Summary and next episodes
Struggling to stay awake during the day can be mistaken for normal tiredness, but ongoing daytime sleepiness can be a sign that something is not quite right.
Along with feeling sleepy during the day, some people may also experience other symptoms, such as sudden muscle weakness, very vivid dreams, feeling unable to move when falling asleep or waking up, and/or disturbed sleep at night. When these symptoms happen together, they may point to narcolepsy.
In this video, sleep expert Professor Yves Dauvilliers explains narcolepsy and how to recognise it, including:
- Normal tiredness vs excessive daytime sleepiness
- What narcolepsy is
- When and where to seek help
Clinical takeaways
- Feeling sleepy all the time is not normal. Struggling to stay awake during the day may be a sign of an underlying issue that may require further attention
- When ongoing sleepiness happens together with other symptoms, such as sudden loss of muscle strength, very vivid dreams, feeling unable to move while lying in bed, and/or waking up often during the night, it could be narcolepsy
- For many people, narcolepsy is linked to low levels of orexin, a brain chemical that regulates wakefulness. Early diagnosis is important to help manage it appropriately with available treatments
- Recognising these signs and speaking with a doctor is the first step in understanding what may be happening and accessing appropriate care as early as possible
Duration
Language(s)
4 MIN
Dec 2025 
Downloadable 
