What causes the hypocretin-producing neurons to die is less understood, but there is evidence that it might be an autoimmune disorder, where your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body.įor example, a 2009 study published in the journal Sleep checked 200 patients with narcolepsy type 1 for antibodies to bacterial infections known to trigger autoimmunity. As a result, the body may experience paralysis and dreamlike hallucinations - typical symptoms of REM - during the day instead of at night. However, in people with type 1 narcolepsy, those hypocretin-producing neurons die off, which causes daytime drowsiness and poor control over REM sleep. This sleep is when most of your dreaming occurs, so your body is paralyzed to prevent you from acting out your dreams. In healthy people, hypocretins are released when you are awake, and they bind to neurons that promote wakefulness and suppress REM sleep.ĭuring REM sleep, which typically occurs about 90 minutes after you fall asleep, your eyes move rapidly and your breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate increase. Hypocretins are produced in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate sleep.
Type 1 narcolepsy is the most common type, affecting 60% to 90% of narcoleptics, and is caused by a deficiency of hypocretin, a neurochemical that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle. There are two main types of narcolepsy: type 1 and type 2.
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