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Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder where individuals lose their brain's control over sleeping or staying away. It is a relatively rare phenomenon in comparison with other sleeping disorders such as insomnia or sleepwalking that only affect 1 in 2000 people. Also, the symptoms of narcolepsy might not be as harmful as they are. However, the episodes of narcolepsy and the environment around the individual suffering from narcolepsy can lead to accidents, self-injuries or life-threatening situations.
However, there is nothing to be after as narcolepsy is completely curable and responds well to treatment. Also, it has similar symptoms to seizures (especially type 1) that can lead to misdiagnosis and miss treatment. Therefore, understanding the symptoms and causes of narcolepsy. In this blog post, we will explain the causes and symptoms of narcolepsy along with natural ways to manage it. So, without wasting any time further, let's get started!
Before we discuss narcolepsy in more detail such as its common causes or symptoms, let's understand what is narcolepsy first. Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that impacts your natural ability to sleep or wake up. Therefore, narcolepsy is also known as a brain and nervous system disorder that interferes with your control oversleeping and waking.
Individuals suffering from narcolepsy might experience intense and uncontrollable sleepiness during the daytime. As a result, they can suddenly fall asleep in the middle of any activity which can lead to serious injuries or accidents. In the usual sleeping cycle, people first enter the early stages of sleep, then deep sleep and finally REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. They usually enter REM sleep almost 90 minutes after falling asleep.
However, people with narcolepsy enter REM sleep almost instantly in their sleep cycle and also while they are awake. In most cases narcolepsy is not diagnosed if it doesn't interfere with daily life activities as a result, it is not treated in all cases.
Now that we have understood what is narcolepsy, let's understand the common signs and symptoms of narcolepsy. Remember, if you want to get diagnosed and treated for narcolepsy, you must equip yourself with the knowledge of common signs and symptoms of narcolepsy. Here are some common signs and symptoms of narcolepsy-
This is one of the most common symptoms of narcolepsy that can be seen in almost any individual struggling with narcolepsy. In this, people feel intense and almost uncontrollable sleepiness during the daytime and tend to fall asleep suddenly in the middle of any activity. Experts often describe this as sleep attacks.
Another essential symptom or sign of narcolepsy is sudden muscle weakness also called cataplexy. In this individual's brain shuts down or blocks body muscles and nervous system suddenly while awake as it does during REM sleep to control physical movement. However, it is not present in every narcolepsy case.
Sleep paralysis is also an important sign or symptom of narcolepsy. People with narcolepsy can witness sleep paralysis just before falling asleep or upon waking up. During sleep paralysis, their brain and certain senses work but the entire body remains asleep leaving them unable to move. These episodes last for a few seconds or minutes. However, this can be scary for the person. Also, you must remember sleep paralysis can happen without narcolepsy.
With narcolepsy, some people also exhibit symptoms of automatic behaviour, where they act out things they usually do in their routine while they sleep. They might fall asleep while writing, cooking, typing or driving and yet continuing the task. They may not remember doing it also they may not do it well. This can often lead to accidents or self-injuries.
Sleep hallucination is also a crucial sign or symptom of narcolepsy. This can be hypnagogic, a hallucination with sleep paralysis, hypnagogic, a hallucination that occurs while you begin to fall asleep, or hypnopompic when people hallucinate upon waking up. They might see a stranger walking into the room while there is none. It's mostly because they start dreaming before falling asleep.
Lastly, changes in REM sleep are another key sign or symptom of narcolepsy. People usually enter REM sleep almost 60-90 minutes after falling asleep. However, in cases of narcolepsy individuals enter REM sleep, where people see dreams almost instantly while falling asleep or even when awake.
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder where the brain has control over sleeping and waking leading to disruption in healthy sleeping or staying awake. However, individuals who suffer from narcolepsy might not face the same symptoms. It's primarily because narcolepsy has two different types and their symptoms also slightly differ from one to another. Below, we will discuss types of narcolepsy: Type 1 vs. Type 2 in detail -
Type 1 narcolepsy is the most common type of narcolepsy that exhibits a symptom called cataplexy sudden muscle weakness, or loss of muscle tone. Individuals with type 1 narcolepsy can have episodes of extensive sleepiness. Cataplexy during daytime due to low levels of hypocretin in the brain. It is in the case of 80% of narcolepsy patients.
On the other hand, type 2 narcolepsy does not include symptoms of cataplexy. It is a comparatively rare type of narcolepsy in comparison to type 1. In type 2 narcolepsy cataplexy is absent as these individuals have balanced brain protein levels called hypocretin. It affects only 20% of the narcoleptic people.
