7 Myths About Narcolepsy
Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
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Wake up to the truth about this serious sleep disorder.Narcoleptic patients are often played for laughs in movies or on TV. You might see characters suddenly keel over and hit the ground in mid-sentence or maybe face-plant in their soup as sleep hits with startling abruptness. Real narcolepsy is not like that--nor is it funny. -
Myth No. 1: Narcolepsy isn't a serious or dangerous condition.Forget comic images of narcoleptics experiencing funny pratfalls or harmless mid-meal snoozes. Real-life people with narcolepsy face a lifelong, chronic condition that can cause not only severe drowsiness but temporary paralysis, bouts of muscle weakness, hallucinations, insomnia, and other symptoms of disordered sleep, resulting in brain fog, inability to concentrate, memory lapses, and depressed mood. These symptoms aren’t just frustrating—they’re dangerous. Collapsing due to exhaustion or as a result of muscle weakness can be physically harmful, as can falling asleep or losing muscle strength while driving a car or carrying a baby.
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Myth No. 2: Narcoleptics collapse into sleep with no warning.People with narcolepsy are very, very tired during the day—it's a hallmark of the disorder (which affects about 1 in every 2,000 Americans). But drowsiness may affect each person differently. And even the most severely sleepy will still have enough advance warning of an impending "sleep attack" to find a place to snooze before crashing.
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Myth No. 3: People with narcolepsy fall down--a lot.It's true that a large segment of those with narcolepsy (between 50 to 70%) also have episodes of muscle weakness called cataplexy. Some may indeed fall down from these abrupt, brief attacks, and they may be unable to move or speak--but they stay awake the whole time. And a large number of those with narcolepsy don’t experience these attacks at all.
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Myth No. 4: Narcolepsy is extremely rare.Narcolepsy is not a common illness, but it occurs more often than you may think, and is considered to be underdiagnosed. It is 10 times more common than Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS), for example. About 160,000 Americans are projected to have it, though less than a third—about 50,000 people—have been diagnosed.
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Myth No. 5: People with narcolepsy sleep all the time.Just because people are sleepy or take naps doesn't mean they sleep more than the average person. In fact, narcoleptics don't sleep any more—or less —than is typical, when you count up the hours they sleep. What's different is the quality of their sleep, which too often is interrupted, fragmented and not restful or healthy.
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Myth No. 6: Only adults have narcolepsy.About half of adults with narcolepsy first notice symptoms before the age of 15. Narcolepsy can strike as young as 7 years old, with many narcoleptics experiencing symptoms from ages 10 through 20. Some symptoms may differ in children compared to adults: for kids, excessive sleepiness may manifest as longer nighttime sleeps, rather than daytime drowsiness. Children may also appear cranky or hyperactive rather than sleepy.
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Myth No. 7: If you nap a lot, you must be narcoleptic.Excessive daytime sleepiness is the hallmark of narcolepsy, but that doesn't mean this condition is the only reason people may feel extremely fatigued. Other sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, can cause daytime drowsiness. A variety of medical problems, mental health conditions, and medications (both prescribed and illicit) can cause this symptom as well.
It's important to check out any symptoms of narcolepsy with your physician. Don't believe the myths. Take this serious condition seriously—and get treatment if needed.
7 Myths About Narcolepsy
