Narcoleptics should inform employers and colleagues about symptoms

May 1, 2006, 13:21 GMT

Neuss, Germany ­ If you have the neurological sleep disorder narcolepsy, you may benefit from telling the people in your social environment and your employer you have the condition.

'Only by doing so, can colleagues and bosses come to understand the uncontrollable need to sleep and know when to relieve sufferers from dangerous duties such as operating heavy machinery,' say Christa Roth-Sackenheim, chairwoman of the Association of German Psychiatrists (BVDP) in Neuss.

The main symptom of narcolepsy is overwhelming drowsiness and a need to sleep at inappropriate times of the day.

A narcoleptic can become very tired or fall asleep in the middle of a conversation, while eating or driving a vehicle.

According to the BVDP, this condition usually lasts for between 10 or 20 minutes, after which the person feels refreshed for a short time before quickly becoming drowsy again.

'Other symptoms are sudden loss of muscle tone, which can be caused by an outburst of emotion such as laughter or anger, paralysis of the senses while falling asleep, disrupted sleep pattern during the night and loss of muscle function while waking up,' explains Roth-Sackenheim.

If you suffer from any of these symptoms you should consult a specialist doctor for advice.

'Narcoleptics are often under emotional pressure because they are looked upon as lazy or simply pretending to be ill,' says Roth- Sackenheim.

There are several treatments for narcolepsy including drug therapy and sleep training. In addition, a regular sleeping pattern and scheduled daytime naps can also help.

Avoiding alcohol and nicotine as well as normal body weight can also help narcoleptics deal with the symptoms.

About 40,000 people in Germany suffer from some form of narcolepsy.