NARCOLEPSY

SYMPTOMS

• Falling asleep randomly
• Excessive REM sleep
• Enters REM within 5 minutes of sleep cycle
• Excessive dreams
• Sleep paralysis

CAUSES

• No known cause
• Genetics may play a role
• Infection at young ages

HOW COMMON IS IT

• 200,000 people in the USA
• Only 50,000 have been diagnosed
• 7 years of symptoms to be diagnosed

TREATMENT

• No known cure
• Sodium oxybate (xyrem)
• Treats loss or muscle control and daytime sleepiness
• Is a narcotic
• Stimulants

LIFESTYLE

• Limited foods (alcohol, tobacco, stimulating foods)
• Lots of exercise (helps build metabolism)
• Must use stimulating light

CHEMICAL IMBALANCE

• Hypocretin (helps us wake up)
• Hypocretin is found in spinal fluid

WORK CITED

• Narcolepsynetwork.org
• Xyrem.com
• WebMD.com