Narcolepsy
The Rare Sleep Disorder
Narcolepsy, which is quite a rare sleep disorder, causes
people to fall asleep when they do not want to, which is caused
by a neurological disorder. The brain sends signals to the
body that are sleep-induced.
Unfortunately, they are sent at inappropriate and unpredictable
times. Most of the time, it occurs when a person is involved
in a quiet activity, such as watching a movie or during a
meeting. It can even happen to victim with this sleep disorder
falls asleep while driving, which is obviously extremely dangerous.
Others might fall asleep while they are eating or talking.
The overwhelming need to sleep can come at any hour of the
day during any activity.
People who suffer from narcolepsy seldom realize how sleepy
they are, nor how often they fall asleep. It is often a family
member, friend or coworker who tells them that they need to
seek medical help for their sleep disorder.
Narcolepsy usually has five main symptoms, such as extreme
daytime sleepiness, insomnia and fragmented sleep, sleep paralysis,
cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. Some people with
this sleep disorder experience only one symptom but there
are others who experience all five.
Extreme daytime sleepiness is usually the first symptom to
appear. Everyone with narcolepsy will experience this symptom.
The feeling of needing to sleep is so strong that victims
are unable to fend it off, regardless of how hard they try.
These sleep attacks, as they are usually called, can happen
several times and last for five to ten minutes.
There are also some lesser symptoms of narcolepsy, which
include blurred vision, migraine headaches, memory or concentration
problems and automatic behavior. An apostate of automatic
behavior might last for several minutes.
During that time a person with this sleep disorder will perform
a routine task. The task is most of the time done incorrectly,
such as placing a turkey in the dishwasher or writing past
the end of a page.
Narcolepsy can be diagnosed and treated with different drugs.
If left untreated this sleep disorder can jeopardize a person's
life.
| 
