How to Treat Narcolepsy Naturally
Get regular exercise., Take an early morning walk., Stay active throughout the day., Avoid driving your car if you are feeling drowsy or stressed., Limit your stress., Inform others about your narcolepsy., Practice tai chi., Quit smoking.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get regular exercise.
Exercise can help boost your energy levels and help you avoid stress that leads to drowsiness.
Getting regular, moderate exercise, especially in the afternoon, can also help you get a better night’s sleep.
A daily 30 to 45 minute workout with moderate intensity exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, and swimming, or 15 minutes of high-intensity exercises such as soccer, basketball, and strength training is recommended.
Talk to your doctor or fitness instructor to help you come up with a fitness plan that can help manage your narcolepsy.
If you have cataplexy — a medical condition in which strong emotion or laughter causes a person to suffer sudden physical collapse though remaining conscious — or are worried about falling asleep during exercise, consider getting a personal fitness instructor or ask a friend to assist you when you workout.
Avoid exercise three to four hours before going to bed because it can keep you from getting enough sleep. -
Step 2: Take an early morning walk.
Sunlight helps tell your brain when it’s time to wake up and improves mental alertness.
Going out for an early morning walk can make you more alert and also helps you get more vitamin D.
Getting enough vitamin D each day can help to boost your energy levels.
A fair-skinned person may need only about 45 minutes of sunlight a week to get enough vitamin D, while a person with dark skin may need up to three hours.
If you are at home, spend time outside each day doing things like walking your dog, gardening, or exercising.
If you work from home, you could even go sit out on your front porch or lawn while you work to get much needed vitamin D.
If you work in an office, talk to your boss about sitting near the window and opening the blinds to let light in.
Low to moderate intensity walking for 20 to 30 minutes can also help reduce your risk of heart and respiratory diseases while helping you manage any excess body weight that can also cause fatigue., Light exercises during the day can help to give you a boost of energy that may help to keep the sleep attacks at bay.
Taking a five minute break after every 20 minutes to walk around can help ward off fatigue.
Other simple exercises such as jumping or stretching are also effective.
Also try reading while standing up when you are at school or work.
This may help you fight off sleep attacks by keeping your mind engaged., One of the most dangerous aspects of narcolepsy is having a sleep attack while you are driving.
You may find that you are more likely to have a sleep attack when you are stressed, rushed, or feeling sad or angry.
If this is the case, avoid driving if you experience any of these feelings.
If you sense an oncoming sleep attack while driving, pull up to the side of the road to take a break.
Try to avoid getting stressed out about things like traffic, construction, being unable to find a parking spot, getting angry with other drivers, and road rage.
Stress can lead to a sleep attack, which could be deadly when you are behind the wheel., Excessive stress can lead to anxiety, lack of sleep, and daytime drowsiness.
As people age, achieving a relaxation response after a stressful event becomes more difficult.
To avoid stress, practice meditation exercises like yoga and tai chi, make time for recreation, and be sure to get enough rest.
Other simpler ways to reduce stress are slow, deep breathing in a quiet environment, focusing on positive outcomes, restructuring priorities and eliminating unnecessary tasks, and listening to relaxing music.
You can also use humor throughout the day to relieve stress.
Research has found humor to be an effective way to deal with acute stress., Talking about narcolepsy to teachers, professors, or employers can be a difficult decision.
However, without disclosure and some understanding of narcolepsy, teachers or employers may misinterpret sleepiness as disinterest or poor motivation.
As most people are unfamiliar with narcolepsy, be prepared to give a brief explanation of the disorder and any symptoms that may arise at school or work.
Consider getting a letter from your sleep specialist.
This can be a helpful way to document your diagnosis and further explain your symptoms., Tai chi is a gentle exercise program derived from the martial arts, consisting of slow, deliberate movements, meditation, and deep breathing.
People who practice tai chi on a regular basis are more mentally alert, tend to have good posture and flexibility, and sleep more soundly at night.
Tai chi can also help enhance physical health and your emotional well being.
Tai chi should be practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily at home, and is safe for everyone regardless of age or athletic ability.
Tai chi is usually taught by an instructor with weekly sessions that can last for an hour.
The main components of tai chi are slow, gentle movements that involve using all the major muscle groups and joints.
Meditation is also a part of tai chi, an activity which soothes the mind, enhances concentration, reduces anxiety, and lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
It also incorporates deep breathing, which involves exhaling stale air and toxins from the lungs while inhaling fresh air to increase lung capacity, stretch the muscles involved in breathing, and release tension.
Tai chi improves balance, agility, strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle tone, and coordination.
This exercise also strengthens bones and can slow bone loss to help prevent the development of osteoporosis.
