Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), vivid dreams, and sudden episodes of muscle weakness or paralysis known as cataplexy. The condition can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes.
Medications for EDS
The first line of treatment is usually wakefulness medications, which increase alertness and help people stay awake during the day. These include zopiclone Australia or buy zopiclone tablets, which can improve your alertness for eight hours after you take them. Other drugs, such as methylphenidate and amphetamine-like stimulants, are sometimes used to treat the sleepiness of narcolepsy, but they often have side effects.
Medications for hallucinations and automatic behaviors
A person with narcolepsy may have very vivid dreamlike states (hypnogogic hallucinations) and act out their dreams by talking or moving in their sleep, which can be distressing. These episodes can occur during sleep or during waking up, and they can last for minutes to seconds.
Medications for automatic behaviors
Individuals with narcolepsy can experience lapses in memory, or forgetfulness, when they are very sleepy or experiencing an episode of cataplexy. They can lose track of where they are, forget the items they are holding, or fail to do something that is expected of them.
Medications for sleep paralysis
In about one-fifth of people with narcolepsy, an episode of sudden muscle weakness or loss of control occurs during the day. This can cause slurred speech or buckling knees, and it can be frightening to experience.
