Cataplexy can cause slurred speech, muscle weakness, or even collapse. EDS may present as feeling irritable, having trouble concentrating, experiencing memory problems, or feeling extremely fatigued.Ĭataplexy is a brief but sudden loss of muscle tone that can cause a number of physical changes. While everyone with narcolepsy has EDS, some may experience it differently. In between sleep attacks, some people with narcolepsy may show normal levels of alertness, particularly if engaged in an activity that holds their attention. These sudden bouts of sleep are referred to as “sleep attacks.” These attacks may last a few seconds or a few minutes. The sleepiness can be so powerful that someone with narcolepsy can fall asleep suddenly, even when they’re in the middle of a conversation or a task. In relation to EDS, people with narcolepsy frequently have a hard time concentrating or focusing, making everyday activities like driving and cooking dangerous. People with narcolepsy may wake up feeling rested and alert, but they will often have trouble staying awake for long periods of time. The individual feels persistently sleepy, no matter how much sleep he or she gets at night. The most obvious narcolepsy symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) which refers to an inability to stay alert during normal daytime hours. Possible triggering events include hormonal changes, major stress, a brain injury, or an infection. After that, the body’s immune system becomes confused and mistakenly attacks the brain cells that produce orexin which then leads to symptoms of narcolepsy. Researchers currently believe that people are born with a genetic predisposition to develop narcolepsy eventually, often during childhood or teenage years, a triggering event may cause the onset of narcolepsy. Most cases of narcolepsy are thought to be due to a lack of a brain chemical called orexin (or hypocretin), which promotes wakefulness and helps to regulate sleep. People with narcolepsy may struggle to maintain academic, professional, and social activities. While narcolepsy doesn’t cause serious or long-term physical health issues, it can be hard to cope with in daily life and can often lead to emotional distress. Symptoms usually start to appear in childhood or young adulthood however, the onset of narcolepsy can occur at any life stage. Narcolepsy affects men and women equally. As a result, people with narcolepsy often feel excessively fatigued and frequently fall asleep during daytime hours, even when they’re engaged in conversation, work, or other activities. People with narcolepsy may wake up in the morning feeling well-rested, but they’re unable to sustain that alertness throughout the day. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Learn about the risk factors and symptoms of narcolepsy, along with how to get a diagnosis and what treatment options are available. These symptoms could be a sign that you have narcolepsy, a chronic sleep disorder that causes a person to fall asleep suddenly and at inappropriate times. When is extreme tiredness more than just exhaustion? Know the signs and symptoms of narcolepsy, plus diagnosis and treatment options.Įxcessive fatigue and daytime sleepiness aren’t always just the result of a few nights of poor sleep. Living with the symptoms of a sleep disorder can leave you feeling Beyond Tired®.

Narcolepsy with cataplexy stage 1