There are Different types of Narcolepsy and we will be discussing some majors in this article. Narcolepsy is a type of sleeping disorder where a person experiences excessive sleepiness during the daytime and is also known for its ‘attacks’ of sleep whereby the individual will fall asleep suddenly.
This is known as EDS, which stands for Excessive Daytime Sleeping. Other than EDS, it can also be made manifest through sleep attacks. It is of neurological origin and occurs when the body system that controls wakefulness and sleepiness malfunctions.
It is an unknown sleep disorder affecting people in their teen years to those who are old aged. Those affected will often feel very tired and wanting to sleep. Staying awake is usually a difficult task to maintain and may sometimes make the sufferer seem drunk or in a trance.
Other Different types of Narcolepsy is what is known as cataplexy. This is a symptom characterized by the sudden loss of postural tone, which often results in the individual falling to the floor. Although in general cataplexy is associated with other strong emotions such as anger, laughter, and fear, etc. it is, in most cases associated with Narcolepsy.
The severity of the effects of this excessive daytime sleepiness varies from individual to individual and to some may not necessarily need treatment at all. Although research is still ongoing, there seems to be no consistency with regards to total healing from the sleep disorder or any signs of getting worse with time. The Narcolepsy Network claims that It is often a symptom of a treatable sleep disorder and should never be ignored.
The condition can be detrimental if the sleep attacks or cataplexy suddenly happens while driving or while carrying or operating heavy machinery. Sometimes even without these detrimental effects, Narcolepsy can impair performance in school or at work.
Generally, the number of people affected by Narcolepsy is unknown, it is estimated that it affects 1 person in every 2000 in the USA. The other problem making it hard to quantify the number of people affected is because most of the sufferers do not know that they have a problem. For those who suspect being ill, consider it as symptoms of something else.
Many organizations are dedicated to helping the public understand Narcolepsy and while sleep study to diagnose a sleep disorder is necessary, one can easily determine his/her sleeping habits using what is known as an Epworth Sleep Scale (ESS). This scale was developed by a physician and can help one rate their level of sleep. We will consider this scale later on in the website.
Now that you some useful information about Different types of Narcolepsy, you can move on to the other sections of the website to find out about what actually causes Narcolepsy, its symptoms, treatment for a sleeping disorder, and narcolepsy medication.
We also discuss other narcolepsy related sleeping disorders like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, REM sleep syndrome, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy.
Also Read: Symptoms of Narcolepsy
