How to Recognize the Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), affects around three million people worldwide. While it is easy to recognize more obvious examples of narcolepsy, with victims suddenly falling asleep without warning, some of the other symptoms may be more subtle and difficult to identify.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

How to Recognize Narcolepsy

1. Recognize the more obvious characteristics of EDS, such as sleep attacks. When a sleep attack occurs, a victim can fall asleep almost instantly, no matter what he is doing. These attacks often last for just 15 minutes or so, but occasionally they last for a few hours.
2. Look for more subtle signs of EDS, such as constant drowsiness and irritability during the day, as well as frequent bouts of insomnia. Not all narcolepsy attacks are marked by actually falling asleep. Some present as bouts of fatigue, exhaustion, blurred vision and muscle soreness.
3. Identify signs of cataplexy, a condition in which muscle tone is completely lost for a few minutes, and the victim collapses or feels paralyzed. Often these attacks are accompanied by intense emotional arousal, such as laughing uncontrollably or crying.
4. Beware of hallucinations that may occur from narcolepsy and EDS. They can be extremely intense and difficult to differentiate from reality. They may even be accompanied by sounds and smells that are purely in the mind of the narcoleptic.
5. Expect occasional episodes of sleep paralysis, where the narcoleptic cannot move before she falls asleep or just before she wakes up. This paralysis can be accompanied by feelings of overwhelming panic.
6. Consult online web resources, such as Healthscout.com, for more tips on how to identify symptoms of narcolepsy or any other type of sleeping disorder (see Resources below). Shuteye.com focuses on dealing with insomnia, a disorder that can cause episodes of EDS.
7. See your doctor immediately if you believe that you or anyone you know may be suffering from narcolepsy or any other potentially dangerous sleep disorder. Narcolepsy can usually be treated through the use of prescription drugs that help to regulate sleep patterns.

Tips & Warnings

• If you suffer from narcolepsy, you should not drive automobiles, operate heavy machinery or perform any other task that could be dangerous in the event that you lose consciousness.
• Never try to treat narcolepsy on your own, as you could injure yourself and others. This disorder requires a doctor's care.

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