What is a primary symptom of narcolepsy?

A primary symptom of narcolepsy is irresistible sleep attacks, which are sudden, overwhelming urges to sleep that can occur at any time during the day. These sleep attacks can be unexpected and last for a few minutes to half an hour, significantly impacting a person's daily life and functioning. Individuals with narcolepsy may find it challenging to maintain a regular schedule due to these frequent and uncontrollable episodes of sleep.

Narcolepsy often also includes additional symptoms such as cataplexy, which is a sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations at the onset of sleep or wakefulness. However, the hallmark sign remains these involuntary sleep attacks, differentiating it from other sleep disorders.

The other symptoms listed, such as chronic insomnia, sleepwalking, and nighttime breath ceasing, are not indicative of narcolepsy. While chronic insomnia relates to difficulty falling or staying asleep and sleepwalking refers to acting out behaviors while asleep, neither is a symptom associated with narcolepsy. Similarly, nighttime breath ceasing is more characteristic of sleep apnea rather than narcolepsy. Thus, the focus on irresistible sleep attacks is crucial in understanding narcolepsy's impact on individuals.