Who is more likely to get narcolepsy? Narcolepsy affects both males and females equally. Symptoms often start in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood (ages 7 to 25), but can occur at any time in life.
Narcolepsy affects about 1 in 2,000 people in the United States and Western Europe. However, the disorder is likely underdiagnosed, particularly in people with mild symptoms. Worldwide, narcolepsy appears to be most common in Japan, where it affects an estimated 1 in 600 people.
Most often, narcoleptics present with the primary complaint of falling asleep at inappropriate times. It is also possible for narcoleptics to experience insomnia or uncontrollable muscle weakness.
Narcolepsy is thought to affect about 1 person in every 2,000 in Australia.
It involves the body's central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Narcolepsy is a genetic disorder. It is caused by a deficiency in the production of a brain chemical that helps neurons talk to each other.
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy may feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day.
A Sleep Physician
Thorpy, the director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY, says that he recommends that narcolepsy patients be in bed for a minimum of eight hours each night, have a regular wake-up time, and hold these constant for two weeks.
Hypersomnia with long sleep time is characterized by a prolonged (> 10 h) nighttime sleep, with frequent sleep drunkenness and long, unrefreshing naps, usually sleeping more than 11 to 12 h per day.
Narcolepsy is characterized by uncontrollable excessive daytime sleepiness, paroxysmal cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations. It is often misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, resulting from the overlap in symptoms and a lack of understanding of narcolepsy.
Although there are rare families where narcolepsy is passed on through several generations, most cases of narcolepsy occur at random rather than being inherited. The likelihood of developing narcolepsy is influenced by proteins known as histocompatibility leukocyte antigens (HLA).
Narcolepsy is not considered a disability under the NDIS, nor is it considered eligible for the disability support pension (DSP).
Narcolepsy can develop at any age, but it commonly starts either during the teenage years or in middle age. A person with narcolepsy usually has the condition for life. All people with narcolepsy have extreme levels of sleepiness during the day, but how this shows itself can differ.
The onset of narcolepsy can occur anytime between early childhood and 50 years of age. Two peak time periods have been identified; one around 15 years of age and another around 36 years of age. Some researchers believe that narcolepsy is under-diagnosed in children.
Doctors believe that some people with PTSD may develop narcolepsy as their body's way of dealing with the strong emotions of PTSD.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is usually the first sign of narcolepsy. It can have a significant impact on everyday life. Feeling drowsy throughout the day and struggling to stay awake makes it difficult to concentrate at work or school. People with narcolepsy may be misjudged as being lazy or rude.
Narcolepsy symptoms usually first occur between age 15 and 30 years. Below are the most common symptoms. You may feel a strong urge to sleep, often followed by a period of sleep. You can't control when you fall asleep.
Results show that narcolepsy is associated with approximately 1.5-fnew excess mortality relative to those without narcolepsy.
If you have narcolepsy, you're probably no stranger to symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (sudden loss of motor strength and tone), hallucinations, or paralysis while falling asleep or waking up.
Can You Wake Someone with Narcolepsy? While waking someone with narcolepsy does not present any health risks on its own, it may be very difficult. If you need to wake someone with narcolepsy for safety reasons, be aware that they may be confused and disoriented.
There are 5 main symptoms of narcolepsy, referred to by the acronym CHESS (Cataplexy, Hallucinations, Excessive daytime sleepiness, Sleep paralysis, Sleep disruption).
Conclusion: Decreased serum vitamin B12 levels are independently associated with the development of narcolepsy, which illustrates the complex relationship between vitamin B12 and narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy symptoms are often called a tetrad, meaning that there are four core symptoms of this condition: excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and cataplexy.