what is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a life-long sleep disorder characterized by excessive sleepiness, hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and in some cases, it brings along episodes of cataplexy, which is a partial or complete loss of muscle control, often stimulated by a strong emotion, including laughter. People who have narcolepsy usually experience excessive sleepiness during day time and uncontrollable sessions of falling asleep in the daytime. These sudden sleep attacks may take place during any type of activity of the day. Causes of narcolepsy The episodes of narcolepsy with cataplexy occur because of the loss of a chemical in the brain called hypocretin, which usually acts on the altering systems in the brain and helps us in staying awake as well as regulate sleep wake cycles. In this condition, the group of cells that produce hypocretin – found in a region called the hypothalamus is partially or completely damaged. In the absence of hypocretin, the person has difficulty ...