Excessive sleep disorder or narcolepsy is a sleeping condition that causes you to be excessively tired during the day. It usually begins in your teenage years or later.

Your GP may carry out tests to help diagnose narcolepsy, including an overnight polysomnogram (PSG). They will also ask you about your sleeping habits and any other symptoms.

Daytime sleepiness

Daytime sleepiness is the first symptom that most people notice in excessive sleep disorder or narcolepsy. It’s often so overwhelming that it makes it hard to focus or function normally. Narcolepsy-related excessive daytime drowsiness, shift-work sleep disturbance, and other conditions are also approved uses for Modalert Australia.

Narcolepsy is caused by a lack of certain brain chemicals that help control being awake and when you enter REM sleep. Without these chemicals, narcoleptics have trouble staying awake throughout the day.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is a major symptom of both type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy. Individuals with type 1 narcolepsy have low levels of a brain hormone called hypocretin, and they sometimes have cataplexy, which is a sudden loss of muscle tone.

Doctors can diagnose both types of narcolepsy by running tests and asking questions about your symptoms. They also may refer you to a specialist for additional tests. These include a multiple sleep latency test and polysomnography. For treating shiftwork sleep problems and excessive daytime sleepiness brought on by narcolepsy, use Waklert Online.

Cataplexy

Excessive sleep disorder or narcolepsy causes sudden episodes of weakness in the body called cataplexy. These episodes usually last less than a few seconds, and you can’t move or talk during them.

Narcolepsy symptoms may start in your teens or early twenties, and they can be difficult to manage. They may cause problems at work or school and affect your social life.

In most people with narcolepsy, the brain doesn’t make enough hypocretin, also known as orexin. Low levels of this chemical can cause muscle weakness seen with cataplexy.

This happens because an autoimmune reaction occurs in people with narcolepsy that attacks the hypocretin-producing cells in the brain. The reaction occurs because of a combination of genetics and environmental factors.

Autonomic behavior

The autonomic nervous system controls the body’s internal organs and glands. It also regulates many of the body’s processes, including your heart rate (HR), breathing, and blood pressure.

People with an excessive sleep disorder or narcolepsy often have symptoms that are related to their body’s automatic functions, such as cataplexy and hypnagogic hallucinations. These symptoms can occur during the day while sleeping or waking up.

Symptoms that are part of the body’s autonomic nervous system can be caused by a number of factors. Poisons and toxins like mercury or lead can damage your autonomic nerves, while injuries or tumors can disrupt the function of these cells.

A person’s autonomic nervous system may also be affected by a medical condition, such as type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. These conditions can cause a wide range of problems, from poor blood pressure control to muscle weakness and pain. Taking care of your health can prevent these conditions from worsening.

Obesity

Obesity is a condition that occurs when the amount of fat in your body is higher than what’s considered healthy for your height. It’s often caused by eating too much food and not exercising enough.

People who are obese have a higher risk of developing health problems that can be life-threatening. They’re at greater risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, arthritis, and other conditions.

Narcolepsy, a condition that causes excessive sleepiness, also may increase the risk of obesity. This is especially true for Black and Hispanic people.

The best way to diagnose narcolepsy is to perform a series of tests that look for symptoms associated with the disorder. These include a clinical examination, a sleep study called a polysomnogram (PSG), and a detailed medical history.