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8th March 2014 is Narcolepsy Day.Narcolepsy also known as hypnolepsy , is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally . People with narcolepsy often experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which often is confused with insomnia. Narcoleptics, when falling asleep, generally experience the REM stage of sleep within 5 minutes, while most people do not experience REM sleep until an hour or so later.

One of the many problems that some narcoleptics experience is cataplexy, a sudden muscular weakness brought on by strong emotions.

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder. It is not caused by mental illness or psychological problems. It is most likely affected by a number of genetic mutations and abnormalities that affect specific biologic factors in the brain, combined with an environmental trigger during the brain's development, such as a virus.

Narcolepsy

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What is Narcolepsy?

• A chronic sleeping disorder • Hard to stay awake for longer periods of time • Sudden attacks of sleep • Can fall a sleep under any circumstances

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Symptoms

• Excessive daytime sleeping • Sudden loss of muscle tone • Sleeping paralysis • Hallucinations • Low levels of Hypocretin/Orexin

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Causes

• Not exact known • Genetics • Infections • Sleeping pattern – NREM + REM• Hypocretin level• H1N1 vaccination

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Statistics• Most common age of diagnostics is 20-40

years. • Affect 0.05% of the population world wide

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Treatments and drugs• No cure • Stimulates:

- Modafilin

- Methylphenidate • Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors:

- Fluoxetine

- Venlafaxine • Tricyclic antidepressants:

- Protriptyline

- Imipramine

- Clomipramine • Sodium oxybate (Xyrem) Nursing Hi Nursing

Daily life

• Recommendations:

- Naps during the day

- Exercise

- No nicotine and alcohol

- Consistent sleeping schedule

• Complications:

- Public misunderstanding

- Feelings and relationships

- Physical harm

- Obesity

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NarcolepsyPsychology

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Did you know that...

1 out of every 2000 Indians suffer from this disease

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What is narcolepsy?

• A chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep

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What causes it?

• Caused by the brain’s inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally.

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What are the symptoms?• excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)• cataplexy (sudden loss of voluntary

muscle tone)• vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or

upon wakening• brief episodes of total paralysis at the

beginning or end of sleep

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Treatments?

• There is no cure for narcolepsy.• However people with narcolepsy can try

to regulate their sleep patterns and avoid drinking caffeine containing beverages and alcohol before bedtime.

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Severity?

• The symptoms of narcolepsy develop during the first two decades of the first symptoms but as the patients get over the age of 60 severity decreases.

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