Narcolepsy – Symptoms and Causes

Narcolepsy is a very serious condition that can endanger an individual’s life. Sufferers of this condition will find themselves dropping off to sleep in the middle of a normal activity and are often tired during the day. Such a condition is not due to sloth or keeping late nights, but is a medical issue and can cause the individual much distress.

This condition usually shows up between the ages of 10 and 25. It will rarely affect those who are over the age of 40.

Despite having a good rest at night, intense fatigue and dozing off during the day are signs of this issue. People who suffer from narcolepsy have difficulty focusing on daily tasks due to a constant feeling of being tired. This symptom is troubling enough, but in some cases the sufferer will also have a tendency to suddenly fall asleep, even while performing certain tasks.

This can be very serious and dangerous because it happens with no prior warning. The person has no time to stop doing what they are doing to get prepared. There is no time to remove yourself from a potentially dangerous situation and find a safe place to lie down. It can occur at any instant and so it is life-threatening if you are engaged in activities such as driving or operating heavy machinery.

When these episodes strike, the individual’s length of sleep can range from a few minutes to as long as half an hour. This pattern can repeat itself several times during the course of a day. Often, there are automatic reactions that accompany this issue like a resumption of activities beforen they dozed off. Many people do not remember this behavior after waking up from and episode.

Around 75% of narcolepsy sufferers also experience another symptom called cataplexy. Narcolepsy actually shuts the body down to some extent and muscles cannot be controlled by the individual. It could be anything from trouble speaking to a loss of all muscle control. Some will experience this symptom more often than others. Some report rare instances, while others experience it every day. It has been suggested that there is some link between narcolepsy and swings in moods and emotions such as uncontrollable euphoria or anger.

Narcolepsy can also show up in the form of paralysis, such as can be seen during REM sleep. However, paralysis in such situations occurs when the individual is beginning to fall asleep or is awakening. What is scary about this is that the individual is conscience that it is happening but is powerless to stop it or do anything.

A common sign of narcolepsy is hypnagogic hallucinations. The individual experiences very real images when he is in a state of half-consciousness. 25% to 50% of those with this condition tend to have such symptoms.

There is still much to learn about what actually causes narcolepsy, but it is believed that genetics plays a role. Having low amounts of a chemical called hypocretin, which is needed to awaken sleep, can be a possible reason.

By: Moses Wright

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