Signs and Symptoms of Narcolepsy

There are main and secondary symptoms of narcolepsy. The main symptoms are:

• excessive daytime sleepiness
• abnormal REM sleep

Other symptoms include:

• Sleep Paralysis: this is a frightening symptom considered to be an abnormal episode of REM sleep atonia in which the patient suddenly finds himself unable to move for a few minutes, most often upon falling asleep or waking up.
• Hypnagogic Hallucinations: During these episodes patients experience dream-like auditory or visual hallucinations, while dozing or falling asleep.
• Cataplexy: This is a pathological equivalent of REM sleep atonia unique to narcolepsy, involving a striking, sudden episode of muscle weakness triggered by emotions.

Typically, the patient's knees buckle and may give way upon laughing, elation, surprise or anger. In other typical cataplectic attacks the head may drop or the jaw may become slack. In severe cases, the patient might fall down and become completely paralyzed for a few seconds to several minutes. Normal reflexes are absent during the attack.