Sleep is the body’s way to recharge itself with energy, and it is the brain’s way to consolidate memories. Sleep has many benefits, but too much sleep can have a negative impact on your health.
Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that is characterized by the loss of control of sleep and wakefulness. The sufferers’ sleep cycle and sleep-wake cycle is not properly regulated as a normal sleep cycle would be. People who suffer from narcolepsy have sleep attacks, which consist of sudden exhaustion and quickly slipping into stage four sleep. Sleep attacks can occur at any time of the day or night (e.g. driving, working, cooking, etc.). Narcolepsy typically evinces itself in the mid-teens and early twenties, but it can evince itself at any age. The exact cause of narcolepsy is currently unknown. Narcolepsy is believed to be caused by several factors (e.g. genetics, brain chemical deficiencies, and abnormalities in the brain).
1. Sudden Sleep
Sudden sleep describes the sleep attacks. Sudden sleep is the most common and most well-known symptom. The reality of sleep attacks is often not how they are portrayed by the media. The sufferer does not instantly fall asleep and wake up. The sufferer starts to feel exhausted beyond control and then falls into a sleep, where they rapidly reach stage 4 sleep. Sleep attacks can be triggered when the suffer is experiencing intense emotion (e.g. laughter, crying, or embarrassment). Sleep attacks typically last seconds to several minutes.
2. Loss of Muscle Tone
Loss of muscle tone is a part of a co-occurring disorder called cataplexy. The loss of muscle tone occurs suddenly prior to the sleep attack. They can occur spontaneously or following intense emotion or physical activity. After the loss of muscle tone occurs, the person will fall into deep sleep, delusions, or a form of REM sleep. The loss of muscle tone typically resolves itself; therefore, no medical intervention is necessary. Bob Beamon, the 1968 Olympic long jump medalist, experienced a cataplexic attack after the victory of breaking the previous world record.
3. Hallucinations
Hallucinations can even occur to sleep-deprived people who do not suffer from narcolepsy because they are not receiving the restoration that sleep provides. People who suffer from narcolepsy never reach an adequate amount of sleep regardless of how much they sleep. Sufferers experience hypnagogic hallucinations, which occur before and after the sleep episode. These experiences are intense and disturbing. The majority of sufferers experience visual hallucinations, but other types of hallucinations (e.g. auditory, touch, and state) may also occur.
4. Loss of Muscle Control
The loss of voluntary muscle control that is experienced by sufferers is also a part cataplexy. Like other cataplexy symptoms, loss of voluntary muscle control may occur spontaneously or be triggered by intense emotions. Its typically a sign of an oncoming sleep attack. The narcolepsy suffer will lose control of voluntary body parts (e.g. arms, legs, and even speech). Their arms and legs may fall limp, become unmovable, or start moving without the person’s control. Speech may also become slurred.
5. Muscle Paralysis
Sufferers may experience muscle paralysis upon falling asleep and awakening. This is called sleep paralysis. During an episode of muscle paralysis, the sufferer is unable to move and/or speak. Most people have experienced a form of sleep paralysis at some point in their life. These people report being conscious but unable to move or speak. Under normal circumstances, consciousness is lost before the body becomes paralyzed when falling asleep, and the paralysis is lost before consciousness in regained upon waking up. People who do not suffer from narcolepsy rarely experience sleep paralysis, but people who suffer from narcolepsy suffer from sleep paralysis often due to their sleep cycle and sleeps-wake cycle being abnormal.
6. Weakness
The excessive daytime tiredness contributes to the feeling of weakness that a narcolepsy sufferer experiences. The cataplexy symptoms of muscle tone loss and loss of voluntary muscle control also contribute to the feeling of weakness that sufferers experience. Though it is normal to feel weak and lethargic upon waking up early in the morning or after a long nap, constantly feeling weak before and after frequent episodes of daytime sleep is not normal. If weakness is accompanied by sleep attacks during the day, narcolepsy is most likely the problem.
7. Fatigue
Fatigue is normal after a late at night, early in the morning, after completing a strenuous task, or the day after a bad night’s rest. However, constantly feeling fatigued, especially after a good night’s rest and frequent spirts of sleep throughout the day, is very abnormal. Constant fatigue is a symptom of many health problems (e.g. cancer, sleep apnea, mononucleosis, etc.). However, if constant fatigue is accompanied by the other signs and symptoms of narcolepsy, especially sleep attacks, the possibility of having narcolepsy is decent. Consulting with a physician is the only way to confirm if you have narcolepsy.
