Do I have Mild Narcolepsy??--Please Help

I am a teenager (I don't drink or do drugs) and I have recently been experiencing symptoms that sound kind of like Narcolepsy, but I am not sure if it is just from a lack of sleep (usually get around 5-6 hours of sleep) or something more serious. I think I might have a really mild form/the beginning stages of Narcolepsy but I thought I would ask somebody that is diagnosed to see if they, at some point, experienced similar symptoms.

For the past 4 years or so, I often times take a nap for about an hour when I come home from school because I feel tired, and I feel so refreshed after the nap (and I'm not depressed or really stressed out or anything like that). In the past year and a half or so, I have had about two incidences in which my eyes get heavy and I physically begin to close my eyes and fall asleep in classes (not because I'm bored, but because I'm uncontrollably tired-- I want myself to stay awake, but I just dose back off). Also in the car to and from school (not as the driver thankfully), I often doze off and fall asleep. Again, I don't know if these symptoms are from a lack of sleep or from something else.

Also, my family tells me that I do strange things while I'm "awake" before I go to bed (i.e. bring a stool upstairs for no reason, try to brush my teeth with a hairbrush) and then the next morning when they tell me about it, I have no recollection of doing those things. Now, in the past year, I have sometimes woken up in the middle of the night temporarily unable to move or talk and feeling dizzy. In the most recent incident last night, my calf muscle began to hurt, the room was spinning, and I couldn't talk or move.

Another problem that I have had for many years is a sort of paranoia while falling asleep. I mean I don't feel like somebody is out to get me or anything, but I guess you could just call it an "over-awareness of my surroundings". I freak out about every abnormal sound or shadow that I hear (I never have this problem during any other part of my day) and sometimes have difficulty going to sleep. I also used to wake up in the middle of the night randomly (without the whole dizziness and inability to move), but I don't do that as often anymore.

I don't experience symptoms often and I'm wondering what's wrong with me?

musikluvr212,

Unfortunately, from the information you've provided, there's no way to know if or what type of sleep disorder you may have. Anyone with a sleep disorder or someone who's just not getting enough sleep could have those symptoms. Teenagers often go through periods where it seems like they can't get enough sleep and you've said that you regularly get less than recommended amounts of sleep (5-6 hours isn't enough). If you have a shifting schedule, drink a lot of caffeine or drink it late in the day, etc., then your lifestyle and growth may be your biggest factors. Food can greatly affect sleep and food allergies and intolerances can 'wear you down' enough to make you perpetually tired as you continue to eat them.

If you seriously think you may have a sleep disorder, you need to get the recommended amounts of sleep for 1-2 months, set and stick to a regular sleep schedule, avoid too much stimulants, especially late in the day, and make sure you're eating correctly. And keep a sleep log and preferably a food diary - rate the quality of your sleep and how refreshed you feel, and include any symptoms. You can also use the epworth scale to rate your sleepiness. And see a sleep doctor - a good one. A sleep doctor will ask you to do everything I mentioned and probably some other things, and they'll look for other more likely issues (sleep apnea being a big one)

PS - there's not actually such a thing as mild narcolepsy - symptoms for individuals often change over time. And yes, I have narcolepsy and went undiagnosed for about 13 years.

I am no doctor, however these symptoms look very familiar to me. I've had a lot of the same problems. Over exhaustion throughout the day, finding myself falling asleep in class when I'm trying very hard to stay awake, and finding out that I've done things without my recollection. One thing I do the most is have conversations with people, whether in person, over the phone, or even through text message, and don't remember the next morning. I sleep walk and sleep talk, even sleep sing! Lol. I have had these problems for several years, and they started in my teenage years.
I went to a neurologist and found out that I have sleep apnea. I also found out the I am epileptic (have seizures). You meantioned dizziness and moments where you cannot move. To me, that sounds like a type of seizure. My seizures are dizziness, lightheadedness, and sudden urge to pass out, sometimes nausea. I could be mistaken, but this is what it sounds like to me, that you may have both sleep apnea and epilepsy, or one or the other. I think the best bet is to see a neurologist and get a sleep study done. Good luck

the paranoia before falling asleep (seeing shadows, feeling like someone/thing is there) is sleep paralysis. I had it for years before I knew what it was. I thought there was truly something watching me. As soon as I understood what I was experiencing it went. Just like that.

As for narcolepsy I should get it checked out if you're falling asleep often and particularly if you're not in a relaxed state when it happens, ie: standing up. Dont worry too much if its around the 3pm or 4pm mark. Those of us who are night owls or who dont sleep well often "hit the wall" at that time of day.