Narcolepsy diagnosis
The doctor might prepare a preliminary diagnosis of narcolepsy on the basis of the patient’s excessive daytime sleepiness or sudden loss of muscle control. After the discussion about the symptoms of narcolepsy the doctor might refer the narcolepsy patient to a sleep specialist to evaluate further. The initial diagnosis of narcolepsy might lead to the proper management of narcolepsy disorder as there is no proper treatment available for the patients. A formal diagnostic test of narcolepsy requires the patient to stay overnight at a sleep center so that the specialist analyze the sleep in-depth. Following are some of the methods for diagnosing narcolepsy and also to evaluate the severity of narcolepsy:
Sleep records
The sleep specialist might ask the patient to keep a detailed diary of the sleeping pattern for a few weeks so that the doctor can compare how the alertness in the sleep and sleep pattern are in relation with each other. Typically, in addition to the sleep log the sleep specialist might also ask the patient to wear an actigraph. An actigraph is a device which looks and feels like a regular wristwatch. The actigraph measures the periods of activity and rest. The information resulting from the actigraph provides an indirect evaluation of when and how you sleep.