In patients with catalepsy, alcohol drinking may aggravate symptoms of fatigue, sleep paralysis, and depression. The function of this hypocretin hormone is to streamline sleep, wakefulness homeostasis, emotion regulation, reward processing, and addiction.

Thus the healthy tissues or cells are destroyed and impair the sleep-wake cycles permanently.Ī 2011 study 1 asserts that loss of hypothalamic neurons that produce hypocretins leads to narcolepsy. In conditions of narcolepsy, the autoimmune process attacks the neurons that are responsible for stabilizing sleep-wake cycles and stops them from producing hypocretin or also called orexin. But the genetic factors alone are not responsible for the disorder that affects the central nervous system. Since these genes play a role in controlling the functioning of the immune system, affected individuals have variants of these genes known as the T cell receptor gene. Research also indicates that most cases of narcolepsy are strongly connected with a group of genes known as the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). And this insight is significant to developing better treatment approaches to this chronic condition. Retrieved January 13, 2021)) reports that researchers have asserted that this sleep disorder is an ‘autoimmune disease’. 2019, March 15 New proof that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease. And people who are affected are undiagnosed and untreated.Ī 2019 study ((University of Copenhagen The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. The center for narcolepsy reports that this overwhelming sleepiness and fatigue is permanent and a life-long illness. The consequences of the disease on people who are engaged in public related professions could turn out hazardous.

Narcolepsy patients cannot be left alone even to carry on their daily activities like walking, driving, eating, talking, watching television, etc. They may need help and support throughout the day. People affected with narcolepsy fall asleep any-time during the day or in the middle of an activity, they are engaged in. It is a chronic neurological disorder that occurs when the brain loses its ability to control sleep-wake cycles. Let us seek further knowledge from accessible research and published studies. This blog post aims to discuss the above aspects and the role of Cannabis phytocannabinoids on sleep disorders. Therefore it is imperative to understand the nature, types, symptoms, and possible medical, non-medical based, and natural remedies for treating narcolepsy. Since 2009, the onset of narcolepsy in younger children has been identified. Does this not lead to increased economic burden and higher health care costs? Despite the availability of published medical endorsements, approved and unapproved therapies, some studies term narcolepsy as challenging and incurable.Įven though narcolepsy is a rare disease, affected people suffer from functional disabilities, reduced productivity, poor quality of life, lack of ability to focus on academic studies, depression, and other psychosocial problems. And rare diseases have limited clinical expertise and expert centers. The low prevalence of the disorder makes it an ‘orphan’ or rare disease. Research considers narcolepsy as underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed among affected individuals. The prevalence of this disorder is around 1 in 2000. It is a chronic autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that could affect men and women. Narcolepsy is a disabling sleep disorder that is marked by excessive daytime sleepiness.

Cataplexy with narcolepsy treatment