The symptoms of narcolepsy may get worse during the first few years of the disorder. Then they continue for life. They include:   Excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy fall asleep without warning. It can happen anywhere and at any time. It may happen when you're bored or during a task. For example, you may be working or talking with friends and suddenly fall asleep. It can be especially dangerous if you fall asleep while driving. You might fall asleep for only a few minutes or up to a half-hour. After waking, you'll often feel refreshed but you'll get sleepy again. You also may experience a decrease in how alert and focused you feel during the day. Daytime sleepiness often is the first symptom to appear. Feeling sleepy makes it hard to focus and function. Some people with narcolepsy continue doing a task when they fall asleep briefly. For example, you may fall asleep while writing, typing or driving. You might continue to perform that task while asleep. When you awaken, you can't remember what you did, and you probably didn't do it well.   Sudden loss of muscle tone. This condition is called cataplexy. It can cause slurred speech or complete weakness of most muscles. Symptoms may last up to a few minutes. Cataplexy can't be controlled. It's triggered by intense emotions. Often the emotions that cause cataplexy are positive. Laughter or excitement may cause the symptoms. But sometimes fear, surprise or anger can cause the loss of muscle tone. For example, when you laugh, your head may drop without your control. Or your knees may suddenly lose strength, causing you to fall. Some people with narcolepsy experience only one or two episodes of cataplexy a year. Others have several episodes a day. Not everyone with narcolepsy has these symptoms.   Sleep paralysis. People with narcolepsy often experience sleep paralysis. During sleep paralysis, you can't move or speak while falling asleep or upon waking. It's usually brief — lasting a few seconds or minutes. But it can be scary. You may be aware of it happening and can recall it afterward. Not everyone with sleep paralysis has narcolepsy.  Hallucinations. Sometimes people see things that aren't there during sleep paralysis. Hallucinations also may happen in bed without sleep paralysis. These are called hypnagogic hallucinations if they happen as you fall asleep. They're called hypnopompic hallucinations if they happen upon waking. For example, you might feel as if there is a stranger in your bedroom. These hallucinations may be vivid and frightening because you may not be fully asleep when you begin dreaming. Changes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep is when most dreaming happens. Typically, people enter REM sleep 60 to 90 minutes after falling asleep. But people with narcolepsy often move more quickly to REM sleep. They tend to enter REM sleep within 15 minutes of falling asleep. REM sleep also can happen at any time of the day.  Other characteristics People with narcolepsy may have other sleep disorders. They might have obstructive sleep apnea, in which breathing starts and stops during the night. Or they may act out their dreams, known as REM sleep behavior disorder. Or they may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, called insomnia.
symptoms narcolepsy may worse first years disorder  continue life  include:   excessive daytime sleepiness  people narcolepsy fall asleep warning  can happen time  may happen you're bored task  example  may working talking friends suddenly fall asleep  can especially dangerous fall asleep driving  fall asleep only minutes half-hour  waking  you'll feel refreshed you'll sleepy again  may experience decrease alert focused feel day  daytime sleepiness first symptom appear  feeling sleepy makes hard focus function  people narcolepsy continue task fall asleep briefly  example  may fall asleep writing  typing driving  continue perform task asleep  awaken  can't remember did  didn't well    sudden loss muscle tone  condition called cataplexy  can cause slurred speech complete weakness muscles  symptoms may last minutes  cataplexy can't controlled  it's triggered intense emotions  emotions cause cataplexy positive  laughter excitement may cause symptoms  fear  surprise anger can cause loss muscle tone  example  laugh  head may drop control  knees may suddenly lose strength  causing fall  people narcolepsy experience only episodes cataplexy year  episodes day  narcolepsy symptoms    sleep paralysis  people narcolepsy experience sleep paralysis  sleep paralysis  can't move speak falling asleep waking  it's brief — lasting seconds minutes  can scary  may aware happening can recall afterward  sleep paralysis narcolepsy   hallucinations  people see aren't sleep paralysis  hallucinations may happen bed sleep paralysis  called hypnagogic hallucinations happen fall asleep  they're called hypnopompic hallucinations happen waking  example  feel stranger bedroom  hallucinations may vivid frightening may fully asleep begin dreaming  changes rapid eye movement (rem) sleep  rem sleep dreaming happens  typically  people enter rem sleep 60 90 minutes falling asleep  people narcolepsy move quickly rem sleep  tend enter rem sleep 15 minutes falling asleep  rem sleep can happen time day   characteristics people narcolepsy may sleep disorders  obstructive sleep apnea  breathing starts stops night  may act dreams  known rem sleep behavior disorder  may trouble falling asleep staying asleep  called insomnia
narcolepsy