Narcolepsy
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a
chronic sleep disorder that causes people to fall asleep at inappropriate times for a few seconds... or for up to 30 minutes. These people suffer sleep “attacks” in the course of their normal daily activities, even after a full night’s sleep. Narcoleptics may suddenly fall asleep while talking, walking, eating, driving or working.
Poor quality of sleep is frequently seen in narcoleptics and may require treatment to consolidate sleep at night, resulting in an improvement in daytime alertness. However, narcolepsy may also be genetic. The National Institutes of Health estimates that up to 12% of narcoleptics have a close relative with the disorder.
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Other symptoms.
Other symptoms of narcolepsy include:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Cataplexy (sudden, brief losses of muscle control)
- Sleep paralysis (the inability to move when waking up or falling asleep)
- Hypnagogic hallucinations (vivid dreams that are difficult to distinguish from reality)
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Experienced, compassionate care.
At Midwest Chest Consultants, we provide the exceptional care you can trust to put your sleep disorder to rest. In addition to being the area’s only accredited sleep center, all care is directed by our highly experienced sleep physicians. We can accurately diagnose narcolepsy and cataplexy using state-of-the-art polysomnographic tests and the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Then we can effectively treat them using today’s most effective therapies. And you’ll be happy to know that we pride ourselves on providing friendly, patient-first care.
If you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of narcolepsy, call (636) 946-1650 and schedule your consultation today. Please visit our
Patient Education Library to read more about Narcolepsy.
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