Slumbered Sleep

The effects of narcolepsy symptoms on a patient's health
and wellbeing may be significant. As sleep attacks, sleepiness,
and narcolepsy can be fatal while driving or other
situations where safety is crucial, accidents are a major
worry. Narcoleptics are thought to have a three to fourtimes
higher risk of being in a car crash. Work and school
can both be impacted by narcolepsy. Particularly in children,
sleepiness and attention failures can impair performance
and be mistaken for behavioral issues. Many narcolepsies’
sufferers experience stigma because of their
illness, which can cause them to withdraw from social
situations. (Suni, 2022)
A protocol was developed by the American Sleep Disorders
Association for the reporting of people whose mental
fogginess may be a threat to public safety. The individual
should be counseled not to drive or participate in other
activities that require continuous focus on safety until
sufficient symptom control is achieved. As common and
potentially as paralyzing as multiple sclerosis, narcolepsy
is a hereditary neurological disorder with significant negative
effects on social standing, feeling of self-worth, work
readiness, and public safety. (Mitler et al., 1990)
Narcoleptic patients require ongoing management that
frequently involves the use of medicines that have a high
risk for addiction and abuse. Consequently, a clinical diagnosis
alone is insufficient. The Multiple Sleep Latency
Test is the most popular diagnostic method for examining
patients who complain of being overly drowsy. Several
studies on various sleep-wake schedules were the foundation
for this exam. The MSLT, which comprises of four
or five 20-minute periods of sleep, is now standard practice
around the globe. Sleep is provided every two hours
during the MSLT, which starts at least 90 minutes after a
polysomnogram taken at night. (Mitler et al., 1990)
Figure 46
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