Narcolepsy

Signs & symptoms

The hallmark symptom of narcolepsy is an excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), in which a person falls asleep at times when they want to be awake. EDS may include daytime sleep attacks that occur with or without warning, persistent drowsiness and fleeting moments of sleep that occur in between a person's waking state.

其他症状可能包括:

• Cataplexy. Most people with narcolepsy experience some degree of cataplexy, which is defined as a sudden loss of voluntary muscle control. An attack may involve only a slight feeling of weakness and limp muscles — such as sagging facial muscles, nodding head, buckling knees, loss of arm strength and garbled speech — or also may cause immediate total body collapse. 这些攻击通常是由强烈的情绪引发的, 比如笑声, surprise, anger, stress and fear, 并且可以持续几秒钟到三十分钟.
• Sleep paralysis. 入睡或醒来时短暂的一段时间, 嗜睡症患者可能无法说话或移动.
• 催眠的幻觉. 这些被定义为生动, realistic and typically frightening dreams that occur when a person is falling asleep.
• 自动的行为. 这种情况发生在熟悉或例行的任务中, 比如早上煮咖啡, 拿报纸，洗个澡, 是在没有完全记忆或意识的情况下进行的吗.
• 零碎的夜间睡眠. 除了白天有睡眠问题, 患有嗜睡症的人晚上也容易睡不好觉, waking up often.

Diagnosis

诊断嗜睡症, your doctor will conduct a physical examination and ask about your medical history and symptoms. In addition, a number of tests are available to assist the diagnosis of narcolepsy:

• Polysomnogram. 这些测试在一个 夜间睡眠实验室, measure brain waves and body movements as well as your nerve and muscle function.
• 多次睡眠潜伏期测试(MSLT). This test measures the time it takes you to fall asleep and move into a deep sleep while taking several naps over a period of time.
• 基因血液测试. These tests check for specific antigens often found in people who have a genetic predisposition to narcolepsy.

Treatments

Treatment for narcolepsy typically involves medications to increase daytime alertness and reduce cataplexy and other symptoms. 通常开兴奋剂是为了提高警觉性. Antidepressants as well as a new drug called gammahydroxybutyrate, or Xyrem, 可用于控制中风, 睡眠幻觉和睡眠麻痹.

Stimulants

常见的兴奋剂包括:

• 硫酸右旋安非他明，或称右旋胺
• 盐酸哌甲酯，或利他林
• Pemoline或Cylert
• 莫达非尼或Provigil

There are a few common side effects of stimulants that you may experience when taking these medications. They include headache, irritability, nervousness, insomnia, irregular heartbeat and mood changes.

Antidepressants

Tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin reuptake inhibitors, 它们的品牌是Vivactil和Tofranil, 通常用来控制中风吗, 睡眠麻痹和睡眠幻觉.

抗抑郁药的副作用各不相同, 但你可能会感到困倦, 性功能障碍和血压降低. 尽管不寻常, 血清素再摄取抑制剂可引起过度兴奋, anxiety, insomnia, 恶心和性功能障碍.

其他的治疗方法

药物只是治疗发作性睡病的一个方面. 你还可以做其他一些简单的事情 改善你的睡眠习惯, including:

• Taking several short naps, or one long nap, each day to control sleepiness and sleep attacks.
• Adopt a sleep routine in which you go to bed and wake up at the same time.
• 你的床只用于睡觉和做爱.
• Do not have caffeine, nicotine or alcohol in the late afternoon or evening.
• 定期锻炼，但至少在睡觉前三小时.
• Try to avoid exciting or stressful situations that may trigger a cataplexy attack.