Narcolepsy sleep study
Common Questions and Answers about Narcolepsy sleep study
narcolepsy
It does sound like narcolepsy to me but it could be any of the sleep cycle disorders really. Sleep paralysis is a very common feature of narcolepsy. How old are you? I was convinced I had narcolepsy when I went but I ended up having periodic limb movement disorder. It's where you kick your legs and move your arms all night long. Every time I would get into REM, I would kick my legs or move my arms and it would jerk me out of it. That's what caused me to remember my dreams vividly.
Is it possible to have both narcolepsy and insomnia?
My doctor said my complaints are highly suggestive of narcolepsy (excessive daytime sleepiness, occasional episodes of hypnopompic hallucinations upon waking, short term memory lapses, etc).
A night time sleep study followed by a daytime study would tell your certain wether or not you have Narcolepsy. Sometimes just having an actual diagnosis brings relief to the situation. Oh i have cataplexy - hey thats because I have Narcolepsy, then you can track what brings on the episodes and use caution during certain emotions. Some times something as small as frustration of someone throwing trash on the side of the road can bring on cataplexy.
First of all, I'm sorry the doctor who ordered your testing didn't go more in depth in explaining the results to you. The information I'm going to give you here is based strictly upon the diagnostic criteria for different conditions; doctors use a combination of test results and diagnostic guidelines AND clinical expertise to reach diagnosis and treatment decisions, so there is no guarantee that this information pertains to your case in particular.
The formal way of diagnosing narcolepsy is to undergo a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) which is a daytime study after an overnight sleep study. If you're REM sleep deprived in general, you'll have what's called REM rebound, where you go into REM much quicker than normal. You may want to mention your symptoms the next time you meet with your sleep doctor.
You might want to inquire about having a full sleep study to rule out sleep apnea and/or narcolepsy. The sleep paralysis, hallucinations, and daytime sleepiness are hallmarks of narcolepsy. Narcolepsy isn't just suddenly collapsing in a state of sleep. I tell you this not as a medical professional, but as a person with narcolepsy. Best wishes.
Ideally you would have an overnight sleep study followed by an all day nap study to be assessed for narcolepsy. It is possible to have other sleep disorders that result in symptoms that mimick narcolepsy. That happened with me. I may still have a mild case of narcolepsy, but the worst of the symptoms have responded to treatment of the other disorders.
I personally would want to know if I was in danger of having a sleep attack and hurting myself or someone else.
I have to do a sleep study next month to see if I have narcolepsy..... that is actually what introduced me to this site, I am doing a sleep journal. I did not realize until last night how many dang times I wake up at night. My doctor mentioned Ritalin. I am so worried about taking meds, I am so close to getting my 8 year old off Ritalin by going organic. I am also finding it oh so hard to keep up with 2 boys that are very high in energy.
The sleep doctor who diagnosed his narcolepsy can answer this based on the sleep study that was performed for the diagnosis.
Dr.
Have you consulted the sleep specialist to get the sleep study? Hope you have got lot of information on the narcolepsy. Thanks to mastkids for having shared his experience and valuable thoughts. Hope you too are able to get adequate sleep and following up with your doctor. Here are few aspects of the treatment and hope you follow few tips. Ref: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/narcolepsy/page4_em.htm
Share your thoughts and keep updating. Take care.
At 16, my daughter finally had a sleep study. She met the criteria for narcolepsy. What I find puzzling is that her sleep problems were already there in infancy. She did not sleep excessively at first -- just very erratically, in short pieces of time. Even at 6 months old I could put her on her back and she would suddenly be asleep for 5-15 minutes (in the middle of an activity).
1- Can a BABY have narcolepsy?
Murph65 is right on. Proper diagnosis of narcolepsy requires a specific type of sleep study, but it's not something your family doctor will administer. Suggest to your doctor a referral to a sleep specialist, who can handle the sleep study. This is the only way to be sure.
Good luck!
Certain sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea can cause disturbed sleep and hence the need to sleep more. And others like narcolepsy can cause excessive sleepiness per say.
If it persists or is troublesome consult your doctor for assessment.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Have you discussed your excessive daytime sleepiness with your physician? It's possible you need to have a special kind of sleep study, called an "overnight polysomnogram with MSLT." The MSLT tests for Idiopathic Hypersomnia or Narcolepsy. Both of these conditions are treatable with medication, so it's important to get an accurate diagnosis.
I have suffered from sleep disroders my whole life. When I was 10 years old I had a type of sleep apnea called Hypopnea. Every night would result in me seeing spiders and snakes and getting out of bed screaming and running away out of terror. After months of this happening I went to a sleep Dr and had a sleeo study done, they informed me of what I had and that my tonsils were blocking my airways.
I finally went in for a sleep study and was diagnosed with narcolepsy! Narcolepsy is really rare, but at least a sleep study will rule out or confirm narcolepsy, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and probably other conditions as well.
Good luck!
The day study is only used for those who are believed to have narcolepsy. However, the nighttime study is used to assess various sleep disorders. According to the NIH, those with narcolepsy also fall quickly into rem during the night as well. They find themselves either waking periodically throughout the night, or they are in a light sleep (stage one) during the night, not reaching those stage 3 and stage 4 sleep waves.
Thank you. I hope you're doing well. I've been having issues for a long while, of randomly falling asleep... I could be in the middle of a conversation with someone and pass out asleep... and, then they can't wake me up, until I am fully ready to wake up. I had a sleep study and I don't have sleep apnea, and the weird part to the doctor is, I don't feel sleepy during the day, even though I don't get a lot of sleep when I go to bed, because I wake up with pain.
I had a sleep study done. It was a waste of time. I told the doctor all about my sleep habits but they requested the test anyway. I go to sleep eventually, some nights, I will not sleep at all and that is really a bad feeling for the next day. Anyway I get to sleep and wake up within an hour to two hours. This goes on all night. I never go to sleep and sleep through the night.
If I was in your position, I would ask my physician for a referral to a sleep clinic. It may Narcolepsy, Obstructive Sleep Apnea due to enlarge tonsils. This is why it will be helpful to get a sleep study done so it can be more accurate to what it may be going on.
Also, ensure to use CPAP regularly to fight the symptoms of sleep apnea. A sleep study called polysomnography may be needed for further evaluation. Consult your doctor for the same.
In the meantime you could avoid taking alcohol and try to sleep on your side as this keeps the airways patent. If any nasal blocks try to keep them patent with OTC nasal decongestants. Aim for optimum weight with exercises or long walks.
Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
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