BY STEPHANIE SALAZAR Narcolepsy

What is Narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder, causing excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks. Meaning you have uncontrollable desires to go to sleep. A person with narcolepsy sleeps the same amount of time as a average human except for they cannot control when it happens.

Symptoms  Cataplexy- a loss of muscle tone  REM Sleep- A kind of sleep that occurs at intervals during the night and is characterized by rapid eye movements, more dreaming and bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing.  Sleep Paralysis- A state of seeming to be awake but unable to move  Muscle weakness  Frequent headaches and nasia

Facts Most attacks do not last longer then thirty minutes. People with narcolepsy are usually over-weight since they have low levels of epinephrine. People with narcolepsy will eventually get cataplexy (a loss of muscle tone) Narcolepsy is commonly found in teenagers and adults in there early twenties. One out of every two-thousand people are diagnosed with narcolepsy.

What causes Narcolepsy? Hypothalamus is the region of the brain associated with sleep Hypocretin is a peptide or small protein that revises activity in the hypothalamus. A chemical named “ histamine ” is specifically promotes wakefulness. When the amount of histamine is too low the the body begins to “shut down” and slowly doze off. Low levels of epinephrine (a hormone important in alertness and arousal) also causes REM sleep. Higher-than-normal secretion of growth- hormone during the day, which may play a role in sudden falling-asleep episodes

Treatments Narcolepsy is not curable but can still be treated. People with narcolepsy are not allowed to drink any sort of caffeine. Medications such as: amphetamine help stimulate the central nervous system, armodafinil is an oral drug used to promote wakefulness and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) is a type of anti-depressant that can also treat excessive daytime sleepiness. Therapy is also recommended for patients. This helps improve alertness which is critical when maintaining a job or studying in school and drving.