Narcolepsy Research Paper

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,

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

Sleeping disorder is a medical disorder of the sleep models of a human being or an animal. The sleeping disorders interfere with the normal mental, physical, social, and emotional functioning of the body. The commonly ordered sleeping disorders are polysomnography and actigraphy. This paper provides a critical analysis of a 2010 article written by Jane F. Gaultney called The prevalence of sleep disorders in college students: impact on academic performance.

The symptoms of narcolepsy include cataplexy, persistent daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations. Cataplexy is “a loss of skeletal muscle tone without loss of consciousness” (77). These cataplectic attacks often occur at emotional times. Such events could be laughter, sexual intercourse, physical

Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that affects 1 in about 2,000 people in the United States. Many people are unaware that they have this disorder, and it goes undiagnosed. Narcolepsy affects your sleeping pattern, including irregular patterns in your Rapid Eye Movement (REM), and significant disruptions in your normal sleep/wake cycle. There is no cure for this disorder, but it is treatable. We also don’t know what causes it.

While there is no cure for narcolepsy, there are treatments to make managing symptoms easier. There are three treatments for narcolepsy. According to Mayo Clinic, there are three treatments for narcolepsy. The first being selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) or Serotonin and Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). These treatments can subdue the REM sleep, to help with the other symptoms. The second treatment is antidepressants. They are only effective for cataplexy but can have dangerous side effects. The last treatment is Sodium Oxybate (Xyrem). Xyrem is one of the most effective treatments for Narcolepsy. Xyrem improves nighttime sleep, which in turn improves the excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Currently over 60,000 people are prescribed Xyrem. However, Xyrem can be very detrimental. Xyrem can cause coma or death if mixed with alcohol or other

As stated in a previous statistic, sleep disorders unfortunately target a wide variety of ages. Children are commonly affected by Sleep Apnea, teeth grinding, Night Terrors, Nightmares, sleep walking, Restless Leg Syndrome, bedwetting, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Adults tend to be affected by Insomnia, Hypersomnia, Sleep Apnea, Narcolepsy, Sleep Paralysis, Hypopnea Syndrome, and Noctoria. Sleep disorders are very common and also very dangerous in some circumstances. Ill treating or ignoring sleep disorders can lead to lethargy, poor mood, lack of motivation, and may negatively impact

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

Sleep paralysis is a common condition with a prevalence of 5-62%, although most affected people have single or infrequent episodes (Dahlitz). Occasionally sleep paralysis is found to run in a family, and it can be associated with other disorders of hypersomnia, such as sleep apnea (Becker 81). Narcolepsy has also been linked with sleep paralysis; both are thought to be REM sleep disorders (Siegel). Gender and race do not seem to be a factor of risk for this disorder. The episodes of sleep paralysis seem to range from ages 5-35 (Dahlitz). The use of anxiolytic medicines, psychiatric disorders and high anxiety can also contribute to sleep paralysis (Larkin).

Summary: Narcolepsy and cataplexy are lifelong illness due to the loss of Hypocretin in the brain. Hypocretin is a chemical that regulate sleep cycle, without it people will experience sleep disorder. There is no cure for the disease. However, condition can be managed by drug therapy and several behavioral strategies. But I am looking forward that one day researcher will find a cure for it so I can live my life normally as I used before.

A person with narcolepsy can experience extreme daytime sleepiness and uncontrollable falling asleep during daytime.

I am currently a senior majoring in accounting at the University of Northern Iowa. My experiences at UNI have helped me realize my passion which has lead me to have great interest in being a part of UNI’s Master’s of Accounting program.

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 about Sleep apnea, which is described as a delay in breathing amid rest, regard this as a genuine therapeutic condition since it can bring about the body to take in less oxygen. It can likewise make you wake up amid the night. Narcolepsy is generally known as a "sleep assaults" that happen amid the day. Which it can make individuals feel to a great degree tired and nod off with no notice. The turmoil can likewise

symptoms of this condition are, daytime and sleeping problems. The most common symptom is excessive daytime sleepiness, however other symptoms are sleep paralysis and hallucinations but they are less common in this health disorder. In most cases, symptoms will first appear when people are between the ages of 7 and 25. In rare cases, however, narcolepsy may appear at a younger age or in older adults. If left undiagnosed and untreated, early onset narcolepsy can interfere with psychological, social, and cognitive function and development and can undermine academic and social activities (“Narcolepsy Fact Sheet”). How does one get Narcolepsy? “Narcolepsy may have several causes. Most people with narcolepsy have low levels of the neurotransmitter

A few of the articles that were used in studying this disorder agreed that sleeping more at night could help those people lose weight. One article that was used said that sleeping pills and tranquilizers could increase a person’s risk of death, (#4, 2010) while another article used in this research said that prescription pills could be used to prevent insomnia. (MediLexicon, Intl., 2012) With the research that is currently being put towards this disorder, researchers should start to agree more on insomnia and ways to prevent or cure it.