Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes an individual to experience excessive uncontrollable daytime sleepiness. Symptoms for narcolepsy begin between the ages of 15-25 and could significantly become worse as time goes on. People with this disorder often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time and often experience sudden attacks of sleep. This disorder unfortunately does not have a cure, but there are certain medications that those who do experience this excessive uncontrollable sleepiness can take to help manage the drowsiness. REM sleep is typically when most dreaming occurs and usually happens after the first 90 minutes of falling asleep. For those with narcolepsy, REM occurs immediately or within 15 minutes of falling asleep. The cause of this disorder is still unknown, but scientists have come to a conclusion that people with type 1 narcolepsy often have low levels of hypcretin which is a neurochemical in our brains that help control and regulate wakefullness. With low levels of this neurochemical, regulation of REM sleep is being altered and causing those with this disorder to experience excessive daytime sleepiness.