Is narcolepsy the same as excessive daytime sleepiness?
Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep. People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances. Narcolepsy can cause serious disruptions in your daily routine.
What is the difference between IH and narcolepsy?
People with IH can have additional symptoms, such as long, non-refreshing sleep and sleep drunkenness. Narcolepsy is caused by a disruption to the brain’s sleep-wake cycle, often but not always due to low levels of a chemical called hypocretin. The exact cause of IH is still unknown.
What is the difference between narcolepsy and hypersomnia?
Narcolepsy is a specific neurological disorder that causes sudden attacks of deep sleep, while hypersomnia is a symptom, and refers to excessive daytime sleepiness more generally.
Is excessive daytime sleepiness the same as hypersomnia?
Hypersomnia refers to excessive daytime sleepiness, whereas hypersomnolence refers to both EDS and prolonged periods of nighttime sleep. Hypersomnolence is characterized by many of the same aspects of hypersomnia, including a compulsion to take several naps during the day.
What are signs of narcolepsy?
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness Is a Hallmark Sign of Narcolepsy,But It Often Goes Unrecognized.
Do people with narcolepsy have trouble falling asleep at night?
Narcolepsy disrupts a person’s sleep-wake functions, causing extreme daytime drowsiness and sleep attacks, which are brief episodes of falling asleep. Most people with narcolepsy have difficulty sleeping at night despite being tired during the day.
Can you suddenly develop narcolepsy?
People who suffer from narcolepsy have mixed signals sent from their brain about when to sleep, which is why narcoleptics fall asleep at inopportune times. One may develop narcolepsy at any time, although onset of the first symptom usually occurs after puberty, in late teens to young adulthood.
What is narcolepsy and can it be cured?
Although there is no cure for narcolepsy, the most disabling symptoms of the disorder (EDS and symptoms of abnormal REM sleep, such as cataplexy) can be controlled in most people with drug treatment. Sleepiness is treated with amphetamine-like stimulants, while the symptoms of abnormal REM sleep are treated with antidepressant drugs.