Sleep-wakefulness disorder, also known as narcolepsy, is often misdiagnosed or is often overlooked in children. The three-pronged treatment strategy comprises medications, lifestyle adjustments (eating, drinking, sleeping and eating strategies), and also educating coaches, teachers, and other professionals about the effects of this disorder on the child's ability to perform.

What is narcolepsy actually?

Narcolepsy is a neurologic (nervous system) condition that impacts the brain's ability to regulate the state of wakefulness and sleep. Children suffering from narcolepsy have excessive sleep, which affects every aspect of their lives, including social activities as well as school performance.

Children who suffer from narcolepsy:

• Constant excessive daytime sleepiness.

• The constant struggle to keep awake

• Sleep episodes that are sudden and unexpected ("sleep episodes") can occur at any kind of activity and at any time during the day.

Who has Narcolepsy?

The condition is not properly diagnosed and is often incorrectly diagnosed in children, making it difficult to figure out the number of children suffering from the condition. However, according to one estimate, narcolepsy affects less than one in every 100,000 children. The signs of narcolepsy have been documented at the young age of five or six years old. However, the condition is typically not identified until later in adolescence. Narcolepsy is a common affliction of girls and boys.

Is Narcolepsy Different in Children?

While there is a lot of overlap between the symptoms of narcolepsy in adults and children, there are also important differences.

EDS in children is more likely to manifest as restlessness or irritation. 7 This could be mistaken for a behaviour problem. Children with narcolepsy might sleep more at night and may have more active movements in their sleep.

Cataplexy can be more subtle in children than in adults, but it is still common in up to 80% of cases. Cataplexy is more common in the face than in the body. It may also be called a facial tic. Cataplexy symptoms in children can develop into their more classic form over time.

Symptoms of Narcolepsy

Wakefulness symptoms can beget conspicuous goods both at night and during the day.  These are the most common symptoms:

• Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS): EDS, which is the most common symptom of narcolepsy, affects all those with the disorder. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a persistent urge to fall asleep that can be irresistible in monotonous environments. Attention lapses can often be caused by severe drowsiness. Narcolepsy can cause "sleep attacks," which are unexpected, uncontrollable fits of sleep.

• Avoiding sleepiness can cause automatic behaviours, even though the person is not aware of them. A student may be writing in class, but they are actually just writing lines or gibberish.

• Night-time disturbances: People with narcolepsy may wake up multiple times a night. Sleep problems such as excessive bodily movements or sleep apnea are more common in narcoleptics.

• Sleep paralysis: Narcolepsy patients are more likely to experience sleep paralysis. This occurs when a person, whether asleep or awake, feels unable to move.

• Vivid imagery may occur when you fall asleep (hypnagogic hallucinations) or when you wake up (hypnopompic paranoia).

• Caplexy refers to a sudden loss of muscle control. Cataplexy is frequently triggered by good feelings like joy or laughing. Some people with NT1 may only experience cataplexy a handful of times per year, while others might have dozens or more episodes every day.

EDS affects all who suffers from narcolepsy. However, only a quarter of those with EDS have all the symptoms. Cataplexy can sometimes develop years after an individual has been diagnosed with EDS.

Narcolepsy Diagnostic Criteria

For diagnosing sleep disorders, doctors use standardised criteria. Standardization will help in proper differentiation and diagnosis of hypersomnia or NT1 and NT2, along with other conditions that can cause EDS.

Both NT1 and NT2 require significant EDS lasting at least three months. A patient must not have hypocretin levels in their cerebrospinal fluid or suffer from cataplexy. They must also be able to swiftly fall asleep and reach REM sleep using the MSLT.

It can be difficult to diagnose other sleep disorders that have similar symptoms to NT2. The croaker should precisely examine the symptoms and test results of the case to rule out any other conditions.

Children with Narcolepsy Treatment

Medications

While behavioural therapies are often helpful, many people suffering from narcolepsy receive medication treatment to manage one or more of their symptoms.

While narcolepsy drugs can help with symptoms, they can potentially have negative side effects. These medications require a prescription. They should only be taken as directed by a doctor or pharmacist.

The most common medications for narcolepsy are:

• Modafinil and armodafinil are two wakefulness-promoting drugs that are chemically similar and are typically the first therapies for EDS. Modalert 200 and Modvigil 200 are in this category of medications.

• Methylphenidate: This type of amphetamine can lower EDS.

• Solriamfetol: The FDA approved this medicine in 2019. It has shown similar effects on EDS to modafinil (Modalert or Modvigil).

• Although this medication can reduce cataplexy and other night-time sleep disturbances, it could take several weeks for EDS-22 to be affected.

• Pitolisant: Pitolisant is a wakefulness-promoting medicine that has also been demonstrated to help with cataplexy. It lived approved by the FDA in 2019.

Some medications may not work for everyone. Patients might experience side effects or interactions that are more severe with other medications Working together with your doctor to find the proper drug dosage and balance the benefits and negatives is critical. You can buy Modalert 200 Australia through our online pharmacy at a reasonable price.