Skip to main content
Logo for WebMD
Logo for WebMD
  • Check Your Symptoms
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Dentist
  • Health
    A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Health A-Z
    Common Conditions
    • ADD/ADHD
    • Allergies
    • Arthritis
    • Cancer
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Eye Health
    • Heart Disease
    • Lung Disease
    • Orthopedics
    • Pain Management
    • Sexual Conditions
    • Skin Problems
    • Sleep Disorders
    • View All
    Resources
    • Symptom Checker
    • WebMD Blogs
    • Podcasts
    • Newsletters
    • WebMD Magazine
    • Best Hospitals
    • Find a Doctor
    • Surgeries and Procedures A-Z
    • Featured Topics
    • man on sofa sick with flu Slideshow Signs You Have Already Had COVID
    • photo of migraine Slideshow Get Help for Migraine Relief
  • Drugs &
    Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Drugs & Supplements
    Find & Review
    • Drugs
    • Supplements
    Drug Basics & Safety
    • Commonly Abused Drugs
    • Taking Meds When Pregnant
    Tools
    • Manage Your Medications
    • Pill Identifier
    • Check for Interactions
    • Drug Comparison Tool
    • Featured Topics
    • assorted vitamins Slideshow Vitamins You Need as You Age
    • photo of vaccine Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Living
    Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Living Healthy
    Diet, Food & Fitness
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Weight Loss & Obesity
    • Food & Recipes
    • Fitness & Exercise
    Beauty & Balance
    • Healthy Beauty
    • Health & Balance
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Oral Care
    Living Well
    • Women's Health
    • Men's Health
    • Aging Well
    • Healthy Sleep
    • Healthy Teens
    • Featured Topics
    • grocery cart Article Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes
    • walking sneakers Quiz Do You Know the Benefits of Walking?
  • Family &
    Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    Family & Pregnancy
    All About Pregnancy
    • Getting Pregnant
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • View All
    Parenting Guide
    • Newborn & Baby
    • Children's Health
    • Children's Vaccines
    • View All
    Pet Care Essentials
    • Healthy Cats
    • Healthy Dogs
    • View All
    • Featured Topics
    • apple slices and peanut butter Slideshow Smart Snacks When You're Pregnant
    • photo of dogs kissing Slideshow Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats
  • News &
    Experts
    News & Experts
    News & Experts
    Health News
    • Fat Growing Around Muscles Could Be a Silent Killer
    • Casual Pot Use Harmful to Teens
    • Chronic Pain More Common Than Many Top Illnesses
    • Vitamin D Supplements May Help Ease Long COVID
    • Black Americans Face Much Higher Rates of Early Death
    Experts & Community
    • Support Groups
    • Blogs
    • Webinars
    • News Center
    • New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk
    • Featured Topics
    • photo of Fajgenbaum and team WebMD Editorial Special Rare Diseases: Are Solutions Already at Our Fingertips?
    • photo of person typing Get Our Newsletters Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox
  • Mobile Apps
  • Subscriptions
  • Sign In
  • Subscribe
  • My Profile
    • My Tools
    • My WebMD Pages
    • My Account
    • Sign Out

    PERSPECTIVES

    New Hope for Narcolepsy

    New Treatments for Narcolepsy

    Reviewed by Neha Pathak on July 27, 2021

    Video Transcript

    MUSIC PLAYING: NARRATOR: We all have days where we're extra tired. But usually, a good night's sleep will set you straight. But what if you can't get enough quality sleep? That is what it feels like to have narcolepsy. When you hear the word "narcolepsy,"

    you might immediately picture someone falling asleep in some unnatural position. These stereotypes go to show how little people understand about the condition.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: There's been too much of narcolepsy being used as the butt of the joke. People think that sleepy people have been having way too much fun the evening before or that they're too lazy to stay engaged. NARRATOR: Narcolepsy is actually an ongoing condition that affects the part of your brain that helps you stay awake.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: When we wake up in the morning, it's because the central regions of our brain have fulfilled the need for sleep and are now signaling wakefulness.

