Narcolepsy in Adults – Key Symptoms and What Causes It?

Narcolepsy – What Causes It?

Narcolepsy causes you to suddenly feel extremely sleepy during the day, even after getting enough sleep at night. It’s not just regular tiredness. It’s a serious sleep disorder that affects how your brain controls sleep. Narcolepsy is thought to be related to a loss of certain brain cells that produce hypocretin, which is a chemical that helps regulate sleep. The exact cause isn’t fully understood, but it’s believed that genetics, infections, or even autoimmune disorders may play a role in causing these brain cells to die.

Symptoms of Narcolepsy

With narcolepsy, you feel extremely sleepy during the day. You might feel like you’re fighting to stay awake all the time, and you may even doze off in the middle of activities like talking or eating. Some people with narcolepsy experience a sudden loss of muscle control triggered by strong emotions like laughter, surprise, or anger. It can range from slight weakness, like your head dropping, to full-body collapse where you can’t move for a few seconds or minutes, but you’re still conscious. You might even have sleep paralysis with narcolepsy. You can’t move or speak for a few seconds or minutes when you wake up or fall asleep. It’s like your body is temporarily “frozen.” Some people with narcolepsy have vivid dreams or hallucinations right as they’re falling asleep or waking up. These can feel very real and might even involve seeing or hearing things that aren’t there, which can be frightening.