You may wish to consider Virtual Scanning therapy.  Sleep is one of the body's physiological systems. You will recognise these systems which regulate all aspects of your physiology including breathing, digestion, excretion, blood pressure, temperature, pH, etc.

Virtual Scanning has been used to treat sleep apnoea.  A gentleman of circa 60 years of age was experiencing episodes where he would fall asleep, sometimes whilst driving which was seriously affecting his ability to continue his business. His condition had deteriorated to the extent that he was using oxygen during sleep to counter the episodes when he would cease breathing for what appeared to be several minutes at a time.  After several weeks of Virtual Scanning therapy he has ceased to require oxygen during his sleep, the periods during sleep when he has ceased to breathe have declined in frequency and severity, and he is now significantly more alert. 

G

Hi Noelle

 I don't very often feel the need to partake in forums, but I've been keeping an eye on this discussion re your narcolepsy and feel I really ought to say my bit - I've suffered from it since my teens, I'm 54. There is no known cure - I also have chronic sleep at night, haven't slept through a night for decades - no exageration - and it's not just the not sleeping properly, it's the hynogogic hallucinations and cataplexy symptoms that are also quite problematic.

 I didn't take any prescribed drug for years, thinking I could cope, but eventually I had to admit to myself that I needed to do something. I worked through the drugs list, finding the side effects of them worse than the N symptoms. Having no access to a sleep specialist back then I started doing my own research and joined an international forum for sufferers - an invaluable aid where I learnt much that has helped me live a better life.

 A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing - someone here suggested that a certain sweetener caused N - sorry, but this is just silly talk. However, knowledge is somewhat limited about our condition as it's neurological and there is still a great deal to learn about the brain. We are missing our orexins, and they can't be put back in a simple way that say, insulin can be injected. So we're stuck with finding out what's the best treatment of the day.

Regular naps is a must really - it won't aid or hinder your night sleep at all, but it ought to help you from the sudden bouts of sleepiness somewhat. It's a case of catching yourself for a 20 min. nap say at the right time. Not necessarily easy to fit into one's life.

The cleanest drug is sodium oxybate aka GHB, already cited by someone here. This is marketed as Xyrem - very expensive - I had quite a battle to get it. But, no known side effects, it's out of the body within about 4 hours of taking. It helps consolidate the bits of sleep we get, so we actually can experience that precious deep sleep - this is fixing the problem at the root - plus it helps with cataplexy hugely - haven't had a C attack since taking it. Or the dreaded HH. It's taken at night only, to aid sleep - it is not akin to a sleeping pill. 

Sorry this is a bit long. Hope some of it may help.

Wendy 

Hi Wendy,

Thanks a lot for your kind reply. I will enquire about Xyrem. I know that this is what is given to treat narcolepsy but I have never tried it.

As I said I take nothing but I am not reasonable in the fact that I don't like to take naps, I have the feeling that I lose enough time like that; so very often during the day, especially when I read something, I have to stop and lay my head on the table... for a while; then I feel refreshed and ready to go; like if I start a new day, but with that it seems that I waste time during the day and I don't manage to do all that I want to do. Well, you know all that. I get cataplexy only if I try to be funny... so I am serious most of the time !

As I said, I work on my own, so I manage to live with this problem pretty well. It was a real problem when I worked in a office, in all my life I worked not more than 4 years. I cannot work for someone else.

What do you do in life ?`

Noëlle

Hi Graham,

Thanks for your information. I will look into internet to see what is Virtual Scanning, I have never heard about it.

NOelle