A great place to start Disorder information source Rated and Reviewed Sleep Links Entrance to all monitored Sleep Forums Search all of Sleepnet.com


Narcolepsy
Forum Posting


Archived Narcolepsy Forum27 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Narcolepsy Forum Homepage.

Re: Brain exhaustion and waking up

Posted by seabrooke on April 05, 2007 at 19:26:02:

In Reply to: Brain exhaustion and waking up posted by DominoPhreak on March 20, 2007 at 10:29:43:

Hi,

Yeah, you are having all the same questions that I and many other people had when we were first diagnosed with narcolepsy. I would advise that you do some research on it and educate yourself as much as you can once your tests come back positive for it. Start off by learning the simple knowledge of this illness at first, just do that you are not overwhelmed by all the info.

The aware of your brain that regulates sleep is called the Hypothalamus. If you have narcolepsy then this means that there are neuro receptors in this area of the brain that are damaged. These neuro receptors create a chemical that regulates sleep and wakefulness called, Hypocriten (or orexin.) So if you have narcolepsy THIS is the reason why you are feeling so tired when you wake up in the morning. Yes, it does feel like you did not sleep at all. It almost feels like you were working during the whole time you were asleep. They say that narcoleptics have the same feeling of fatigue and sleepiness as a person who has been awake for 48 hours straight. So this is definitely why you are feeling so tired when you are waking up. Becasue the functions of the receptors are what tells our brain to "wake up," or "go to sleep," So it would not matter how much sleep or wakefulness a narcoleptic may have on a daily basis, you are still going to feel tired and sleepy. When you are waking up your brain (the Hypothalamus area) is telling you, "go back to sleep, you have not slept yet." This is the damage my friend, there is nothing we can do about it. We can only comsume drugs to keep us awake (however these drugs do not actually reduce the overwhelming feeling to want to fall asleep, nor will they get ride of that foggy feeling you are experiencing everyday in the morning. They might help you stay awake, but that is about all they do. Unfortunately, there is nothing else at the present time to treat this sleep disorder.)
I have heard that they have been experimenting with creating the chemical hypocriten in labs and trying to come up with an injection that narcoleptics can take. However I am not sure if this will ever be possible.

Good luck on your test

Follow Ups:


Archived Narcolepsy Forum27 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Narcolepsy Forum Homepage.
  • IMPORTANT : Information not intended as medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder you should seek care from a qualified professional. Read Terms of Use.
  • The Sleep Forums are not to be used for commercial purposes.
  • Commercial products and services are not endorsed by Sleepnet.com.
  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


Copyright ©1995-2007 Sleepnet.com., All rights reserved