What is narcolepsy? It is estimated that 1 in 3000 people in America suffer from narcolepsy. With a sleeping disorder this serious, maybe you should have a better understanding of just what narcolepsy is.

1. What Is Narcolepsy?
Understanding This Serious Sleeping Disorder
Narcolepsy is one of those words that you've probably heard many times -
either in conversation or in a movie. If someone asked though, could you
actually answer the question: what is narcolepsy?
It is estimated that 1 in 3000
people in America suffer from
narcolepsy. With a sleeping
disorder this serious, maybe you
should have a better
understanding of just what
narcolepsy is.
Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder of
the central nervous system where
your brain is unable to regulate
your sleep-wake cycles. A narcoleptic, as they are called, doesn't have any
control over their sleeping and waking states - they experience
uncontrollable and instantaneous episodes of sleep. These bouts of sleep
can last anywhere from a couple of seconds to a few minutes.
People who have narcolepsy can experience these sleep episodes anywhere,
anytime. It could happen while they are at school, at work, in the middle of
a conversation or during an activity like driving - making it very dangerous
indeed.

2. 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.
What is Narcolepsy - Symptoms
In addition to the more obvious signs of narcolepsy such as daytime
sleepiness, narcoleptics may also experience hallucinations or vivid images
resembling dreams when they are just about to fall asleep or immediately
following waking up.
Sleep paralysis is another common occurrence in people suffering from
narcolepsy. This total loss of reflexes while sleeping normally occurs in
healthy sleepers only during REM sleep. During waking hours, narcoleptics
may experience something similar - a instantaneous loss of muscle control,
called cataplexy. If a narcoleptic experiences cataplexy, their body will
respond as if they were fainting - they will lose all muscle control and
collapse in place. This could last for seconds or minutes.
Another symptom of narcolepsy is disrupted nighttime sleep. Narcoleptics
may be able to fall asleep without any serious problems but they usually
have difficulty staying asleep. Their sleep could be disrupted by anything
from insomnia and hypnic jerking to vivid dreams and sleep talking.

3. What is Narcolepsy – Causes
Although doctors know what causes
narcolepsy, they don't actually know
what causes what it is that causes
narcolepsy. That is to say that sleep
experts know that narcolepsy is caused
by a lack of hypocretin - a
neurotransmitter in the brain. They
don't know, however, why narcoleptics
are lacking in hypocretin.
Neurons produce these chemicals known as neurotransmitters to
communicate amongst themselves and to regulate our biological processes.
Problems start to occur after somewhere around 70,000 brain cells
containing hypocretin die out. This loss of hypocretin is what results in our
bodies' inability to regulate sleep. While normal, healthy sleepers typically
sleep in cycles ranging from 100 to 110 minutes long, beginning with non-
REM sleep and moving into REM sleep, narcoleptics frequently enter into
REM sleep within minutes of dozing off.
What is Narcolepsy - Treatments
Related Articles
As of yet, narcolepsy cannot be cured - the loss of
hypocretin in the brain is considered to be Narcolepsy Symptoms
irreversible. That being said, two of the symptoms Narcolepsy Causes
of narcolepsy - excessive daytime sleepiness and Narcolepsy Treatments
cataplexy - can be somewhat controlled by several Sleep Diseases
drugs on the market which have been approved by
the FDA.