If you live with narcolepsy, you can manage daytime sleepiness with treatment from a doctor who specializes in sleep medicine. It also helps to practice healthy habits like sticking to a sleep schedule, planning short naps, and eating a balanced diet.
There is more you can do to stay fresh and alert. Here are some simple tips from sleep medicine practitioners who have treated people with narcolepsy.
Plan your week in advance
Do you feel more drowsy at a certain time of the day, such as the afternoon? If so, try planning important activities away from it, says Ronald Chervin, MD, director of the Michigan Medicine Sleep Disorders Center.
If you need to do something that requires a high level of thought or effort during a sleepier time of the day, take a 15 to 20 minute power nap first.
“This will help you get through,” says Chervin. “And for a good number of people, this is much like taking a short-acting stimulant” drug.
Also, try to avoid overbooking yourself to make sure your activities don’t invade your sleep at night, says Abhinav Singh, MD, medical director of the Indiana Sleep Center.
“Give yourself enough time to recover from a late-night engagement,” he says. If possible, do not book any important events or tasks for the next morning.
Drive safely
Work with your doctor to make sure you are safe when you get behind the wheel.
“If you experience drowsiness while driving, you shouldn’t drive until your sleep doctor has corrected and improved it,” says Chervin. “Borrow a lift, do whatever you need to do right now. Because until you feel better, you don’t want to endanger yourself or others – neither in the car nor on the street. “
Singh agrees. He says people with narcolepsy are more likely to have car accidents, in part because of the reaction time that can happen when you feel drowsy.
Once treatment has gotten your narcolepsy symptoms under control, there are a few extra steps you can take to drive safely.
If you think you might get sleepy during a shorter drive, take a 15 to 20 minute nap before heading out to feel more awake, says Chervin. You can also consider car sharing.
Singh recommends these tips for a long road trip:
- Let your loved ones know where you are going.
- If you are driving alone, ask someone to track your phone to keep an eye on your progress.
- Bring your narcolepsy medication.
- Make sure you are well rested and not deprived of sleep before you get behind the wheel.
- Do not eat heavy meals or drink alcohol.
- Pull up to take breaks.
- Drive in daylight. Spend the night in a motel or hotel.
- If you have to drive at night, travel with someone else and ask them to take over in the evening.
- Take a quick power nap while your driving partner is behind the wheel.
Treat muscle weakness
Some people with narcolepsy also have brief attacks of muscle weakness or paralysis called cataplexy. If you have both conditions, doctors call it type 1 narcolepsy.
A cataplexy episode usually occurs quickly and builds up over several seconds. If it’s severe, it can cause someone to fall to the ground, says Chervin. However, it is very unlikely that you will collapse and fall flat on your face, which can be a common misconception.
Many people with type 1 narcolepsy experience subtle symptoms of cataplexy, like knees knees, drooping jaws or eyelids, and slurred speech, says Singh.
A strong emotional stimulus, such as laughter or surprise, is usually the trigger.
Once you know your cataplexy triggers, you can let your family and friends know about them, says Singh. For example, you could tell them, ‘Hey, don’t tickle past a certain point.’ … Or ‘Don’t tell our inside joke in a situation that is out of context because it becomes uncomfortable for me.’ “
Inform yourself and others
Learn all about narcolepsy, says Singh. “Knowing the diagnosis in its entirety and with all functions is a must.”
Once you’ve enrolled in school, it’s important to explain the condition to your family and close friends, he says. In return, they can offer you emotional support and an extra hand when you need it.
Talk to your employer or school as well. “Many employers, if well trained, find accommodation easily and willingly,” says Singh. You could ask for short naps or breaks at certain times, or for a place to lie down.
A letter from your doctor can get the ball rolling. You can help your employer or school explain how small accommodation can make you more productive.
swell
SWELL:
Ronald Chervin, MD, Professor of Neurology, University of Michigan; Director, Sleep Disorder Centers, Michigan Medicine; past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Abhinav Singh MD, medical director, Indiana Sleep Center; Assistant Clinical Professor, Marian University.
Sleep foundation: “Narcolepsy”.
Harvard Medical School: “Narcolepsy”.
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