Narcolepsy:

Narcolepsy:
  It is a disorder charactorised by excessive day time sleepiness, often disturbed night time sleep and disturbances in the REM sleep.
  Decrease REM latency is the hallmark; REM sleep occures within 10 mins of onset of sleep.
  Common age of onset is 15-25 yrs and continues thoughout the life.

Tetrad of symptoms:
 1) sleep attacks:
    - Person is unable to resist a sleep (nap)
    - attack occures during nytime of the day
    - gap of 2-35hrs betn two naps
 2) cataplexy:
    - char' by loss of muscle tone in various parts of body. e.g. Drop jaw
    - may b precipited by sudden emotion
 3) hypnagogic hallucinations:
    - dreal like vivid perceptions which occures at the onset of sleep and associated with fearfullness
    - these occuring at the time of awakening r called as hypnopompic hallucinations
 4) sleep paralysis:
    - this occures either at awakening or at sleep onset
    - person is concius bt unable to move his body
    - episode last for 30 sec to few mins



Other associated symptoms r:
 Fugue states, blackouts, blurring of vision,

Diagnosis: confirmed by polysomnography which shows decreased REM latency

Treatment:
   - forced naps at regular times in the day
   - stimulant medicatin e.g. Amphetamine or modafinil
   - anti-depressants