Introduction to Narcolepsy Sleep Condition
If you feel worn out throughout the day and find yourself dozing off unexpectedly in the middle of what you are doing, you could be suffering from narcolepsy. It is a troubling and serous medical condition. It is not related to poor sleeping habits nor is it due to sloth. It is also dangerous for the individual.
This condition usually shows up between the ages of 10 and 25. It will rarely affect those who are over the age of 40.
Extreme tiredness and falling asleep during the day, no matter how much sleep you get at night, are the most noticeable symptoms of this condition. People who suffer from narcolepsy have difficulty focusing on daily tasks due to a constant feeling of being tired. Such an illness is difficult to cope with, but it is even scarier when one considers the fact that the individual might sleep suddenly in the midst of operating machinery or activities that need full concentration.
This can be very serious and dangerous because it happens with no prior warning. The person has no time to stop doing what they are doing to get prepared. It is almost impossible for the individual to move away from a dangerous predicament or even consider finding a place for them to lie down. This can happen at any time, but can be extremely dangerous when you are driving or in some other situation where concentration is important.
When these episodes strike, the individual’s length of sleep can range from a few minutes to as long as half an hour. Such occurrences can happen a few times within a day. There is often certain automatic responses that go along with this condition, such as continuing to perform the task they were working on before they fell asleep. Individuals who have this condition might not even recall falling asleep after they wake up.
Cataplexy is another problem 75% of sufferers face when they have narcolepsy. Narcolepsy actually shuts the body down to some extent and muscles cannot be controlled by the individual. The individual can experience difficulty in articulation or even lose ability to control muscles. Some will experience this symptom more often than others. Some report rare instances, while others experience it every day. There seems to be some association between this condition and a sudden change in emotions, such as excessive laughing or becoming angry.
Narcolepsy can also show up in the form of paralysis, such as can be seen during REM sleep. However, paralysis in such situations occurs when the individual is beginning to fall asleep or is awakening. What is scary about this is that the individual is conscience that it is happening but is powerless to stop it or do anything.
A common sign of narcolepsy is hypnagogic hallucinations. The individual experiences very real images when he is in a state of half-consciousness. Between one quarter and one half of narcolepsy sufferers will experience this symptom.
There is still much to learn about what actually causes narcolepsy, but it is believed that genetics plays a role. Having low amounts of a chemical called hypocretin, which is needed to awaken sleep, can be a possible reason.
Moses Wright is a health conscious webmaster and he sets up this site to help people learn more about Sleeping Well Guide and different Stages of Sleep Cycle.
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