences a strong emotion such as joy, surprise, fear, or anger.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations are very vivid dreams that acquire an extra quality of reality, and make those who suffer from them believe that they are not dreaming. They are hypnagogic if they occur while someone is falling asleep, and hypnopic if they occur upon waking.
Sleep paralysis
Our muscles are temporarily paralyzed during REM sleep in what is believed to be an evolutionary safety mechanism that prevents us from realizing our dreams in real life, but in people with narcolepsy it can happen at the wrong time. This symptom can leave these individuals awake but completely paralyzed and unable to move at will, although luckily it usually lasts only a few minutes.
How to fight narcolepsy
Although there is currently no cure for narcolepsy, doctors have found that a combination of medications and certain lifestyle adjustments can be very effective in helping patients manage their symptoms of narcolepsy.
Studies show that medications such as modafinil and other stimulants (including ADHD medications such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate) are effective in treating daytime sleepiness, while antidepressants such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and venlafaxine (such as Effexor) have been found helpful in reducing cataplexy.
Lifestyle and behavior changes that doctors recommend to combat narcolepsy include incorporating healthy sleep habits (such as getting at least seven hours of sleep and maintaining a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time all the days); take strategic naps during the day to reduce daytime sleepiness and improve energy; exercising regularly and avoiding caffeine and alcohol near bedtime.
