Myths And Facts About Narcolepsy

By Author: Isabella Whitmore
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Here are 7 most common myths about narcolepsy and the facts behind them.

1. Myth: Narcolepsy is an extremely rare sleep disorder.

Fact: On records, there is approximately 1 in every 2,000 people in America who are diagnosed with the sleep disorder. However, the actual numbers are likely higher as narcolepsy is often misdiagnosed as something else. Like stress, depression, other sleep disorder, or other neurological disease. Add to that number are the people who haven’t sought medical help yet also the disease is often mistaken as laziness.

2. Myth: Narcoleptic patients are limited in doing normal activities, such as going to school or work.

Fact: This varies from person to person. Although there is no direct cure for the sleep disorder at the moment, the symptoms of narcolepsy can be manageable with medications, certain daily routines, and lifestyle changes. Many patients are able to finish school, work full time, raise kids, and lead a normal life. Unfortunately, some narcoleptics remain having difficulty keeping up with daily activities even with treatments.
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3. Myth: People with narcolepsy often pass out right in the middle of a conversation or other activities.

Fact: This is one common example of how movies exaggerate narcolepsy. In reality, this happens very rarely. Narcoleptics may feel very sleepy, especially during the day, but remain awake when they are engaged in what they are doing. They may suddenly fall asleep when doing nothing or boring activities. Like sitting at a desk or watching an uninterested movie just like other people.

4. Myth: Narcoleptics easily fall asleep even at night.

Fact: Many narcoleptics have trouble sleeping at night. This is one of contributing factors that makes them sleepy during the day. People with narcolepsy are advised to develop good sleeping habits at night to help them sleep longer and better. This is beneficial to minimizing sleepiness in the daytime.

5. Myth: People with narcolepsy just need to sleep more to stop excessive sleepiness.
Fact: No matter how much sleep narcoleptics get, they are still most likely to feel sleepy during daytime. This is because they have a slow supply of hypocretin, a neurotransmitter in the brain that controls wakefulness. Taking multiple naps during daytime is one of the most effective methods to keep narcoleptics awake. It is recommended to have scheduled naps to: (1) help keep up with the daily activities. And (2) avoid excessive sleepiness in times when the patient should be alert, for instance working hours. It’s important not to sleep over 20-minutes during daytime naps to avoid insomnia at night.

6. Myth: Narcolepsy can only affect adults.

Fact: Symptoms of narcolepsy often start by the age of 10 to 20 years old, or even younger. However, many patients are diagnosed late as the sleep disorder is frequently misdiagnosed as something else. Excessive sleepiness in kids is likely to be mistaken as part of growing or puberty.

7. Myth: Narcolepsy is always accompanied by cataplexy.

Fact: Narcolepsy can be mild or severe. Many patients who suffer from the sleep disorder for many years have never experienced cataplexy. Or its other symptoms.

Aside from excessive sleepiness, here are other symptoms of narcolepsy that some patients experience.

Cataplexy – is the sudden loss of muscle control. It can be mild, which affects only a part or a few parts of the body. For instance, unable to move a leg, jaw-dropping, or head falling to the side. In severe cases, it can cause patients to suddenly fall to the ground as all the voluntary muscles collapse at once. The symptoms can last from just a few seconds up to 2 minutes. However, there are rare cases in which cataplexy lasts for 30 minutes. The patient is fully aware of the surrounding during the attacks.

Sleep paralysis – is unable to move while sleeping. It is often described as if something heavy is put on the chest. Or a creature is sitting on the patient’s chest trying to hold him/her down which makes the patient feels afraid. This symptom usually occurs in the beginning or at the end of sleep.

Hypnagogic hallucinations – these are auditory or visual hallucinations that commonly occur during the onset of sleep, before waking up, or during a cataplexy attack.

Being a narcoleptic can be challenging, especially because many people do not fully understand the disease. If you have narcolepsy, it is helpful to correct people when they are mistaken about your condition. This is a good way to spread awareness about this less-known sleep disorder.

This article is written by Isabella Whitmore. She likes to share helpful tips about health, home, and lifestyle. Isabella works at https://electrickettlesplus.com, an appliance website that offers premium quality electric kettles.