Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disorder that can lead to profound sleepiness. Most sleep disorders can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), so narcolepsy needs to be distinguished from all of these. There are certain symptoms that are characteristically seen in patients with narcolepsy:

· EDS

· Cataplexy (sudden muscle weakness in response to strong emotions – usually laughter or anger)

· Sleep-related hallucinations (occur when falling asleep or waking up, visual or auditory)

· Sleep paralysis (can’t move upon awakening)

Sleep related hallucinations and sleep paralysis are very common in people who do not have narcolepsy, but cataplexy is almost uniformly only seen in people who have narcolepsy. Many patients with narcolepsy do not have cataplexy; some may develop years after the other symptoms have started.