Cracking the Sleep Code

Have Sleep Problems? The Top 6 Sleep Sites That Will Get You Back to Dreaming

http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com/blog/
The latest news on therapies and treatments of all sleep disorders

http://sleepingwelltonight.blogspot.com/: Great information on insomnia, sleep apnea and how reducing stress can help with these and other sleep disorders

http://www.sleepapneafacts.info/sleepapneablog/
Extensive information on the latest treatments for sleep apnea and snoring

http://blog.cpap.co.uk/: Everything you need to know about sleep apnea, sleep lab visits and CPAP treatments

http://sleepdoctor.blogspot.com/: Dr. Michael Rack, a sleep specialist, shares his knowledge on the descriptions and latest treatments for every kind of sleep disorder

http://always-sleepy.blogspot.com/ : One man's funny and fascinating journey with narcolepsy

Could An 'Alien Abduction' Be A Symptom Of Narcolepsy?

Here are some symptoms of sleep disorders that you might know...

1. Sleep apnea- snoring

2. Insomnia- trouble falling asleep

3. Restless leg syndrome- jerking of limbs

There is one sleep disorder that is very misunderstood and might throw you for a loop when asked what the symptoms are----narcolepsy.

The media portrays narcolepsy as a disorder where someone has drop attacks...suddenly nodding off---out cold in the middle of a conversation. This does happen to some but not all narcoleptic patients. For some it's a symptom of suddenly feeling very tired and having the need to lye down for a moment.  Other characteristics of narcolepsy are...

*Hallucinations during onset of sleep or awakening

*Cataplexy- sudden loss of voluntary muscle  tone

*Short periods of complete paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep

*Drop attacks- falling asleep in the middle of an activity

*Vivid nightmares and rapid eye movement occurring at the onset of sleep---rapid eye movement usually occurs after 90 minutes in a normal sleep cycle

The paralysis is one of the most interesting symptoms as sleep specialists have made a theory that people who claim to have been abducted by aliens are actually just experiencing the symptoms of narcolepsy.  There is speculation that the alien abductions that some claim to have experienced are actually caused by the hallucinations, nightmares and out of body experiences related to undiagnosed narcolepsy. The only way to take this theory to the next step would be to test all people who claimed to have been abducted by aliens for narcolepsy...not sure that's going to happen.  I guess we'll just wonder.

Read one womens intriguing story of her experience with narcolepsy.

The mystery of narcolepsy: treatments and tests

Out of all sleep disorders narcolepsy stands out in the crowd.  All the sleep disorders consist of trying to fall asleep and stay asleep.  Narcolepsy is the lone ranger as narcoleptics want to desperately stay awake.  They can fall asleep without any invitation...an insomniacs' dream yet the narcoleptics nightmare.

Narcolepsy still remains a mystery.  Researchers continue to try to find answers to how the "wake" and "sleep" centers of the brain work.  If we knew exactly how they worked everyone could go into dreamland effortlessly and wake up with the alertness we crave.  Narcolepsy is diagnosed by a polysomnogram (an overnight sleep study) which follows the next day with a multiple sleep latency test or MSLT.  The MSLT is done the day following the sleep study and consists of a series of 4 or 5 naps.  The time it takes the patient to fall asleep at each nap is tracked hence the name "multiple sleep latency."  A normal latency is 10 minutes---if there is a latency of 5 minutes or less it is suggestive of narcolepsy. When REM (rapid eye movement) is recorded within the first few minutes of sleep onset with two of the naps it is also a positive indicator of narcolepsy. 

Aside from sleep studies a hypocretin test might be the future new test for narcolepsy.  Healthline reports "Recently, patients with narcolepsy have been found to have low levels of hypocretin (a protein made by the brain) in their spinal fluid. More research will determine how useful this test is in diagnosing narcolepsy."   

The following article has some useful information on drugs to treat narcolepsy...

Sleep Disorders: Treatments for Narcolepsy

          

There are a number of medications used to treat the symptoms of narcolepsy. Drugs that act as stimulants and/or reduce the other symptoms of narcolepsy are standard treatments for narcolepsy and include:

   

•         Ritalin: Ritalin helps to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness and improves alertness. Side effects include headache, irritability, nervousness, and gastrointestinal problems. Nighttime sleep may be impaired, thus decreasing sleep time. There are concerns that this drug may become ineffective if used continuously for long periods. Therefore, some doctors advise people with narcolepsy to abstain from medication 1 day each week (typically on a weekend; drug holiday). During that day, the person should not engage in activities that require being awake, such as driving.
•         Provigil (Modafinil): This drug has been shown in several trials to reduce excessive daytime sleepiness. Headache is the most common side effect.
•         Antidepressants: The tricyclic antidepressants Anafranil and Tofranil and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Prozac are often used to treat cataplectic attacks. They help reduce the frequency of cataplexy in people with narcolepsy. Side effects of the tricyclics include stomach upset, dry mouth, fatigue, weight gain, sexual side effects and, in some cases, irregular heart beats (arrhythmias). Side effects of Prozac and the other SSRIs also include stomach upset and sexual dysfunction, however, side effects appear to be seen less often and may be less severe than the tricyclic antidepressants.
•         Xyrem: This drug is used to treat a small subset of people with narcolepsy who have excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy that does not respond to the other medications. It has a history of abuse as a recreational drug; therefore, the FDA has classified it as a controlled substance.

Another good source for Narcolepsy information is...

http://aboutsleepdisorders.blogspot.com/search/label/Narcolepsy 

 

*WebMD Medical Reference from eMedicineHealth         

*Edited by Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD on  February 01, 2006