According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), hypersomnia is recurring and severe episodes of daytime sleepiness or prolonged sleeping at night. Daytime sleepiness may cause an irresistible lapse into daytime napping, sometimes without warning, called sleep attacks. After waking up from a nap or sleep attack, … Read More
Do you ever have wild visions or dreams that are extremely vivid and seem like real life just as you’re falling asleep? You may be experiencing hypnagogic hallucinations, a condition often associated with narcolepsy. In fact, hypnagogic hallucinations are among the four most common narcolepsy symptoms, along with sleep paralysis, … Read More
What kind of medical condition could possibly be triggered by something like anxiety, fear, depression, joy, or even laughter? The answer is cataplexy—a sudden loss of muscle strength, tone, and control. Muscle tone is what keeps our bodies upright and moving, as the Narcolepsy Network puts it. And why is … Read More
The term "narcolepsy" may conjure up almost comical images of someone falling asleep in the middle of a conversation. But this sleeping disorder is no laughing matter to those who struggle with it. Narcolepsy symptoms include more than excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). They include bouts of muscle weakness (cataplexy) and … Read More
There is no cure for narcolepsy, that unusual medical condition in which someone suddenly falls into a deep sleep in the midst of such normal behaviors as talking or working. Medications, however, can help increase daytime alertness. Modafinil (Provigil), for example, is approved specifically for the excessive daytime sleepiness that … Read More
