The inability to stay awake and alert during the day. Even with sleep, an individual with narcolepsy can feel as though he or she has been awake for 72 hours straight. Sometimes, individuals with narcolepsy can have instances of automatic behavior, in which they continue an activity with little conscious awareness of the activity occurring. EDS is one of the first symptoms to develop in individuals with narcolepsy.

Forgetfulness, difficulty focusing, and other cognitive challenges — often called brain fog — can be a big component of daytime sleepiness.

A sudden and uncontrollable, brief loss of muscle tone (paralysis of muscles} caused by experiencing strong or intense emotions (most often laughter, though also anger, pain, fear and stress are also a trigger).

Cataplexy only occurs in Type 1 narcolepsy. Cataplexy can vary from partial cataplexy, which may involve the slurring of speech to full cataplexy where an individual may experience weakness of the face, limbs, and trunk, which causes them to slump to the ground, awake but unable to talk or move.

When people with narcolepsy are tired and sleepy, they may carry out actions without thinking about them and often with no recollection of them afterwards. This is called automatic behaviour. For example, a student in school may appear to be writing diligently, but what they have written turns out to be entirely inappropriate. They may also jump from topic to topic while speaking, or suddenly stop talking in the middle of a discussion. Such automatic behavious can be dangerous if it takes place when the person is carrying out a hazardous activity such as driving.

Unlike public perceptions, people with narcolepsy do not sleep all the time. The timing of sleepiness is “off” with narcolepsy, so one may fight sleepiness during the day but struggle to sleep at night. This might feel like difficulty falling asleep, waking up frequently, or drifting in and out of sleep all night.

Disrupted nighttime sleep is a facet of narcolepsy, and should not be confused with insomnia.

Individuals with narcolepsy may experience vivid dream-like experiences while falling asleep or upon waking up. Hallucinations when falling asleep are known as hypnagogic; when waking up, hypnopompic. These hallucinations can be experienced as multisensory and can feel extremely real.

People with narcolepsy often transition directly from wake into REM sleep, which may underlie this experience. It can often occur at the same time as sleep paralysis.

A brief inability to move or speak while falling asleep or upon waking up. This is most likely, caused by an intrusion into wakefulness of the normal paralysis that occurs during REM sleep. They can cause panic in a patient if he or she is not familiar with this symptom

Sleep paralysis can feel extremely frightening and confusing. It is often accompanied by hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations. People without narcolepsy can experience these hallucinations and sleep paralysis.

In fact, about one-third of all people experience these at some point in their lives, usually during periods of high stress or poor sleep.

For people with narcolepsy, sleep paralysis and hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations are much more frequent and consistent over time.

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition that impairs the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle. It affects 1 in 2,000 people and 3 million people worldwide. Its low prevalence often leads to delayed diagnosis and limited awareness, leaving many undiagnosed and misunderstood. 

Narcolepsy is a chronic, non-communicable disease (NCD) that requires lifelong management. It impacts physical, emotional, and social well-being, emphasizing the need for integrated healthcare support.

Though not physically apparent, narcolepsy is a disabling condition. Symptoms like excessive sleepiness and cataplexy can severely affect daily functioning, requiring greater societal understanding and accommodations.

People with narcolepsy benefit from flexible schedules, rest breaks, and a supportive environment at work or school. Accommodations ensure they can meet their responsibilities while managing their condition effectively.