Typically, during a 24-hour day, people have periods of sleep and periods of wakefulness but for people living with narcolepsy, periods of sleep are not consolidated – meaning they experience excessive sleepiness during the day and often have trouble sleeping at night – which results in them missing out on continuous, restorative sleep that often makes one feel refreshed.

A disrupted sleep cycle can mean a disrupted life. During the day, excessive daytime sleepiness can mean missing out on work, school, and time with family and friends. Because this condition is misunderstood, or mistaken for other conditions, those with narcolepsy often also experience delays in receiving a proper diagnosis and treatment.

For those who have been diagnosed, fortunately there are treatments available to help manage symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy – two hallmark and disruptive symptoms of narcolepsy. People can also take an active role in managing their sleep-wake cycle by tracking their sleep patterns to help give them and their doctor a better picture of their days and nights to help spot trends and make changes accordingly.

Dr. Asim Roy, M.D. will help bring awareness to the impact of narcolepsy and offer insights on treatment options. He is joined by Katie who has narcolepsy and will share her experience with the condition and how it’s affected her life.

Interview is courtesy: Avadel Pharmaceutical

#narcolepsy #sleep

The post Wake Up to The Disrupter Affecting Thousands of Americans: NARCOLEPSY, The Condition That Affects Sleep Cycles, World Narcolepsy Day is September 22 appeared first on Good News!.

Do you have vivid dreams or sometimes laugh so hard your knees give way? It could mean you have narcolepsy – the chronic neurologic condition where the brain is not able to control sleep-wake cycles normally. If you do, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 1 in 2000 people in the U.S. experience this condition, but more than half of them don’t know they have it. Now, one woman who was finally diagnosed with narcolepsy is on a mission to educate others about it. UNC professor Julea Steiner has teamed up with Jazz Pharmaceuticals to share her story. She, joins us now with more. www.morethantired.com
Bio
Julea Steiner
Julea Steiner is a sleep health advocate and Assistant clinical professor and director of professional development in the Public Health Leadership Program at the University of North Carolina. After suffering with sleepiness and cataplexy for more than 20 years, she was finally diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 36.
Before she was diagnosed, Julea felt tired all the time and experienced vivid dreams and hallucinations. She saw a number of doctors who misdiagnosed her with everything from ADHD to vitamin deficiency until finally one physician suggested she go in for a sleep test. Julea is passionate about raising awareness about narcolepsy. She encourages others to explore their symptoms and break through the cultural stereotypes of the disorder.

The post Julea Steiner, Chronic Neurologic Condition appeared first on Good News!.