    NARRATOR: Neurons in the hypothalamus release orexin, a brain chemical that helps keep us alert and prevents REM sleep from happening at the wrong time. The neurons play an essential role in keeping you awake. Unusually low levels of orexin keeps your brain from processing these wake signals, so you end up feeling sleepy all day.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: In narcolepsy, we see REM spill into the daytime, unprovoked, when we don't want it there. And in rapid eye movement sleep, we are paralyzed.

    NARRATOR: This can cause physical weakness and dreamlike hallucinations. The brain literally dreams while awake.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: A patient with narcolepsy may not wake up cleanly. Their brains may awaken, but they may have episodes of sleep paralysis where they're awake but can't move yet.

    NARRATOR: Patients also experience weird dreams during the day while awake in the form of hallucinations. There are two types of narcolepsy. Type 1 narcolepsy can cause excessive sleepiness and a sudden loss of muscle control called cataplexy.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: Cataplexy is usually triggered by a significant emotional shift. They're usually awake and can hear what's going on.

    NARRATOR: Type 2 narcolepsy, on the other hand, is mainly categorized by fatigue, but normal levels of orexin. People struggling with narcolepsy often struggle against public stigma.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: And there's sometimes an avoidance of social circumstances because they don't want to fall asleep in public. NARRATOR: As the science digs deeper into the complex reasons behind the condition, treatment options are expanding.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: There are treatments available to improve alertness and to manage cataplexy and narcolepsy. And we have medications available that allow for a much more sustained level of alertness.

    NARRATOR: These treatments also reduce the symptoms of disturbed nighttime sleep.

    HELENE EMSELLEM: There are ways to restore orexin functionality in the brain. Maybe at some time in the future, we could use stem cells to restore orexin in people who don't have it.

    NARRATOR: Scientists are not entirely sure why orexin is missing. An explanation may be that the orexin cells are being destroyed by an autoimmune attack. HELENE EMSELLEM: Most patients with narcolepsy are left with the need to adapt to the residual symptoms, to adapt their lifestyle appropriately.

    NARRATOR: The difference between the public perception versus the reality narcoleptic patients face every day is profound. However, with advances in research, accurate education, and increasing understanding, we can close this gap and change the lives of narcoleptic patients and their loved ones for the better.

    [MUSIC PLAYING]

    LEARN MORE

    Innovations

    New Treatments for Narcolepsy

    What are the keys to keeping you awake and alert? And are stem cells a promising possibility?

    Expert View

    Waking Up to New Possibilities

    My Experience

    I Thought Narcolepsy Was Something Else

    Advocacy

    Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

    EXPLORE MORE

    My Experience

    More Than Tired: My Life With Narcolepsy

    Tya was relieved to get an official diagnosis. Before that, she couldn’t explain all the napping and night terrors.

    Advocate

    How an Inventor Helped His Exhausted Daughter

    Expert View

    Keeping Narcolepsy Symptoms Separate From Other Conditions

    Advocacy

    The Benefits of a Good Power Nap

    My Experience

    How I Plan My Workday Around Excessive Sleepiness

    Advocacy

    What Others Just Don’t Understand

    Innovations

    The Latest Sleep Tech

    Advocacy

    No Shame: Give Your Experience a Name

    Innovations

    The Future of Sleep Research

    Advocacy

    Advice on How to Rise Above and Thrive

    My Experience

    A Glimpse Into My Everyday Challenges

    My Experience

    My Evening Routine

    Expert View

    What a Narcolepsy Appointment Looks Like

    Expert View

    Challenges for the Newly Diagnosed

    Find WebMD on:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pintrest
    AdChoices AdChoices
    • About WebMD
    • Advertise With Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Editorial Policy
    • Contact Us
    • TRUSTe Privacy Certification
    • TAG Registered Seal
    • HONcode Seal

    ©2005-2019 WebMD LLC. All rights reserved.

    WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
    See additional information.