Narcolepsy (Daytime Sleep Disorder)
Narcolepsy is defined as excessive uncontrollable daytime sleepiness and frequent sleep attacks. A person with narcolepsy may fall asleep at any time, such as while talking or driving.
It is a chronic long-term neurological condition that causes fragmented sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness or characterized by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep.
People with narcolepsy often find it difficult to stay awake for long periods of time, regardless of the circumstances.
Narcolepsy does not cause any serious or long-term physical health problems, but it can have a significant impact on daily life and be difficult to cope with emotionally. It can negatively impact social activities, school, work, and overall health and well-being.
POSSIBLE CAUSES: The exact cause of narcolepsy is not known.
Probable Causes:
- Genetic disorder.
- Disruption of work schedules – night shifts.
- Excessive alcohol intake.
- Hormonal changes, which can occur during puberty or the menopause.
- Major psychological stress
- An infection, such as swine flu, or the medicine used to vaccinate against it (Pandemrix) etc.
SIGN AND SYMPTOMS
- Excessive daytime sleepiness of sudden onset.
- Sleep may last for 15 minutes to an hour.
- Reoccurrence of sleep attacks within one to several hours.
- Patient wakes up refreshed and get tired in several hrs and get another sleep attack.
- Increased amount of arousals in the night.
- Weakness of muscles during the attack is so much that the person has to struggle to keep their head from dropping.
- Feeling very drowsy throughout the day and finding it difficult to concentrate and stay awake
- Falling asleep suddenly and without warning
- Brain fog
- Poor concentration
- Decreased energy
- Memory lapses
- Exhaustion
- A depressed mood
- Cataplexy – temporary intermittent loss of muscle control resulting in weakness and possible collapse, often in response to emotions such as laughter and anger. (about 70% of patients have this symptom).
- Excessive dreaming and waking in the night – dreams often come as you fall asleep (hypnogogic hallucinations) or just before or during waking (hypnopompic hallucinations) this symptom is very uncommon and is seen in almost 25% of patients.
- Sleep paralysis – a temporary inability to move or speak when waking up or falling asleep, about 30% of these patients suffer this symptom.
- Usually occur in teenage or in early twenties.
DIETARY MANAGEMENT
Avoid alcohol and sugar.
Avoid stimulants like coffee, caffeinated drinks, tea or drugs.
To promote night-time sleep and reduce disturbed sleep:
- Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including at weekends to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle.
- Make sure that your bedroom is warm, dark, quiet and comfortable to encourage sleep.
- Avoid working or watching TV in bed and only use your bed for sleep so you associate your bed with sleep only.
- Mentally unwind before going to sleep by, for example, taking a hot bath.
- Avoid caffeine at night as this will prevent you getting to sleep.
To control excessive sleepiness:
- Make a schedule and maintain time of sleep.
- Avoid shift work or maintain timing of the shift.
- Take short naps during the day.
- Planned naps of around 15-30 minutes every day may help – particularly between 2pm and 4pm and especially before events where you need to be alert.
- Avoid large meals and alcohol during the day as they can induce sleep.
- Some people living with narcolepsy benefit from avoiding refined carbohydrates.
- Fresh air and light exercise or exposure to bright light can help you keep alert during the day.
- Eat meals at regular times.
- Break up long tasks and plan naps when concentration starts to drop.
To control hallucinations and sleep paralysis:
Hallucinations and sleep paralysis, although harmless, can be very frightening.
Reducing stressful events that may act as a trigger and improving your sleep habits may help in controlling these symptoms.
In some cases, psychotherapy may help.
Looking after your mental health:
Frustration, low mood and even depression can occur in patients suffering from narcolepsy.
The risks can sometimes be minimized by talking openly about your condition to your doctor or friends and family. This helps the isolation many patients feel.
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Ideally, complimentary remedies should go hand-in-hand with conventional treatment for optimal recovery, and you may take them along with your regular medicines, if any, for additional benefits!
All our remedies are prepared according to Hahnemann principles, using traditional method of dilution or succussion, by a fully qualified naturopath practitioner after a lot of research, proving and great success results from a number of our in-house patients having similar conditions – Still the results may vary from person to person!
Special note: While selecting the remedy from the age wise drop list – there are 3 options as per the pills size e.g., for infants under one and children between 1 – 10 years of age, we use 2 different sizes small globules, as compare to adults. You may also contact us and ask for lactose tablets if you don’t want your remedy in sucrose pills.
You may need to continue taking these remedies from few weeks to few months or until the desired results – depending upon the severity and chronicity of your condition.
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Some patients may experience a little aggravation or worsening of their symptoms, specially in skin disorders – which is absolutely normal and a good sign, as most natural remedies tend to bring the disease in its expressive state – rather suppressing it deeper under the skin etc.
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