Nsarcolepsy - Symptoms & Treatment

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder which causes irrepressible sleepiness and frequent daytime sleeping. Narcoleptic will most likely experience maladjusted nocturnal sleep. It is a type of dyssomnia. Narcolepsy affects an estimated 25 in every 100,000 people in the United States. This sleep disorder is principally characterized by intermittent. Occassionally, the person may start dreaming immediately upon falling asleep. The circumstances usually occur after meals, but falling asleep may occur while working or driving a vehicle, having a conversation, being in any non-stimulating situation, or being in situations where there is little movement (sedentary situations). Three additional symptoms are typically related with narcolepsy: cataplexy, hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations. Narcolepsy usually commences when a person is in their teens or early twenties.

Generalized weakness may occur for a few moments during the transit between sleep and wakefulness (sleep paralysis). There are different levels of severity. Few with this disorder may have mild sleepiness or rare cataplexy (less than once per week). Others may have arbitrate sleepiness or infrequent cataplexy (less than daily). Narcolepsy is usually treated with a medication to improve vigilance and an anti-depressant that helps control cataplexy.

Causes of Nsarcolepsy

Common Causes of Nsarcolepsy

• Orexin.
• Sleepiness.
• Hypocretin.

Symptoms of Nsarcolepsy

Common Symptoms of Nsarcolepsy

• Excessive daytime sleepiness.
• Cataplexy.
• Sleep paralysis.
• Hypnagogic hallucinations.
• Seizures.
• Paralysis.
• Nighttime wakefulness.

Treatment of Nsarcolepsy

Common Treatment of Nsarcolepsy

• Sleep hygiene is important. Most patients improve if they maintain a regular sleep agenda, usually 7.5-8 hours of sleep per night
• Provide emotional support and career/vocational counseling to the patient and parent.
• Antidepressant medications (imipramine )can help to reduce the number of episodes of cataplexy, but they usually do not reduce the number of sleeping episodes.
• Methylphenidate, the most frequently used stimulant, improves sleep predilection in a dose-related fashion
• Sleep therapy is important and involves making sure that frequent brief naps are taken and spaced evenly throughout the day.