Narcolepsy

Many of us will be familiar with narcolepsy because it is often used for comical effect in stories and films. The common image is that of an individual in mid-conversation who suddenly falls to the ground and goes from a state of total alertness to complete sleep. The individual concerned then wakes without realizing that she has been asleep and continues on with their conversation.

Not surprisingly, narcolepsy is not always as it is portrayed in the movies. Although in a few very rare instances of this sleep disorder individuals do fall asleep without any warning, the majority of people with narcolepsy have problems with overwhelming sleepiness throughout the day and occasionally are forced to give in to the need for a nap.

Like other sleep disorders there are different degrees of narcolepsy. Some people for example may simply have a problem with becoming excessively sleepy during the day while others may have a wide variety of difficulties all of which point to narcolepsy.

One example is sleeping while you are working or engaged in conversation and not even appearing asleep to the people around you. Although others might think that your mind is merely wandering or you might begin to believe that you are suffering from memory problems because you do not remember things people have told you, the simple fact is that you are actually sleeping during your interactions. You just do not look as if you are asleep because your eyes remain open and those around you are unable to tell that you are sleeping.

Other interesting characteristics of some rarer types of narcolepsy include brief periods of paralysis and hallucinations. Experiencing hallucinations when waking up might be an indication of narcolepsy but it is certainly not an absolute indicator although individuals with severe narcolepsy may well find themselves experiencing scary and dramatic hallucinations because of this rare sleep disorder. Sleep paralysis is actually quite common and our bodies are in essence 'paralyzed' while we sleep so that we cannot act out our dreams. However for a person suffering from narcolepsy the paralysis extends beyond the usual sleep paralysis and a narcoleptic individual might be totally paralyzed upon waking up yet be aware of the situation and therefore understandably very scared.

Naturally there is medication that is designed to help individuals who have varying degrees of narcolepsy and medication is generally quite effective in helping people to stay awake during daylight hours and then to enjoy a full night's sleep.

Some individuals find that they do not get on with medication because the stimulant effect that is designed to keep them awake during the day makes them feel jittery or nervous. In reality it is a trade-off for a few narcoleptics who must either continue to have erratic and insufficient sleep or solve their sleeping difficulties and put up with the side-effects of the medication.

However, some narcoleptics do not have a choice because the impulse to sleep during the day is so strong that they wind up falling asleep while at the wheel of a car or at other obviously dangerous times. For these rare instances medication is quite literally a life-saver.