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Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is an autoimmune sleeping disorder. The term “narcolepsy” was coined in 1880 by the French doctor, Jean-Baptiste Gelineau. The term comes from the Greek, “narke” which means numbness and “lepsis” which means attack. The disorder is characterized by Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). There are a number of symptoms that fall into the category of EDS. Among these symptoms is lack of energy, persistent sleepiness, and an extra effort to avoid falling asleep in tranquil situations. It has been estimated that about 3 million people worldwide suffer from narcolepsy. In the United States, however, fewer than 50,000 cases are diagnosed. This is due in large part to the misdiagnosis of the disease. Narcolepsy is often mistaken for epilepsy, depression, or the side effects to some medications.
Narcolepsy falls into the category of diseases known as dyssomnia diseases. Dyssomnia diseases are a classification of sleeping disorders that are characterized by difficulty falling, or staying asleep. There are over 30 different types of dyssomnia diseases. Among these are sleep apnea and hypersomnia. Not all dyssomnia diseases are autoimmune, and some are more serious than others (Stanford University School of Medicine).
As stated previously, the main symptoms of narcolepsy involve those that fall under EDS. However, there are more symptoms to the disease that vary in severity. Among these symptoms is sleep paralysis. Sleep paralysis is the inability to move immediately after sleeping and before waking up. The time period for this paralysis typically lasts between a few seconds to a few minutes, but can cause panic and fear among patients.
One of the more telltale signs of narcolepsy is cataplexy. Cataplexy is a sudden, temporary loss of muscle control. It is usually triggered by strong emotional responses such as laughter, surprise, or anger. These cataplectic attacks may last up to several...