![]() ![]() ![]() Similarly, treatment and management of narcolepsy requires open and regular communication and teamwork among the child’s parents and other adults in their life. This is why good communication can play an integral role in diagnosing narcolepsy. Likewise, parents may not realize that their child is falling asleep in class. Often, a teacher may be the first to notice that a student is having trouble staying awake in school or not keeping up with assignments, but they may assume the child or young adult is not sleeping enough at night. If you see these symptoms in your child, you should have them evaluated by a sleep medicine specialist. Having hallucinations right as they fall asleep or wake up is another symptom of narcolepsy, as is cataplexy, says Sudha Tallavajhula, MD, an associate professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center and the medical director of the Neurological Sleep Medicine Center at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston. Watch out for “sleep attacks,” which is a sudden bout of overwhelming sleepiness that comes on quickly, regardless of how much the child has slept. But there are a few warning signs to look for in your student. Getting an accurate narcolepsy diagnosis requires going to a sleep lab and undergoing a round of tests, according to Castriotta. “Sometimes are diagnosed as having ADD or ADHD, or are not diagnosed with anything at all, or people think they are lazy because they are always sleepy,” Dr. The biggest hurdle is making sure students are diagnosed properly, he says, and many physicians are not trained to pick up on the sleep disorder. But talk to a school counselor about it so your teachers don't reprimand you for trying to find a better way to pay attention in class.Kids with narcolepsy can go to school just like their peers, according to sleep-medicine specialist Richard Castriotta, MD, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. Instead, find a way around it that works for you, be it doodling, games, anything. Remember, don't blame yourself, it's just the way your mind works. I was on medication for a short period of time, and that helped, but the medication made me moody and anxious so I stopped taking it after a few months. I've learned to alternate between listening to the professor and reading the board, and doing whatever else I'm doing. The only way I stay awake and take notes is if I have a laptop and I can browse the internet or play some mindless game at the same time. No matter how hard I try, how many times I tell myself that class is important, I always lose my focus and drift off. It started in high school, and continues to this day, three years into college. When my mind isn't busy, it goes into "power saving" mode. Any class that I was in with friends from college were always the ones I managed to attend the most because I didn't want to let them down. The only advice I have is to set up your classes so you're in the same ones as friends. I don't regret much and I don't blame myself, but it's just a bit disheartening to see all my fellow freshman graduate this year with their piece of paper while I'm on unemployment. I'm glad I now know my problem, but that little touch of regret that keeps saying 'what if I was diagnosed sooner and could've passed' still persists. I got diagnosed with ADHD about a week ago and dropped out 8 months ago or so. The urge to just get up and out of whatever damned seat I was in would usually get so overwhelming I'd leave a lecture early about once a week. My friends saw lectures as turning up, listening, and then going. I'd enter a state that was like a rung above sleep. Anything over an hour would make me feel sick. I spent three and a half years at University and then dropped out partially because I hated long lectures.
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