Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system that causes drowsiness and sleep attacks. Read more about this disorder.NarcolepsyMedicallyreviewedbyRajDasgupta,MD—WrittenbyVernedaLightsandElizabethBoskey,PhD—UpdatedonAugust21,2020TypesofnarcolepsySymptomsTreatmentDiagnosisCausesComplicationsLifestyleOutlookShareonPinterestNarcolepsyisaconditionthataffectsthenervoussystem.Itcausesabnormalsleepthatcanaffectaperson’squalityoflife.Narcolepsyisararechroniccondition.Expertsestimateitaffectsabout1in2,000people.Thesymptomsofnarcolepsyusuallybeginbetweentheagesof10and25years,althoughtheconditionisoftennotrecognizedrightawayandoftenmisdiagnosed.Narcolepsycausessignificantdaytimedrowsinessand“sleepattacks,”oroverwhelmingurgestofallasleep,andpoorfragmentedsleepatnight.Inamajorityofcases,italsocausesunexpectedandtemporarylossofmusclecontrol,knownascataplexy.Thiscanbemistakenforseizureactivity,especiallyinchildren.Narcolepsyisn’tadeadlydiseasebyitself,butepisodescanleadtoaccidents,injuries,orlifethreateningsituations.Also,peoplewithnarcolepsycanhavedifficultymaintainingjobs,doingwellinschool,andhaveproblemsmaintainingrelationshipsduetotheattacksofexcessivedaytimesleepiness.Treatmentsareavailabletohelpmanagethecondition.TypesofnarcolepsyTherearetwotypesofnarcolepsy:Type1isthemostcommon.Itincludesasymptomcalledcataplexy,orsuddenlossofmuscletone.Peoplewiththistypehaveepisodesofextremesleepinessandcataplexyduringthedaytimeduetolowlevelsofaproteincalledhypocretin.(Hypocretinissometimesreferredtoasorexin.)Type2isnarcolepsywithoutcataplexy.Usually,peoplewithtype2narcolepsyhavenormallevelsofhypocretin.Whatarethesymptomsofnarcolepsy?Howoftenandhowintenselynarcolepsysymptomsoccurcanvary.Belowarecommonsymptoms.SignificantdaytimesleepinessEveryonewithnarcolepsyhasexcessivedaytimesleepiness(EDS),inwhichyousuddenlyexperienceanoverwhelmingurgetosleep.EDSmakesitdifficulttofunctionproperlyduringtheday.CataplexyCataplexyisasudden,temporarylossofmuscletone.Itcanrangefromdroopingeyelids(referredtoas