Basic Facts

  • Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder characterized by an excessive amount of fatigue during the daytime and, in severe cases, sudden attacks of sleep.
  • Patients can suffer for years before the correct diagnosis is made. 
  • There is no cure for narcolepsy, but medications and lifestyle changes can help manage symptoms.
  • Narcolepsy also is characterized by abnormal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The brain cycles through five phases during sleep. REM typically occurs about 90 minutes after sleep begins but, in patients with narcolepsy, REM sleep occurs almost immediately in the sleep cycle, and intermittently during the waking hours. REM sleep is associated with dreams.