They often experience vivid hallucinations while falling asleep (hypnogogic hallucinations) or while waking up (hypnopompic hallucinations). Most affected individuals have trouble sleeping for more than a few hours at night. However, some do not, which has led researchers to distinguish two major forms of the condition: narcolepsy with cataplexy and narcolepsy without cataplexy. Most people diagnosed with narcolepsy also have cataplexy. Episodes of cataplexy usually last just a few seconds, and they may occur from several times a day to a few times a year. These episodes of muscle weakness can cause an affected person to slump over or fall, which occasionally leads to injury. They last from a few seconds to a few minutes and often lead to a longer nap, after which affected individuals wake up feeling refreshed.Īnother common feature of narcolepsy is cataplexy, which is a sudden loss of muscle tone in response to strong emotion (such as laughing, surprise, or anger). "Sleep attacks" can occur at unusual times, such as during a meal or in the middle of a conversation. Affected individuals feel tired during the day, and several times a day they may experience an overwhelming urge to sleep. Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. Although this condition can appear at any age, it most often begins in adolescence. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that disrupts the normal sleep-wake cycle.
0 kommentar(er)
