Insomnia Narcolepsy: A Case Study

Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that occurs during the adolescence stage. It is peculiar as it causes the afflicted person to develop a spontaneous sleep cycle during the day. This disorder prompts “sleep attacks” to occur, and can even be accompanied by cataplexy, random muscle failure or really just REM sleep paralysis (Zimbardo, Johnson, Weber,2008, p.109). It can be dangerous as the attacks can be triggered at any time by intense feelings of emotion or a lack of stimulation. This means that in cases such as driving, sexual intercourse, and times of extreme happiness a narcoleptic person could just fall straight into REM sleep (Zimbardo, Johnson, Weber,2008,

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder which makes falling asleep very hard, or cause you to stay up or wake up, or make you unable to get back to sleep. In addition, insomnia can deplete your energy and reduce disturb your mood. Moreover, it can spoil your work performance, health, and quality of life. Also, you may still suffer feeling tired and ruin your temper. when you wake up.

In his article “Narcolepsy,” Jerome M. Siegel discusses the disease and its possible causes. To begin with, Siegel defines the symptoms and problems associated with the disease. Moreover, he states what exactly the disease is, his research into its causes and effects on the nervous system, and the possibility that the narcolepsy may be an autoimmune disease.

Firstly, what is narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that effects your central nervous system that does not allow the person to have a regulated sleep cycle. A regular person normally has a 90 minute sleep cycle, while a narcoleptic goes straight into REM sleep. Since they go straight into REM sleep, the brain does not have a chance to recover from its constant activities. A narcoleptics

Narcolepsy is a permanent sleep disorder that gets worse with age. It is estimated that about 40,000 to 135,000 people in the United States have narcolepsy. (Narcolepsy, 2002). Most people who have narcolepsy are often times misdiagnosed because the symptoms, especially if noticed at the beginning stages, are very similar to other sleep disorders. Some of the symptoms that go along with narcolepsy are excessive sleepiness, especially during the daytime or when sleep is inappropriate, cataplexy which is when a person suddenly looses control of their muscles, sleep paralysis which is when the person is unable to move for a short period of time after they wake up from sleep, and hypnagogic hallucinations which is very

According to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, the common symptoms of narcolepsy are periods of extreme drowsiness during the day (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). People with narcolepsy feel a strong desire to sleep, usually followed by a short nap. The sleep attacks last about fifteen minutes but can be longer. Often times, these sleep attacks happen after eating, during driving, and other everyday tasks. After a short nap, a person usually wakes up feeling refreshed and energized. As stated by Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia, “Another symptom is dream-like hallucinations between sleep and wakefulness” (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). This is when a person experiences seeing or hearing right before they fall asleep. Sleep paralysis and cataplexy are also common symptoms of narcolepsy (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia). Sleep paralysis is not being able to move as you are falling asleep or upon waking up. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it usually goes unnoticed because it occurs during REM sleep (NINDS). REM sleep is rapid eye movement sleep. It occurs in breaks when rapid eye movements occur along with bodily movement. Similarly, cataplexy is a sudden loss of mobility. This is also associated with strong emotion like laughter or anger, which can trigger cataplexy

Narcolepsy is a uncommon sleep disorder characterized for excessive daytime sleepiness and significant daily dysfunction. Daily periods of irresistible need to fall asleep during times when individual is supposed to be awake, as driving or at work, that may result in an accident. Patients with narcolepsy must of the times suffer from insomnia caused by sleep fragmentation this is why is imperative for narcolepsy to be diagnosed and treated.

Narcolepsy is a neurological, sleep disorder that affects 1 in 2000 Americans. It is not selective against race, nor gender, and does not have a link among family members. Therefore anyone, and everyone is susceptible to having narcolepsy. In addition narcolepsy is often misunderstood, underdiagnosed and/or misdiagnosed. Currently there is no cure for this chronic and sometimes debilitating condition. The focus of this paper is to re-examine current knowledge of narcolepsy, through significant scientific research, in order to generate a desire to continue to search for a cure that will lead to the improvement of the quality of life for

Narcolepsy is diagnosed in about 250,000 Americans. Beyond feeling tired all the time, narcolepsy can result in sleep “attacks”. The danger with narcolepsy sleep attacks is that it is never known when an attack can happen, even driving or public places.

Narcolepsy is a chronic, neurological brain disorder that is characterized by poor control of sleep-wake cycles, cataplexy, and abnormal rapid eye movement sleep (REM). People with narcolepsy experience periods of extreme daytime sleepiness and irresistible, sudden sleep that can strike at any time. According to National Institute Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS, 2010), “These “sleep attacks” usually last a few seconds to several minutes.” Narcolepsy can greatly affect daily activities because people may unwillingly fall asleep while at work or at school, while having a conversation, eating, or operating various types of machinery.

“Narcolepsy is an incurable sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable attacks of REM sleep, usually lasting 10 to 20 minutes” (Wood, Wood, Boyd, Wood and Desmarais, 2011, p.108). According to WebMD website, this illness has four main symptoms. In everyday

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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.

Treatments for narcolepsy are based entirely on the symptoms that manifest and though non-pharmacological therapy has been used, drug-based therapy is the backbone of most of the treatment arranged. In its early days, narcolepsy was treated with caffeine and other traditional stimulants but there uses become extremely risky to the heart at high dosages. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia was tried as well but it only showed small and temporary remissions. Mostly antidepressants are used to treat narcolepsy now, but there is still a lack of evidence that showing positive results[NarcRev]. As more research is done, and our comprehension of how the mind works and how it links with the body progresses, we may find better and more accurate treatments for this unique disorder. These results that specific chemicals of the brain are entangled in narcolepsy also opens new research paths in sleep research. Overall, narcolepsy is an often misunderstood and undiagnosed disorder and although not much is known about it, with additional research, the future of treatments and maybe even a cure can be

1. Narcolepsy is a rare, and chronic sleep disorder where the affected have severe or overwhelming daytime sleepiness. Fewer than 200,000 cases a year.