Narcolepsy is a type of sleep disorder where an individual feels excessively sleepy, and may even experience hallucinations and sleep paralysis. In rare cases, narcolepsy may aggravate cataplexy, a condition where one loses voluntary muscle control. Studies suggest that narcolepsy occurs equally in both men and women, affecting roughly one out of every 2,000 people. Symptoms that can indicate narcolepsy include:
1. Excessive sleepiness during the daytime
People suffering from narcolepsy may feel a strong urge to fall asleep at any time, even if there is no apparent reason for them to be tired. For instance, they may even experience episodes of falling asleep while working or even while engaging in social interactions. These uncontrolled naps may range from about 5 to 30 minutes.
2. Reduced focus and alertness
Since the person feels sleepy at all times, it may also affect their focus and level of alertness. This symptom is accompanied by excessive sleepiness during the day, and can also affect an individual’s ability to perform tasks.
3. Sleep paralysis
People suffering from narcolepsy may experience episodes of paralysis while sleeping. While these episodes only last for a few seconds or minutes, it is extremely frightening not being able to move. Sleep paralysis can also be experienced by those who don’t have narcolepsy, and individuals often have no memory of sleep paralysis when they wake up.
4. Sudden loss of muscle control
Narcolepsy may also be characterized by an accompanying condition known as cataplexy. This may result in slurred speech or the muscles feeling extremely weak. It cannot be controlled and is generally triggered when the patient feels extreme emotions, like excitement or stress.
5. Changes in REM patterns
The term REM is used to refer to rapid eye movement, a stage of deep sleep. REM sleep is crucial for people to have proper rest, and this is the time when maximum dreams occur. For normal people, REM sleep occurs late at night, after they have been asleep for several hours. However, for people suffering from narcolepsy, it may occur at any time of the day. They may enter an REM pattern within a short duration of 15 minutes, right after falling asleep.
6. Hallucinations
Hallucinations that occur during narcolepsy are known as hypnagogic hallucinations if they occur while falling asleep, and hypnopompic hallucinations if they occur when the person wakes up. These hallucinations can be extremely vivid. Because they feel so realistic, these experiences can be very frightening.
7. Risk factors of narcolepsy
Individuals can experience a higher risk of narcolepsy due to two major factors. Firstly, those between the ages of 10 and 30 years are more likely to experience this disorder. Secondly, those with a family history of narcolepsy are 20 to 40 times more likely to be affected.
