Symptoms of narcolepsy - Narcoleptics experience sudden, involuntary bouts of sleep. This urge to fall asleep can be so great that narcoleptics can't help but to fall asleep unexpectedly no matter what they may happen to be doing at the time.

1. Understanding the
Symptoms Of Narcolepsy
Before we get into the symptoms of
narcolepsy, make sure you understand
what narcolepsy is.
If you've heard anything at all about
narcolepsy, it's probably that it
involves someone falling asleep at
inopportune times. While this is true,
the severity of this sleeping disorder
goes well beyond simply falling asleep
when you shouldn't.
Here then, is a list of the common symptoms of narcolepsy.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)
One symptoms of narcolepsy is when narcoleptics experience sudden,
involuntary bouts of sleep. This urge to fall asleep can be so great that
narcoleptics can't help but to fall asleep unexpectedly no matter what they
may happen to be doing at the time. Whether they are chatting with
someone, eating dinner or playing a game, they will suddenly succumb to
the urge to sleep. This may last anywhere from seconds to minutes. Of
course, where this gets dangerous is where the narcoleptic is in the middle
of operating heavy machinery, like a car. In addition to the problems

2. caused by actually falling asleep, they will have other issues that are
associated with EDS such as suffering from a lack of energy or total
exhaustion, being depressed or a cloudy head. After these sudden sleeping
bouts, they tend to wake up feeling more refreshed and find that their
fatigues has subsides for another hour or two.
Micro Sleep
Somewhat of a byproduct of
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness,
micro sleeps are when your
brain is telling you that you
really need to sleep but society
is telling you that you can't at
that moment. Granted,
narcoleptics will fall asleep
anywhere if they urge is strong
enough, but with micro sleeps,
however, only part of their brain
goes to sleep. It's similar to your
body going on autopilot and your brain taking a break for a bit. You're still
functioning but kind of "zoned out". This symptom of narcolepsy is similar
to sleepwalking.
Hallucinations
Vivid image-rich dreams and hallucinations are another symptom of
narcolepsy. These usually happen during the onset of sleep or immediately
upon waking. While these are usually not considered dangerous, these
hallucinations can be very scary and may cause the patient to fear going to
sleep.

3. Sleep Paralysis
Sleep paralysis ,or the inability to move while sleeping, is a symptom of
narcolepsy that can be hard to detect by others. Since it occurs at the onset
of REM sleep, healthy sleepers won't usually witness the event. People who
experience sleep paralysis lose all control of their muscles and speech - but
remain fully conscious. This can be terrifying, especially when experienced
initially. Scared by the inability to move, many people fear they are dying
or permanently paralyzed.
Cataplexy
Cataplexy is when someone loses all control of their muscle tone and
muscle control. The difference between sleep paralysis and cataplexy is
that, although the individual is fully conscious during both, with cataplexy
it occurs while they are up and about rather than in bed during the night.
The episodes usually don't last very long, and can vary in both severity and
duration. Sometime it can be almost imperceptible and at other times can
be a total shut down of all muscles - leading to a physical collapse.
Cataplexy is thought to be triggered by strong emotions like excitement
and humor on one end of the spectrum to anger, fear and stress on the
other end. Although this symptom of narcolepsy isn't in itself dangerous,
people suffering from severe cataplexy have to make sure that someone is
constantly around them during their waking hours so that they don't injure
themselves during a collapse.

4. Not being able to get to sleep at night can be
a horrible experience - at night as well as
throughout the following day. But it doesn't
have to be that way - sometimes all it takes is
a few lifestyle adjustments. Learn what you
need to know to instantly fall asleep each
night in the sleep ebook,
Get to Sleep Now! 39 Ways to Guarantee Your ZZZs.
Disrupted Nighttime Sleep
Although people who suffer from narcolepsy are able to get to sleep
without any problems, they normally don't sleep well throughout the night.
Their sleep may be disrupted by everything from insomnia and hypnic
jerks to vivid dreams, sleep talking and REM sleep behaviour disorder.
Obesity
After experiencing symptoms of narcolepsy and being diagnosed with
narcolepsy, many individuals report a sudden gaining of weight.
Fortunately, this symptom of narcolepsy can be prevented with proper
treatment.

5. Another symptom of narcolepsy that is very difficult to detect is the speed
at which someone enters REM sleep. Healthy sleepers only enter the stage
of sleep known as REM sleep about 100 to 110 minutes after initially
dozing off. People suffering from narcolepsy, however, will enter REM
sleep within minutes of falling asleep. This symptom of narcolepsy can only
be detected by a sleep study.
If you suspect that you, or someone you know,
may be suffering from the sleep disorder Related Articles
narcolepsy, explaining your symptoms will help
your doctor diagnose your condition. While What is Narcolepsy?
there is no cure, there are definitely treatments Narcolepsy Causes
that will alleviate many of the symptoms of Narcolepsy Treatments
narcolepsy. Sleep Diseases