What is Narcolepsy?
Two researchers who did groundbreaking work on narcolepsy, the neurological disorder that triggers sudden sleep attacks, won a prestigious science award recently.
- Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that causes extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden “sleep attacks”.
- It affects brain’s ability to control when one falls asleep and wakes up.
- Narcolepsy is uncommon. But it’s a manageable lifelong condition.
- There are two main types:
- Narcolepsy type 1: This type causes sudden muscle weakness (cataplexy) and/or very low levels of a brain chemical called hypocretin/orexin (helps control wakefulness and rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep).
- Narcolepsy type 2: This type causes daytime sleepiness like type 1, but without cataplexy.
A separate condition called secondary narcolepsy can happen due to a brain injury, lesion, or other medical or genetic disord - It often comes with more severe symptoms and longer sleep times.
- The exact cause of narcolepsy is not known.
- People with type 1 narcolepsy have low levels of hypocretin, also called orexin. Hypocretin is a chemical in the brain that helps control being awake and entering REM sleep.
- There’s no cure for narcolepsy.
- But treatment can help you manage symptoms and improve daily life.
