
Sleep paralysis can sometimes be paired with hallucinations, which are especially upsetting. This can be frightening, but it is not associated with an inability to breathe. This usually lasts a few seconds or minutes. You might lose the ability to move and feel paralyzed when you are falling asleep or waking up. These experiences are mainly visual, though they may also involve your senses of sound, touch, taste and smell. Other common visions may include being caught in a fire or flying through the air. It can feel very real and trigger feelings of fear or dread. These hallucinations are usually visions that someone or something is present in your bedroom. Some patients with narcolepsy have vivid sleep-related hallucinations, either when falling asleep or waking up. After a brief nap, you may feel alert, but the sleepiness will return after an hour or two. This sleepiness is difficult to prevent and may vary over the course of the day.
#Narcolepsy with cataplexy type 1 full
You may feel tired during the day even though you had a full night’s sleep. The primary symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness. You may experience the following: Excessive daytime sleepiness The symptoms usually worsen after the first few years. Symptoms of narcolepsy usually begin between the ages of 15 to 25, but it is possible start experiencing symptoms at a much younger or older age. But after a short time, you feel tired again. You may take a nap for a couple of hours and wake up feeling refreshed. This type of narcolepsy occurs when you have excessive daytime sleepiness but no cataplexy. A patient with low hypocretin has narcolepsy type 1, even if they don’t exhibit cataplexy. Hypocretin is a chemical that regulates arousal, wakefulness and appetite. Narcolepsy type 1 is caused by a deficiency of the neurotransmitter hypocretin (orexin). Low or absent CSF hypocretin-1 levels.These events are usually triggered by strong emotions such as joy, surprise, laughter or anger. It may lead to slurred speech and buckling knees, or in more severe cases complete paralysis. Sudden loss of muscle tone or episodes of muscle weakness while you are awake are known as cataplexy.This type of narcolepsy involves a combination of excessive daytime sleepiness and one or both of the following: There are two types of narcolepsy: Narcolepsy type 1 Medical conditions, mental health disorders, and use of certain medications or substances can also cause symptoms similar to narcolepsy These include sleep apnea, circadian rhythm disorders, and restless legs syndrome.

Other sleep disorders that cause daytime sleepiness are often mistaken for narcolepsy. Some people think because they are consistently tired during the day that they may have narcolepsy. This is especially true when you consider that many people with narcolepsy often have difficulty sleeping through the night because of unwanted awakenings. When you add up the hours of total sleep time, people with narcolepsy don’t necessarily sleep any more than people who don’t have narcolepsy. Narcolepsy may run in some families, but most cases are not genetic. The average delay in diagnosis is 8 to 10 years. Pediatric onset is common, as is a delay in diagnosing the disorder. However, it is thought that about 50% of patients with narcolepsy may be undiagnosed and therefore the prevalence may be underestimated. About one in 2,000 people have some form of narcolepsy. Many people with narcolepsy do not know they have the sleep disorder. Operating a vehicle with untreated narcolepsy can be dangerous – make sure to check your state driving laws. Learning to manage narcolepsy symptoms is important as it can interfere with daily activities including eating, walking, and/or driving. Narcolepsy can impact nearly every aspect of your life.

Individuals with narcolepsy feel overwhelmingly tired, and in some cases, can have sudden episodes of muscle weakness (cataplexy).

Narcolepsy is a lifelong neurologic disorder that is characterized by the inability to control normal sleep wake cycles. Morse, DO and Andrea Matsumura, MD What is narcolepsy?
