{"id":1782,"date":"2021-03-08T05:21:28","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T05:21:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bedguard.com.au\/?p=1782"},"modified":"2021-03-08T05:21:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T05:21:28","slug":"what-is-narcolepsy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/","title":{"rendered":"What is narcolepsy?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are a number of chronic sleep disorders that can severely interfere with your life. Narcolepsy is one of them.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1783\" src=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-1024x659.jpg\" alt=\"What is narcolepsy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-1536x989.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-595xh.jpg 595w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min-600x386.jpg 600w, https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg 1999w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What is narcolepsy?<\/h2>\n<p>Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that affects the brain\u2019s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. Characteristics of this condition include overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden \u2018attacks\u2019 of sleep. People with narcolepsy experience uneven and uninterrupted sleep throughout the night. They may also have difficulty staying awake for long periods of time.<\/p>\n<h2>Types of narcolepsy?<\/h2>\n<p>There are two types of narcolepsy.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Type 1<\/strong> \u2014 People with this type have low levels of a brain hormone called hypocretin. They may also report sudden loss of voluntary muscle control (called cataplexy), and exhibit excessive daytime sleepiness on a special nap test.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Type 2<\/strong> \u2014 This type still causes people to experience excessive daytime sleepiness, but without the muscle weakness. Symptoms of this type are usually less severe and people with this condition have normal levels of hypocretin.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What causes it?<\/h2>\n<p>Scientists don\u2019t fully understand the exact cause of narcolepsy but it\u2019s thought that it may be caused by several factors working together. These include autoimmune disorders, family history, and brain injuries.<\/p>\n<h2>What are the symptoms?<\/h2>\n<p>The most common symptoms include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Excessive daytime sleepiness \u2014 people can fall asleep anywhere, anytime without warning<\/li>\n<li>Reduced alertness and focus during the day<\/li>\n<li>Sudden loss of muscle control (cataplexy), which can include slurred speech. This is usually triggered by intense emotions<\/li>\n<li>Sleep paralysis, a temporary inability to move or speak while falling asleep or on waking<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/what-are-the-stages-of-sleep-and-why-are-they-important\/\">REM sleep<\/a> that can occur at any time of the day<\/li>\n<li>Hallucinations, either on falling asleep or on waking<\/li>\n<li>Fragmented sleep and insomnia<\/li>\n<li>Continuing automatic behaviours (e.g. driving) when they have fallen asleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How is narcolepsy diagnosed?<\/h2>\n<p>Diagnosing narcolepsy may take some time. If your doctor suspects you have narcolepsy, they may send you to a sleep specialist for further investigation. Diagnosing narcolepsy usually involves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A detailed sleep history, part of which involves answering some questions about your sleep habits<\/li>\n<li>Recording your sleep patterns for a week or two<\/li>\n<li>Undergoing a <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/what-is-a-sleep-study\/\">sleep study<\/a>, also known as a polysomnography<\/li>\n<li>Undergoing a multiple sleep latency test designed to measure how quickly you fall asleep during the day and whether you enter REM sleep when you do fall asleep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Excessive daytime sleepiness can also be caused by other health conditions and chronic sleep conditions, so these tests can help doctors rule out any other possible causes of your condition.<\/p>\n<h2>How is it treated?<\/h2>\n<p>Unfortunately, there is no cure for narcolepsy. Treatment aims to minimise symptoms and may include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Medications<\/li>\n<li>Sticking to a <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/whats-the-best-bedtime-routine\/\">regular bedtime<\/a> routine of waking up and going to bed at the same time each day<\/li>\n<li>Taking <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/should-you-nap\/\">short naps<\/a> at regular intervals during the day<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/smoking-and-sleep\/\">nicotine<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/sleep-and-caffeine-how-much-is-too-much\/\">caffeine<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/how-alcohol-affects-your-sleep\/\">alcohol<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/exercise-and-sleep\/\">Exercising<\/a> regularly<\/li>\n<li>Avoiding large, heavy <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/foods-to-avoid-before-bed\/\">meals<\/a> before bedtime<\/li>\n<li>Doing <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/how-to-relax-before-bed\/\">relaxing activities<\/a> before bedtime.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What else can you do?<\/h2>\n<p>If your sleep patterns aren\u2019t normal and you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, make sure you speak to your doctor. It\u2019s important to get a diagnosis and begin treatment to manage your symptoms.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, if you\u2019re looking for a <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/top-tips-for-choosing-the-right-mattress\/\">comfortable mattress<\/a> to help you get a good night\u2019s sleep, come instore or <a href=\"http:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/shop\/\">browse online<\/a> today. We\u2019d love to help you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are a number of chronic sleep disorders that can severely interfere with your life. Narcolepsy is one of them. &nbsp; &nbsp; What is narcolepsy? Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that affects the brain\u2019s ability to control sleep-wake cycles. Characteristics of this condition include overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden \u2018attacks\u2019 of sleep. People with&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"iawp_total_views":4,"footnotes":""},"categories":[256,213,62],"tags":[111,257,252,258],"class_list":["post-1782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sleep-disorders","category-sleep-facts","category-sleeping-tips","tag-good-nights-sleep","tag-narcolepsy","tag-sleep-conditions","tag-sleep-disorder"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden &#039;attacks&#039; of sleep.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden &#039;attacks&#039; of sleep.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"BedGuard\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1999\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1287\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Peter Carey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Peter Carey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Peter Carey\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2\"},\"headline\":\"What is narcolepsy?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\"},\"wordCount\":549,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"good night's sleep\",\"Narcolepsy\",\"sleep conditions\",\"sleep disorder\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Sleep Disorders\",\"Sleep Facts\",\"Sleeping Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\",\"name\":\"What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2\"},\"description\":\"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden 'attacks' of sleep.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg\",\"width\":1999,\"height\":1287,\"caption\":\"What is narcolepsy\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What is narcolepsy?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/\",\"name\":\"BedGuard\",\"description\":\"Peace of Mind Mattresses\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2\",\"name\":\"Peter Carey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ad8025a5070e30f8b81851d3b21556?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ad8025a5070e30f8b81851d3b21556?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Peter Carey\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/author\/bedguard\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard","description":"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden 'attacks' of sleep.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard","og_description":"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden 'attacks' of sleep.","og_url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/","og_site_name":"BedGuard","article_published_time":"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1999,"height":1287,"url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Peter Carey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Peter Carey","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/"},"author":{"name":"Peter Carey","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2"},"headline":"What is narcolepsy?","datePublished":"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/"},"wordCount":549,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg","keywords":["good night's sleep","Narcolepsy","sleep conditions","sleep disorder"],"articleSection":["Sleep Disorders","Sleep Facts","Sleeping Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/","url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/","name":"What is narcolepsy? - BedGuard","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg","datePublished":"2021-03-08T05:21:28+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2"},"description":"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by overwhelming daytime drowsiness and sudden 'attacks' of sleep.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Depositphotos_178811028_l-2015-min.jpg","width":1999,"height":1287,"caption":"What is narcolepsy"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/what-is-narcolepsy\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is narcolepsy?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/","name":"BedGuard","description":"Peace of Mind Mattresses","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/3130f771e51e3524b23ba1f0137d8fc2","name":"Peter Carey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ad8025a5070e30f8b81851d3b21556?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/41ad8025a5070e30f8b81851d3b21556?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Peter Carey"},"url":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/author\/bedguard\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1782"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1785,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1782\/revisions\/1785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bedguard.com.au\/backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}