Narcolepsy, which has an impact on your sleep and wakefulness is a neurological disorder. People with narcolepsy are overly sleepy during the day which is uncontrollable. They can also fall asleep in any kind of activity, all of a sudden. We enter the early stages of sleep in a typical sleep cycle, then into a deep one, and finally, sleep in the rapid eye motion (REM) after about 90 minutes. Narcoleptic people go to REM almost immediately during the sleep cycle and sometimes wake up. Type 1 Narcolepsy has a sudden muscle loss causing weakness and preventing you from controlling your muscles (cataplexy). Type 2 is cataplexy-free narcolepsy.
There is no cure for narcolepsy currently but prescription medications and lifestyle changes can help a person manage and stay safe. Researchers are studying how genetic and other factors can influence the condition and hopefully, they will be treated more effectively over time.