Narcolepsy is an uncommon condition. The causes of narcolepsy are still unknown. However, experts suggest that this condition can be related to the neurotransmitter hypocretin. Also, the causes of narcolepsy type 1 are different from type 2. Here, we will discuss the causes of narcolepsy type 1 and type 2 in detail:
People who have narcolepsy type 1 are usually characterised by a lower level of hypocretin in their cerebrospinal fluid. The deficiency of hypocretin in these people can be related to genetics. Most people with narcolepsy type 1 have the same gene variation known as DQB1*0602. Also, autoimmune system issues in genetically weak people can be a reason behind type 1 narcolepsy. In such cases, when the immune system experiences external triggers, attacks the brain's hypocretin-producing neurones, reducing hypocretin levels. Brain abnormalities or issues in the part of the brain that controls REM sleep also can be caused by narcolepsy.
Type 2 narcolepsy is less severe than type 1. And, according to experts, the reasons behind narcolepsy type 2 are more complex to understand or pinpoint. Generally, a person can develop this condition when their hypocretin-producing brain area or neurones are damaged. Hypocretin-producing brain area can be damaged because of:
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that is often considered a brain, spinal cord and nervous system disorder as these organs lose their natural functioning abilities in narcolepsy. However, one must remember that narcolepsy is completely different from daytime fatigue and other sleep/brain disorders. Therefore, proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to ensure effective control over narcolepsy.
There are several ways to test and evaluate narcolepsy using medical and clinical diagnoses such as Multiple sleep latency tests or overnight Polysomnography. Below, we will discuss them in detail -
Your doctor might ask you about your sleep history. Such as how long you have been facing difficulty in sleeping, whether have you ever faced sleep-related problems previously in life, is there anyone who has suffered from sleep disorders. These all details are important to understand the root cause of your problem and your chances of developing narcolepsy.
The door can also ask you to keep a journal to maintain sleep records to have a detailed analysis of your sleeping pattern. Also, they may give you a device to wear on your wrist called an actigraph measures your rest and active periods in a day.
Your doctor can also use Polysomnography also known as a sleep study to analyze your sleep cycle. They record your brain waves, heart rates and movements to analyze your sleep cycle and narcolepsy condition.
Multiple Sleep Latency Test is also a popular test to diagnose your narcolepsy. This test helps to evaluate your average sleep latency duration and how fast you enter REM sleep.
Doctors can also use a spinal tap or Genetic tests and a lumbar puncture to diagnose your narcolepsy. It is also beneficial to detect other sleep or brain disorders.
Narcolepsy can adversely impact a person's life, affecting their routine activities, social relations and self-esteem. Here, we will discuss the daily challenges of living with narcolepsy and how one can manage them. Below is how narcolepsy impacts your daily life:
As we have already learned about the daily challenges of narcolepsy. Here, we will discuss how patients of narcolepsy can deal with these challenges:
Educating friends and family about narcolepsy is necessary. When they know what is narcolepsy and how it affects a person, they will be able to offer mental and physical support when a narcolepsy episode arises.
Developing self-awareness is also essential for people with narcolepsy. This will help them understand what triggers their narcolepsy symphony and how to avoid them by scheduling regular naps or taking cataplexy-suppressing or wake-promoting medicines before important events.
It is also to communicate with others about the problems one faces when living with narcolepsy and asking for support. One can also invite their family and friends to narcolepsy support groups or doctor's appointments to help them understand the disorder.
If your doctor prescribes you medication to deal with the symptoms of narcolepsy, it is essential to follow the prescription closely for better results.
Your social circle should be knowledgeable enough to understand your condition and be able to adjust schedules and plans to offer support.
Narcolepsy can put people in unpleasant situations. Taking medications can help one manage the symptoms of narcolepsy. Considering lifestyle changes and natural sleep aids can help to boost the effects of narcolepsy medications. Here are some natural ways to manage narcolepsy:
Narcolepsy is a condition where an individual's brain loses control of oversleeping and waking, leading to a disrupted sleep cycle. It can cause symptoms of cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hallucination or automatic behaviour. This not only disturbs your daily life activities but also puts you in dangerous or life-threatening situations. So, if you face symptoms of narcolepsy, you must not neglect and consult with professionals for diagnosis and treatment. In mild cases, natural remedies and sleep aids work. However, narcolepsy responds well to treatment such as traditional medical treatments using stimulants or sodium oxybate and gaining healthier sleeping and waking cycles.