![]() Record how easy it is to fall and stay asleep, how much sleep you get each night, and how alert you feel during the day. It is a good idea to start a sleep diary prior to your appointment. Narcolepsy can be further complicated by obesity and psychiatric diagnoses.Īnyone with chronic daytime sleepiness should see a healthcare provider to assess for narcolepsy. Other potential features include fragmented sleep or other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and REM sleep behavior disorder. Individuals may have some but not all of these symptoms with narcolepsy. Sleep paralysis with the inability to move for several minutes after awakening can be frightening, especially when accompanied by these hallucinations. People with either type of narcolepsy may experience vivid hallucinations upon falling asleep, or they may wake up experiencing frightening visual, tactile or auditory sensations. Type 2 narcolepsy is typically less severe. Narcolepsy type 2, or narcolepsy without cataplexy, has all the characteristics of narcolepsy type 1 without the episodes of muscle weakness triggered by intense emotions. Narcolepsy typically begins between the ages of 15–25 but can be identified at any age. Cataplexy is triggered by intense emotions, such as joking, laughing, surprise or anger. ![]() Narcolepsy type 1 or narcolepsy with cataplexy is characterized by mild to moderate daytime sleepiness and loss of voluntary muscle control of various degrees (partial or complete cataplexy) from weakness to falls. ![]() Normally, sleep progresses through stages: A person goes from awake to light sleep to deep sleep and back to light sleep before entering REM sleep, which occurs approximately 80–100 minutes into the sleep cycle. The loss of hypocretin in the brain allows a person to suddenly enter REM sleep directly from the awake state. An infection, such as the H1N1 influenza virus, can trigger the immune system to attack the cells that produce hypocretin instead of the infection. Narcolepsy is considered a neurologic disorder, but it may also be triggered as an autoimmune response. The cause of narcolepsy without cataplexy is unknown, but injuries to the hypothalamus and brain stem, tumors and stroke may be possible contributing factors. Environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, pesticides, weed killers or secondhand smoke, may trigger narcolepsy. Also, certain people are born with genes that put them at risk for narcolepsy, and the condition is later triggered by any combination of factors, including infection, brain injury or an autoimmune disorder. Hypocretin, a chemical in the brain, regulates wakefulness and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The usual cause of narcolepsy with cataplexy (muscle weakness) is low hypocretin levels.
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