Narcolepsy: What to Look For

Do you know someone with Narcolepsy / Cataplexy and don't realize it? Here are some things to look for.
Narcolepsy: fragmented sleep, irresistible urges to sleep, waking up from sleep feeling unrefreshed, sleep paralysis, vivid dreams, automatic behavior,  falling asleep at inopportune times, diminished cognitive thinking skills, hallucinations, lucid dreaming, going into dream state within a matter of seconds, ie: I can nod off for a few seconds and have a complete dream that seems like I slept hours.
Cataplexy: Partal to complete loss of muscle tone, slurred speech, dropping items. Cataplexy attack may be confused with epileptic seizures. If the person is fully aware of what is going on around them, while seeming to be unconscious, it is very possibly Cataplexy. Also, if the pupils look like a pin point as opposed to enlarging or dilating (as with epilepsy) it could be a Cataplexy attack.
The average time to get a correct diagnosis is ten to fifteen years. Many people with Narcolepsy have been misdiagnosed with Epilepsy, Schizophrenia, Depression, possible Dementia as well as other illnesses. Many children suffer in school because they don't have the proper accommodations due to a lack of an accurate diagnosis.
It is important to remember,  no two Narcoleptics are going to exhibit symptoms in the same manner or to the same degree. A PWN (person with Narcolepsy) will rarely exhibit all symptoms. Knowing some of the signs though will hopefully spare someone a lot of wasted time, grief and unnecessary suffering and/or devastation  in the future.
Oh, an added side note, many PWN have been accused of being on drugs. I actually had a CPS case filed against me and had to undergo a drug test.

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