I recently had a sleep study done that yielded some interesting results. First, the overnight test showed that I never enter level 3 and 4 delta sleep. Second, the multiple sleep latency test showed that I had a very short onset time and that I jumped straight to REM sleep. Based on the MSLT they diagnosed me with narcolepsy. My family practice doctor found the lack of delta sleep disconcerting as well, but could come up with any reason why this would be. The neurologist that diagnosed the narcolepsy passed it off as being due to the different environment of the sleep lab. I am inclined to disagree with that because I sleep very poorly at home as well. I was wondering if anybody had ever heard of a complete lack of delta sleep and if they know if there is any correlation with narcolepsy. All I can find are a few references to it in people with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome, but nothing that really addresses the problem. My reasoning is that if I don’t get any of the deep, restful sleep at night then that would make me exceedingly tired the next day, possibly causing the narcolepsy. Any help?
Well the neurologist’s opinion is interesting-if so, then why ever use a sleep lab? Don’t believe narcolepsy is well known, why not take the new med for it, Provigil ,& see what happens.? BTW, fibro is inextricably intertwined w/ poor sleep-but which came 1st? CFS is really ,IMO, just depression. As w/ many things in medicine if the treatment is relatively safe, why not try it?
thanks dr.doowop. i’m on provigil now. My concern with it is that it is just a stimulant to keep me more alert during the day. if the delta sleep is actually the problem this won’t address that issue.
Can’t help with the narcolepsy, however I have MS and fibromyalgia and had a sleep study done that showed I don’t go into Stage 4 sleep… the docs put me on Zoloft and that has actually helped quite a bit- I still have some of the symptoms you’d expect (primarily cognitive) from such a problem, but it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be. Perhaps a low dose of an antidepressant may help you as well?
bobkitty is right-sometimes anti-depressants strighten out the sleep pattern, in varying degrees. Well, iaboy, glad I was not too far off base w/ my recc. of Provigil. It can take months to get the sleep in order. The problem is sleep falls between neuro & psych, & neither gets much training. Probably because the professors don’t know much either.
yeah, sleep is a very odd thing and it doesn’t seem to be all that well understood. i have an appointment next week with a psychiatrist, so maybe he will have some incite.