Narcolepsy

Thesis statement

Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder that affects about 0.03% of the general population. (Parkes 359) People afflicted with this disorder experience an irresistible need to sleep. Their body goes into instant sleep mode that can last any where from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. Sometimes the sleep mode is accompanied by cataplexy, which is a loss of muscle tone trigged by emotion.

Description

Some people, no matter how much they sleep, continue to experience an irresistible need to sleep some more. Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder without a cause or cure, a chronic disorder affecting the brain where regulation of sleep and wakefulness take place. Symptoms generally begin between the ages of 15 and 30. The main characteristic of this disorder is 'EDS' - excessive daytime sleep. EDS is the overwhelming urge to go to sleep on and off throughout the day regardless of the amount or quality of prior night- time sleep. It is an urge so strong the narcoleptic has no choice but to sleep. These attacks result in episodes of sleep at work and social events, while eating, talking and driving, and in other similarly unsuitable occasions. These 'sleep attacks' can last from 30 seconds to more than 30 minutes. The narcoleptic may also experience periods of cataplexy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations. (Roth pp 310)

The exact cause of narcolepsy is not known, but it seems to involve the part of the nervous system that controls sleeping and waking. Narcolepsy is not a mental illness and is not caused by stress. It seems to run in some families, but there are also many people with narcolepsy who have no relatives that are affected. An abnormality in the chemistry regulating sleep and wakefulness in the brain is suspected, but not proven. Both genetic and environmental factors are also believed to play a role in the development of this disorder (UKAN, Narcolepsy Association UK, 2000).

Narcolepsy is a disabling disorder of sleep regulation that affects the control of sleep and wakefulness. It may be described as an intrusion of the dream sleep (called REM or rapid eye movement) into the waking state. In addition to EDS, the other symptoms can also have an overwhelming impact on the sufferer's life. Cataplexy is a pathological equivalent of REM sleep unique to narcolepsy. This is a striking, sudden episode of muscle weakness triggered by emotions. Typically, the patient's knees buckle and may give way upon laughing, elation, surprise or anger. In other typical cataplectic attacks the head may drop or the jaw may become slack. In severe cases, the patient might fall down and become completely paralysed for a few seconds to several minutes. Reflexes are abolished during the attack.

Another sign of narcolepsy is sleep paralysis - a frightening symptom considered to be an abnormal episode of REM sleep atonia. The patient suddenly finds himself unable to move for a few minutes, most often upon falling asleep or waking up. During hypnagogic hallucinations, patients experience dream-like auditory or visual hallucinations, while dozing or falling ...