it is one of the many sleep disorders diagnosed and treated at the insomnia and sleep institute of arizona, the face of sleep medicine in the phoenix area and home to the “top doc” for 5 consecutive years. there is no singular experience or description that will fit every patient with narcolepsy, but there is a common thread: this is a sleep disorder that negatively affects your daily life. this is one of the biggest misnomers about narcolepsy that is exaggerated in films and television, but the answer is this: sometimes. it is much more common for someone with narcolepsy to fall asleep when they are already in a non-stimulating environment, such as during monotonous desk work. as you can see, narcolepsy is a complex and individualized sleep disorder. it is important to get diagnosed with narcolepsy by a sleep specialist so that treatment can commence—and treatment is available.
otherwise, undiagnosed and untreated narcolepsy can dramatically get in the way of typical social, cognitive, and psychological function as well as development. between 135,000 – 200,000 people in the u.s. alone are estimated to have narcolepsy, but it is important to remember that this sleep disorder often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed—sometimes for a lifetime. every patient is unique, so there is no one size fits all list of narcolepsy symptoms to check off. there are two primary types of narcolepsy, and both are diagnosed and treated at the insomnia and sleep institute. type 1 is diagnosed when a person is low on the brain hormone hypocretin or has cataplexy coupled with daytime sleepiness. if you are concerned about potential narcolepsy or any sleep disorder, get in contact with the insomnia and sleep institute today.
the insomnia and sleep institute of arizona is staffed by sleep specialists concentrating in sleep medicine, and you do not need a referral from your gp to schedule your consultation with a sleep expert who can diagnose disorders. it is not uncommon for a person to have a myriad of sleep disorders, particularly when some have commonalities. however, insomnia and narcolepsy are very different sleep disorders, even though they can occur simultaneously. with too little orexin, a person is overly sleepy and with too much it can be difficult to fall or stay asleep. it can be surprising to learn that those with narcolepsy (often presenting with extreme tiredness during the day) also struggles with trouble staying asleep at night. there are many symptoms that may present with both narcolepsy and insomnia, and some are shared.
it is a long-term condition of the brain and can lead to cataplexy (a short-term loss of muscular control). narcolepsy is often paired with sleep paralysis, which is technically harmless but can be disconcerting when a person can’t talk or move when waking up or falling asleep. treatment for these two conditions can be quite different with cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia (cbt-i) and sleep hygiene best practices being two common and effective approaches. narcolepsy is a brain-related condition, but there are many potential causes of insomnia. we work with patients as young as two years old and are proud to serve as the face of sleep medicine in the phoenix area. connect with the insomnia and sleep institute today to get started on your journey of better sleep. for a fast response, please fill out a form here and we’ll get right back to you.
narcolepsy and insomnia are sleep disorders. one possible cause of both conditions is how much of the chemical messenger orexin a person fragmented sleep and insomnia. while individuals with narcolepsy are very sleepy during the day, they usually also experience difficulties the difference is that narcolepsy causes “sleep attacks,” where the tiredness comes on suddenly and you may not realize that you’re sleeping. on, .
insomnia is a common sleep disorder that affects a large percentage of the population. it’s characterized by the inability to go to sleep or there are two primary types of narcolepsy, and both are diagnosed and treated at the insomnia and sleep institute. type 1 is diagnosed when a hundreds of thousands of people have an undiagnosed sleep disorder and many experience a comorbidity, such as insomnia and narcolepsy., .
When you try to get related information on narcolepsy and insomnia, you may look for related areas. .