Narcolepsy Symptoms - How To Spot A Narcoleptic

The chronic neurological sleep disorder, Narcolepsy

, is caused by the brain's inability to normally control the sleep wake cycle.

This sleep disorder is actually overwhelming since narcoleptics fall asleep for periods lasting from a few seconds to several minutes mostly during the day. It can begin at any age but starts usually around the 10th year of a child and continue throughout life. This neurological disorder happens to 1: 2,000 thus considered to be rare.

How to spot a narcoleptic: they are the ones who just drops dead in a second or two then wakes up to talk with you then after a while, then zones out again. Kidding aside, narcoleptics should be given proper medical care and attention since they experience sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone or cataplexy.

They also experience automatic behaviors like driving home and not remembering how they got there and unusual hypnagogic hallucinations which is a phenomena that can be interpreted as visions, prophesies, premonitions and apparitions. This may be likened to an epileptic attack. They have vivid hallucinations during sleep and upon waking up.

Plus they have brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep. Proper health care counseling for narcoleptics and their families is highly recommended since they should be educated about the effects it brings to school, health and relationships.

Narcolepsy attacks can be triggered by laughter, sudden anger, athletic exertion or even sexual intercourse. Just imagine the pain married couples go through if one of them is diagnosed to have Narcolepsy.

According to narcoleptic mothers, they have some fears of caring for their kids since they aren't sure when these episodes will start. What if they were giving their baby a bath? They are considered to be accident prone but with proper medical assistance, they can continue living close to normal lives.

Unfortunately, there is still no known cure for this sleep disorder. For the families with narcoleptic loved ones, Narcolepsy is not a fatal disorder in itself. It can be controlled by a group of drugs called central nervous system stimulants (i.e. Amphetamine, Methamphetamine and Methylphenidate.) These are prescription drugs and cannot be obtained over the counter.

In addition to the drug therapy, scheduled short naps of 10 to 15 minutes 2x or 3x a day can help control EDS or excessive day time sleepiness. This allows narcoleptics to stay awake and alert as possible.

by: Audrey Lynn

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