![]() The PSG measures breathing, heart rate, and brainwave activity during nighttime sleep and records sleep cycles. The MSLT measures the time it takes for a person to fall asleep for scheduled naps throughout the day and the qualities of the daytime sleep. After other common causes of symptoms are ruled out, sleep studies-including the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and the polysomnogram (PSG)-are used to confirm the diagnosis. The symptoms of narcolepsy can be confused with those of other conditions, such as epilepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, or sleep apnea. Sometimes, realistic hallucinations occur along with the paralysis, making this a highly disturbing experience. ![]() This symptom is alarming because the person is conscious but unable to move for up to several minutes. ![]() Sleep paralysis is a temporary paralysis that occurs just before falling asleep or immediately upon waking. At night, the person usually falls asleep rapidly, but has a hard time staying asleep for more than a few hours. This cycle is repeated up to several times per day. This “sleep attack” may last from a few seconds or minutes to a longer nap. This powerful need to sleep results in a person nodding off abruptly, even while eating or talking. It is believed that these brain cells are destroyed by the body, possibly as a result of an autoimmune reaction.ĮDS is an urge to sleep at intervals throughout the day. This condition has been linked to a loss of the brain cells that make hypocretin. Cataplexy is often triggered by a strong emotional response, such as laughter, excitement, anger, or fear. During a cataplexic attack, a person stays awake but cannot move or speak, making the attack appear similar to a seizure. The symptoms of narcolepsy include cataplexy, EDS, and sleep paralysis with or without hallucinations.Ĭataplexy is a sudden muscle weakness that can last several seconds or minutes. Narcolepsy is associated with low levels of hypocretin, a brain chemical that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. It affects about 1 in 2,000 people, although the actual number may be higher because mild cases can go undiagnosed. Narcolepsy usually begins during adolescence or young adulthood. Treatment Goals Are to Reduce Daytime Symptoms and Improve Nighttime Sleep Although narcolepsy has no cure, medications and changes in lifestyle can help control this condition. Narcolepsy can lead to dangerous situations, such as falls or auto accidents. After a brief nap, the person awakens refreshed, but feels sleepy again after a few hours. A person with this disorder can suddenly fall asleep while talking, walking, or driving. People suffering from narcolepsy have an overwhelming need to sleep, often several times during the day. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes extreme daytime sleepiness, or EDS. But narcolepsy rarely goes away completely.US Pharm. Medicines may help prevent sleep attacks and episodes of muscle weakness.
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