Narcolepsy

Imagine falling asleep behind the wheel waiting for a green light or at work, as it has happened to many people. Sleeping disorders are more common than most individuals might think. An estimated 200,000 Americans are chronically ill with various sleep disorders and fewer than 50,000 are diagnosed (Walsleben and Baron-Faust). Narcolepsy is often mistaken for a depression or people often blame side effects of medication they are taking for their excessive sleepiness. People who have problems in sleep and staying awake during the day not only affect themselves but also those of their families and friends. Many people who have sleeping disorders are unaware of the fact that they have a problem. One of the most common and crucial sleeping disorders is Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a frequent disorder. It is the second leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. This author believes that people who are sleepy are not lazy, bored, or unmotivated, but because they have a serious sleep disorder that needs to be take care of soon. It is important to understand what Narcolepsy is, the symptoms, what a person with Narcolepsy may experience during sleep and treatments available for Narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that presents excessive daytime sleepiness that can cause a lot of harm to people (Hauri and Linde). The exact cause of this sleep disorder is not known. The main characteristic of Narcolepsy is excessive and overwhelming sleepiness, even if the person had a good nighttime sleep. Moreover, a person with this sleep disorder is likely to become drowsy or fall asleep, many times at inappropriate times and places. Levels of sleepiness can be so drastic that people with Narcolepsy may fall asleep in the middle of a conversation, while driving, or while eating a meal (Walsleben and Baron-Faust). Daytime sleep may occur often without any warning signs and may times it can be irresistible. These attacks can occurs several times in a day. In many cases, people with