People who suffer from excessive drowsiness during the daytime may be victims of a condition known as “narcolepsy.” Although most people may feel sleepy while watching TV or after eating a meal, narcoleptics may fall asleep at unusual or embarrassing times. They may doze while eating, talking, taking a shower, or even driving a car.
Victims can be affected in one of two ways. Most narcoleptics have several sleeping periods during each day with alert periods in between, but a minority feel drowsy almost all the time and are alert for only brief intervals. Many people with this condition also suffer from cataplexy - a form of muscular paralysis that can range from a mild weakness at the knees to complete immobility affecting the entire body. This condition lasts from a few seconds to several minutes and is often set off by intense emotions.
No reliable data exist showing how many people have narcolepsy. (1) Unfortunately, there is also little knowledge about the causes of this illness. (2) Researchers suggest that the problem may stem from the immune system's reacting abnormally to the brain's chemical processes. (3) Further studies have shown a link between narcolepsy and a number of genes, although it is quite possible for an individual to have these genes and not develop the disease. (4) There are also cases of twins where one member has narcolepsy but the other does not. Thus, an explanation based on genetics alone is not adequate.
There is currently no cure for narcolepsy, so sufferers of this condition can only have their symptoms treated through a combination of counseling and drugs. The available drugs can help control the worst of the symptoms, but their administration has unwanted side effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate and, sometimes, even increased sleepiness. It is clear that improved medications need to be developed.