Hypersomnolence Disorder

What is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience fleeting urges to sleep. If the urge becomes overwhelming, individuals will fall asleep for periods lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, some people may remain asleep for an hour or longer. In addition to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), three other major symptoms frequently characterize narcolepsy: cataplexy, or the sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone; vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or upon awakening; and brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep. Narcolepsy is not

Sleep deprivation is a condition in which a person does not get enough sleep (What Are Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency). A majority of people need anywhere between eight to nine hours of sleep (Why Lack of Sleep Is Bad For Your Health). When a person does not get the amount of sleep that they need, the body does not have the proper amount of time to repair itself. Some symptoms of sleep deprivation are always being hungry, gaining weight, one becomes more impulsive and has mood swings, indecisiveness, lack of motor skills, increase in acne and falling asleep without realizing it (11 Signs). A person can also be affected by microsleeping. Microsleeping is the condition in which a person falls asleep throughout the day for seconds or sometimes minutes without them realizing it. The lack of sleep can have many negative effects on one’s health. Sleep deprivation can cause an increase in acne, it can cause harm to the central nervous system, digestive system, and it can cause psychological problems.

It can be considered a symptom of an undiagnosed sleep disorder or other medical conditions. Those affected by sleep deprivation are known to experience daytime sleepiness, fatigue, clumsiness, and weight gain/loss as well as effects on the brain and cognitive functions. These symptoms negatively affect students who are having to get up early for school (“Sleep Deprivation - Research & Treatments”).

• Sleepiness is treated with amphetamine. • Antidepressant is a treatment for abnormal REM symptoms. • Xyrem is a new medication for narcolepsy that help people to get better sleep at night and allow the person to have less sleepy during the day.

Introduction Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness caused by a disturbance in sleep/wake cycles. It affects men and women equally, and it typically takes up to ten years after onset to get diagnosed. Onset usually occurs in the teen years, however it can also develop in children or adults. There is typically a peak incidence at age 15, and a smaller peak at age 36. Globally, narcolepsy affects approximately 1 in 2000 people, however for unknown reasons, the rate in Japan is nearly twice as high.

As a freshman student-athlete here at one of the most prestigious schools in South Carolina it can be tough to get sleep. Ever since I can remember I usually get amazing sleep, then suddenly it is as if a switch flipped and now sleep is foreign to not only me, but most of my friends as well. One way that Real Age helped me realize to fix this problem was to find times during my busy schedule to power nap or trying to nap at least 15 to 20 minutes per day. Then to also manage some emotions whether it be stress, anxiety, or depression. If my emotions are getting the better of me then they recommend that I confront a doctor about what I am experiencing and my sleeping troubles. For me to keep living my healthy lifestyle I need to get quality sleep and by managing my emotions and taking power naps I will begin to sleep better during the night, which then carries over to my great attitude the next

Narcolepsy differs from obstructive sleep apnea due to the fact that it is a disorder that is experienced during the day instead of at night. According to the article “What is narcolepsy,” in the Consumer Health Complete Journal, narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that involves the brain disruption of wake-sleep cycles, and is considered a chronic sleep disorder (“What is narcolepsy?” 2010.). Almost every patient that is diagnosed with narcolepsy has EDS (excessive daytime sleepiness), where one inadvertently falls asleep at strange times such as during meals, driving or while simply talking. (“What is narcolepsy?” 2010.). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) might greatly effect an individual emotionally because the patient will often feel that they have no control over their own bodies. They might have no consistent routine of when it is expected to have normal waking and sleeping

Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder that causes a person to fall asleep at any time of the day. It also affects a person’s sleep habits at night. They tend to wake more often during nighttime sleep. A normal person sleeps for about 8 hours and enters non-rapid eye movement sleep, and then transitions into rapid eye movement sleep. A narcoleptic person enters rapid eye movement sleep within a few minutes of falling asleep. Narcolepsy can occur during daily activities such as when a person is driving, talking, playing a game, eating, or at work or school. Narcolepsy is caused by low levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin. A person is diagnosed with narcolepsy with a clinical examination and exhaustive medical history. There is not a cure

2. Sleep Disturbances: The patient’s history also revealed issues falling asleep. Since the onset of these sleeping issues came about around the same time as the fatigue, the sleep disturbances may be contributing to the fatigue and it is important to see if fatigue remains in absence of the sleeping disturbances. Her sleep disturbances could be due to depression or primary insomnia. Evaluation for depression should be done by a psychiatrist immediately. The patient should keep a sleep diary to track her sleeping patterns, with an eye seeing if her fatigue is better on days where she gets better sleep. Given the patient’s fatigue, anhedonia, and affect cognitive-based therapy for her sleeping issues, although, the preferred way to treat primary insomnia, does not seem appropriate. Instead, for now, the patient should be prescribed a melatonin receptor agonist (Ramelteon) to assist her in getting to sleep, until the psychiatrist makes their evaluation, which may lead to reassessment of treatment.

Various medications are prescribed, including amphetamine and antidepressant drugs. In addition, to reduce symptoms, lifestyle adjustments are required for example, avoiding alcohol and caffeine. Even heavy meals and nicotine are not recommended. Also, an adaptable sleep schedule and taking daytime naps about 10 to15 minutes will help. Amazingly, exercising regularly can make a big difference in reducing symptoms. (Alaska Sleep Clinic, 2014) Treating children can be a little bit more difficult because they cannot take the same drugs prescribed for adults. It is trickier because these drugs have been tested on adults therefore they are not suitable for children. Doctors are still hoping this day to find more cures. Researches will hopefully find ways to prevent new cases of narcolepsy and also discover better treatments (CTV News,

What is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder that involves poor control of sleep-wake cycles. Narcolepsy typically affects patients in their teenage years or in their 20’s. Sometimes patients are diagnosed in their 40’s or 50’s. In severe cases patients are prone to falling asleep with little or no warning. These are known as sleep attacks.

2. The treatment of Narcolepsy includes medications that lessen daytime sleepiness, such as Ritalin, Provigil, and Xyrem.

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome is one of the problems that teens and adults are currently facing every day. Any person can have this syndrome if that person keep sleeping late every day for a while. The person who keeps sleeping late will result in changing in sleep phase and that

Roddick and Cherney also mentioned that Insomnia alludes to the powerlessness to nod off or to stay snoozing. It can be created by jet lag, stress, and nervousness, hormones, or stomach related issues. Insomnia can likewise bring about weight pick up, trouble concentrating, fractiousness, and melancholy. They likewise spoke somewhat

Diagnosis The exact beginning cause of narcolepsy is not yet discovered by scientists, but most believe that it is caused by genetics and an environmental trigger. Scientists have discovered that people with narcolepsy are lacking in hypocretin (also called orexin), a chemical in the brain that activates arousal and regulates sleep. Narcoleptics generally do not have as many Hcrt cells (neurons that secrete hypocretin), inhibiting his or her ability to fully control alertness, which accounts for his or her tendency to fall asleep (Robinson and Segal, 2013). The scientists are working on ways to increase Narcoleptics Hcrt cells to reduce the symptoms that they suffer from. Many people with narcolepsy are often, if not always, misdiagnosed or not even