5 Lifestyle Changes That Can Help in Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that affects 1 in 2,000 individuals. Unfortunately, just 25 percent of narcolepsy sufferers are diagnosed and receiving treatment. What is narcolepsy, and how can lifestyle help.

Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and even hallucinations and periods of cataplexy, which is the loss of muscle control. With narcolepsy, the distinction between being awake and asleep is blurred, negatively impacting the individual’s quality of life.

Fortunately, you can manage the symptoms of narcolepsy by implementing a number of lifestyle modifications. If you combine these lifestyle modifications with the appropriate narcolepsy medication, you will develop a more effective technique for managing your disease.

Continue reading if you have recently been diagnosed with narcolepsy or are receiving narcolepsy treatment in Jacksonville, Florida. Four modifications to your lifestyle can help you manage narcolepsy.  People also choose Modalert 200 because it improves lingering alertness.

1. Change Your Diet

It is true that what you eat has an impact on your overall health and autoimmunity, as stated by medical authorities. Because of this, you should be aware that some foods are known to lessen narcolepsy symptoms.

Here are some dietary suggestions that may assist you in managing your narcolepsy symptoms:

• Consume a diet low in carbs
• Consume more frequent and smaller meals throughout the day to combat tiredness
• Avoid alcoholic drinks
• Avoid caffeine
• Avoid eating a heavy dinner before bedtime.
• Reduce your consumption of grains and processed foods because they have a negative impact on your energy and alertness
• Uphold a healthy weight

2. Exercise

Cataplexy is the temporary inability of muscles to operate. In extreme circumstances, a patient may collapse and become temporarily paralyzed for a few minutes. This is a symptom of narcolepsy, although it can be avoided by activity.

When receiving narcolepsy treatment in Jacksonville, Florida, medical professionals advise patients to engage in regular physical activity. This will improve the quality of your sleep, enhance your alertness, and increase your dopamine levels, ultimately enhancing your mental health. In addition, exercise might help you maintain and manage your weight, which could fluctuate significantly if you have narcolepsy.

3. Establish a Sleeping Schedule

Those with narcolepsy may find it difficult to establish a regular sleeping pattern or to practice good sleep hygiene, although doing so is vital. When you develop and maintain healthy sleep patterns, you will increase the quantity and quality of your sleep, resulting in greater rest and energy and the prevention of additional narcoleptic symptoms.

Here are a few suggestions for developing better sleeping habits:

• Maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle
• Avoid consuming alcohol, caffeine, and big meals a few hours prior to the night
• Create a nice sleep environment
• Take 15- to 30-minute naps during the day to improve your attentiveness

4. Surround Yourself with Supportive People

Getting narcolepsy treatment in Jacksonville, FL while also adjusting your lifestyle can be difficult. This is why you must surround yourself with people who can support and help you cope. You can begin by informing people at work or school about your sleeping disorder so that they can help you accommodate your needs. Aside from that, joining support groups and getting counselling can help you and your loved ones deal with narcolepsy.

5. Seek Professional Guidance

As previously stated, dealing with narcolepsy is difficult, and you want to get the best treatment possible to help you manage your symptoms properly.

Seeking medical help from professionals will allow you to develop routines that will benefit you in the long run and improve the quality of your life, in addition to receiving the necessary medical treatment.

First-Rate Narcolepsy Medicines

Modafinil (Modalert 200) and armodafinil are both stimulants. These are FDA-approved EDS treatments for narcolepsy and other sleep disorders. They function in the hypothalamus of the brain to promote wakefulness and reduce sleep attacks. Furthermore, when compared to traditional stimulants, these wakefulness-promoting agents have fewer side effects and a lower potential for addiction.

Stimulants. Amphetamine and methylphenidate are two stimulants that can help promote alertness and prevent sleep attacks. However, stimulants may not help with cataplexy, have side effects, and may be abused.

Dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI). One example of an NDRI is solriamfetol. It received FDA approval in 2019. It has similar side effects to modafinil and is a viable option for treating EDS in narcolepsy.

Agonist of the histamine (H3) receptor. Pitolisant is a newer medication in this class. It received FDA approval in 2019. It has been shown to help people with both type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy reduce EDS and cataplexy.

The chemical element sodium oxybate. This is an FDA-approved treatment that is used to treat both EDS and cataplexy. However, due to safety concerns, such as central nervous system depression and misuse, its use is severely restricted.