Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder, or dyssomnia, characterized by an excessive urge to sleep at inappropriate times, such as while at work. They also usually experience disturbed nocturnal sleep and an abnormal daytime sleep pattern, which is often confused with insomnia. When a narcoleptic falls asleep they generally experience the REM stage of sleep within 10 minutes; whereas most people do not experience REM sleep until after 90 minutes.
Another one of the many problems that some narcoleptics experience is cataplexy, a sudden muscular weakness brought on by strong emotions (though many people experience cataplexy without having an emotional trigger). It often manifests as muscular weaknesses ranging from a barely perceptible slackening of the facial muscles to the dropping of the jaw or head, weakness at the knees, or a total collapse. Usually speech is slurred and vision is impaired (double vision, inability to focus), but hearing and awareness remain normal. In some rare cases, an individual’s body becomes paralyzed and muscles become stiff.
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 abnormalities that affect specific biologic factors in the brain, combined with an environmental trigger during the brain’s development, such as a virus.
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Dr. Mark G. Agresti, M.D.
Board Certified Psychiatrist • Integrative Medicine
Dr. Agresti is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 26 years of experience in Palm Beach, FL. He completed his medical degree at Chicago Medical School and his psychiatry residency at Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, specializing in integrative psychiatry, complex psychopharmacology, ketamine and Spravato therapy, and medication-assisted treatment for addiction.