A dyssomnia consisting of irresistible attacks of refreshing sleep during the day, cataplexy (sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone) typically associated with intense emotion, and recurrent intrusions of rem sleep into the transition between sleep and wakefulness.
Uncontrollable, recurrent, brief episodes of sleep associated with excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexp, sleep paralysis, hppnagogic hallucinations, and often disturbed nocturnal sleep.
A condition characterized by uncontrollable sleepiness.
A condition in which someone has an uncontrollable tendency to fall asleep at any time.
Rare condition of uncontrollable need for sleep.
Narcolepsy is a form of hypersomnia associated with a tetrad of symptoms: (a) uncontrollable episodes of daytime sleep, (b) sudden loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), (c) sleep paralysis, and (d) hypnagogic hallucinations. Only about 10% of affected individuals show all four symptoms (Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy [Merck], 2001). Of major concerns are sleep attacks, which often occur several times a day without warning at inappropriate places and times. Affected individuals may fall asleep during class, business meetings, conversations, or meals. Because they are usually unaware of their disorder, they are often undiagnosed and untreated. Parents, teachers, spouses, and employers often mistakenly attribute patients’ sleepiness to disinterest, laziness, hostility, or rejection. Fewer than 10% of patients have narcoleptic sleep episodes longer than 8 min, but some episodes last longer than 60 min. Of interest, the disorder was first diagnosed in a poodle at the Stanford University sleep laboratory by Mitler and Dement in 1974; animal models are used in much current research and are responsible for the recent discovery of the disorder’s basis.
Syndrome characterized by an uncontrollable desire to sleep, sudden sleep attacks lasting from a few minutes to a few hours, episodes of momentary loss of muscle tone (cataplexy), and occasionally visual hallucinations before sleep. The condition usually begins in adolescence and lasts for life; no organic cause is known. Stimulant drugs are sometimes used to prevent attacks.
A sleep disorder characterized by the frequent, sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep and by temporary muscular paralysis.
A disabling neurological sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden collapses into sleep. Narcolepsy is related to REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the dreaming state of sleep. While its exact cause remains unknown, scientists have discovered that the brains of people with narcolepsy have dramatically fewer neurons containing a substance called hypocretin than the brains of people who do not have this disorder. Narcolepsy also seems to have a hereditary or genetic component.
An extreme tendency to fall asleep in quiet surroundings or when engaged in monotonous activities. The patient can be awakened easily and is immediately alert. It is often associated with cataplexy, and when falling asleep the patient may experience auditory hallucinations or transient attacks of muscular paralysis.
A condition in which uncontrollable episodes of sleep occur two or three times a day. It starts at any age and persists for life. The attacks, which usually last for 10-15 minutes, come on suddenly, usually at times when anyone might feel sleepy, such as after a meal or sitting in a bus, but they may occur at any time, such as when walking in the street. After some years, they are frequently associated with cataplectic attacks, when for a few seconds there is sudden muscular weakness affecting the whole body and the person may fall to the ground. The condition may be due to a lack of the brain chemical transmitter, hypocretin. The cataplectic attacks can be helped by the tricyclic antidepressant drugs, imipramine or clomipramine SSRIs and sodium oxybate, the latter available in the UK from specialists services only because of its relative risk.
A disorder marked by recurrent, uncontrollable attacks of daytime sleepiness, often associated with temporary muscular paralysis (cataplexy), which may occur after powerful emotional experiences. People affected by this condition may have several sleep attacks each day. Typically, narcoleptic patients arouse from sleep relatively easily.
Narcolepsy is a condition involving uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep.
A disorder of REM sleep in which the person falls asleep suddenly without warning for short periods of time.
Narcolepsy, an enduring sleep disorder, is characterized by four distinct manifestations: abrupt and fleeting episodes of sleepiness, cataplexy, momentary muscle immobility, and hallucinations. These hallucinations are linked to the process of either falling asleep or transitioning from slumber to wakefulness.
A sleep disturbance identified by persistent daytime sleepiness accompanied by recurring instances of sudden sleep episodes during the day. While the precise origin of narcolepsy is uncertain, it’s observed to have a familial tendency. Typically, this condition emerges prior to the age of 20.
Individuals afflicted with narcolepsy commonly experience episodes of falling asleep at various points during the day, particularly when engaged in repetitive activities. Sleep episodes can occur at inappropriate moments, even while eating. These narcoleptic episodes might range from mere seconds to over an hour in duration. In cases of narcolepsy, the REM (rapid eye movement) phase of sleep is entered into unusually swiftly. Those affected can be roused from sleep with ease, yet they might find themselves dozing off shortly thereafter.
Certain individuals dealing with narcolepsy encounter vivid hallucinations right before drifting into sleep. For others, a sensation of paralysis occurs during the transitions into sleep or upon awakening. Approximately three out of four individuals with narcolepsy also experience cataplexy, a condition involving a transient loss of muscular control in the limbs, resulting in the person collapsing. Cataplexy can occasionally be triggered by emotional reactions like fear or laughter.
Managing narcolepsy typically entails establishing a routine of scheduled naps, coupled with the use of stimulant medications to manage excessive sleepiness and antidepressant medications to alleviate cataplexy.
While narcolepsy generally persists throughout one’s life, there are instances where spontaneous improvement occurs gradually.
An irresistible urge to nap briefly during daytime hours is a phenomenon noted in instances of epilepsy, brain inflammation, and, occasionally, certain types of brain tumors. However, in many patients, no specific cause can be identified. To manage this condition, brain stimulants like amphetamines are employed as a treatment approach.