It’s Barnaby, and I’d like to share some interesting tidbits I learned from my hypnotherapist, Sharon. Sleep disorders insomnia, narcolepsy and others are among the most intriguing ailments suffered by us. Very little is known about the human brain, and even more mysterious are our sleep and dreams. Although much remains unknown about sleep, it is known that without it, we can not live. Sleep — and dreams, too — are necessary for a person to live. Sadly, in some of the severest sleep disorders insomnia people who can not sleep for long durations can entail a fatal result. These cases are extremely rare, and the vast majority of sleep disorders insomnia cases are relatively mild. Nonetheless, I can attest from personal experience that even moderate insomnia can truly impinge upon one’s life.
I have been experiencing sleep issues for several months now, and I have tried sleep aids, changing my sleep environment and a whole list of other potential sleep treatments. My test ruled out sleep apnea, and a professional ruled out the possibility of clinical depression. Recently, I turned to hypnotherapy for help, and my therapist Sharon has been great. Today she was telling me about a patient who suffers from narcolepsy. She advised him that hypnotherapy has not been shown to help narcolepsy at all, and that it was a medical condition requiring serious treatment. He knew this, but was so desperate that he was willing to try anything no matter how remote the chances of it helping. Sharon figured that no harm could come from hypnotherapy, and it might serve to just relax him if not help his sleep condition.
When she was describing to me how much he suffers, I felt almost lucky to have the opposite condition of insomnia. Those with narcolepsy can fall asleep immediately — even if driving or doing other dangerous activities. This presents far more danger than frustrating nights tossing and turning in bed. Hopefully, science makes some inroads and gains insight into sleep disorders, insomnia and narcolepsy — many of us truly need the help.
Narcolepsy is an insidious condition which embodies itself in the form of excessive daytime sleepiness. This can entail drowsiness throughout the day, or even falling asleep at the most inappropriate of times. Those afflicted with narcolepsy can suddenly fall asleep even when in the middle of a conversation. Just like with insomniacs, those with narcolepsy have trouble getting a full night’s sleep. Consequently, many times narcolepsy is erroneously diagnosed as insomnia upon initial examinations. Although much about narcolepsy is not yet understood, scientists do know that those suffering from it enter REM sleep much faster than does the typical person.
REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it is associated with the deepest stages of sleep. Most dreams that you are able to recall with detail occur during REM sleep. Normally, a person enters REM sleep approximately 90 minutes after first falling asleep. Those with narcolepsy enter REM within 10 minutes of falling asleep. Research has definitively shown that narcolepsy is not a mental illness nor a psychological condition. It is a neurological ailment which can wreck havoc within the lives of those who suffer from it. However, research has quantified that those with narcolepsy do not have shorter life spans as a result.
Scientists aren’t certain, but they believe that narcolepsy is a genetic condition. Treatment regimens for narcolepsy are highly personalized — what works for one person might not work for another. Most treatments currently center on pharmaceuticals, and although there is no cure, many with narcolepsy are able to manage the condition using current treatment regimens.
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