![]() There is currently no cure for narcolepsy. To find a local sleep specialist or accredited sleep center, visit Narcolepsy Treatment If you suspect that you or a loved one could have narcolepsy, it is important to consult an AASM board-certified sleep medicine doctor. The diagnosis is mainly based on how quickly and frequently one’s brain enters rapid eye movement sleep (REM)/dream sleep during these tests. Diagnosisĭiagnosis typically relies on a 24-hour sleep study that includes a nighttime portion (polysomnogram) and daytime nap portion (multiple sleep latency test). Learn more about IH via the Hypersomnia Foundation. Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) is a chronic neurological disorder marked by an insatiable need to sleep that is not eased by a full night’s slumber. Less is known about type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy. Recent research suggests that type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy is caused by a lack of hypocretin, a key neurotransmitter that helps sustain alertness and regulate the sleep-wake cycle. ![]() There are two forms of narcolepsy: type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy and type 2 narcolepsy without cataplexy. Timing of sleepiness is “off” with narcolepsy so one may fight sleepiness during the day but struggle to sleep at night. Disrupted nighttime sleep: Unlike public perceptions, people with narcolepsy do not sleep all the time.It is often accompanied by hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations. Sleep paralysis: The inability to move for a few seconds or minutes upon falling asleep or waking up.Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations: Visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations upon falling asleep or waking up.The duration may be for a few seconds to several minutes and the person remains fully conscious (even if unable to speak) during the episode. The severity may vary from a slackening of the jaw or buckling of the knees to falling down. Cataplexy: Striking, sudden episodes of muscle weakness usually triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, exhilaration, surprise, or anger.Excessive daytime sleepiness: Periods of extreme sleepiness during the day that feel comparable to how someone without narcolepsy would feel after staying awake for 48-72 hours.It affects 1 in 2,000 people-200,000 Americans and 3 million people worldwide. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition that impairs the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
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