It also enhances blood circulation to the brain, which boosts mental alertness.
At the same time, the practice supplies the entire body with fresh oxygen and nutrients., Tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars contain nicotine, which can stimulate your nervous system, causing disturbance in sleeping patterns, sleep apnea, daytime drowsiness, and sleep attacks during the day.
Studies show that smokers also take longer to fall asleep and often have difficulty getting a good night’s rest.
Talk to your doctor about ways to quit smoking, such as patches, pills, support groups, shots, and prescription medication. -
Step 3: Stay active throughout the day.
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Step 4: Avoid driving your car if you are feeling drowsy or stressed.
-
Step 5: Limit your stress.
-
Step 6: Inform others about your narcolepsy.
-
Step 7: Practice tai chi.
-
Step 8: Quit smoking.
Detailed Guide
Exercise can help boost your energy levels and help you avoid stress that leads to drowsiness.
Getting regular, moderate exercise, especially in the afternoon, can also help you get a better night’s sleep.
A daily 30 to 45 minute workout with moderate intensity exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, and swimming, or 15 minutes of high-intensity exercises such as soccer, basketball, and strength training is recommended.
Talk to your doctor or fitness instructor to help you come up with a fitness plan that can help manage your narcolepsy.
If you have cataplexy — a medical condition in which strong emotion or laughter causes a person to suffer sudden physical collapse though remaining conscious — or are worried about falling asleep during exercise, consider getting a personal fitness instructor or ask a friend to assist you when you workout.
Avoid exercise three to four hours before going to bed because it can keep you from getting enough sleep.
Sunlight helps tell your brain when it’s time to wake up and improves mental alertness.
Going out for an early morning walk can make you more alert and also helps you get more vitamin D.
Getting enough vitamin D each day can help to boost your energy levels.
A fair-skinned person may need only about 45 minutes of sunlight a week to get enough vitamin D, while a person with dark skin may need up to three hours.
If you are at home, spend time outside each day doing things like walking your dog, gardening, or exercising.
If you work from home, you could even go sit out on your front porch or lawn while you work to get much needed vitamin D.
If you work in an office, talk to your boss about sitting near the window and opening the blinds to let light in.
Low to moderate intensity walking for 20 to 30 minutes can also help reduce your risk of heart and respiratory diseases while helping you manage any excess body weight that can also cause fatigue., Light exercises during the day can help to give you a boost of energy that may help to keep the sleep attacks at bay.
Taking a five minute break after every 20 minutes to walk around can help ward off fatigue.
Other simple exercises such as jumping or stretching are also effective.
Also try reading while standing up when you are at school or work.
This may help you fight off sleep attacks by keeping your mind engaged., One of the most dangerous aspects of narcolepsy is having a sleep attack while you are driving.
You may find that you are more likely to have a sleep attack when you are stressed, rushed, or feeling sad or angry.
If this is the case, avoid driving if you experience any of these feelings.
If you sense an oncoming sleep attack while driving, pull up to the side of the road to take a break.
Try to avoid getting stressed out about things like traffic, construction, being unable to find a parking spot, getting angry with other drivers, and road rage.
Stress can lead to a sleep attack, which could be deadly when you are behind the wheel., Excessive stress can lead to anxiety, lack of sleep, and daytime drowsiness.
As people age, achieving a relaxation response after a stressful event becomes more difficult.
To avoid stress, practice meditation exercises like yoga and tai chi, make time for recreation, and be sure to get enough rest.
Other simpler ways to reduce stress are slow, deep breathing in a quiet environment, focusing on positive outcomes, restructuring priorities and eliminating unnecessary tasks, and listening to relaxing music.
You can also use humor throughout the day to relieve stress.
Research has found humor to be an effective way to deal with acute stress., Talking about narcolepsy to teachers, professors, or employers can be a difficult decision.
However, without disclosure and some understanding of narcolepsy, teachers or employers may misinterpret sleepiness as disinterest or poor motivation.
As most people are unfamiliar with narcolepsy, be prepared to give a brief explanation of the disorder and any symptoms that may arise at school or work.
Consider getting a letter from your sleep specialist.
This can be a helpful way to document your diagnosis and further explain your symptoms., Tai chi is a gentle exercise program derived from the martial arts, consisting of slow, deliberate movements, meditation, and deep breathing.
People who practice tai chi on a regular basis are more mentally alert, tend to have good posture and flexibility, and sleep more soundly at night.
Tai chi can also help enhance physical health and your emotional well being.
Tai chi should be practiced for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily at home, and is safe for everyone regardless of age or athletic ability.
Tai chi is usually taught by an instructor with weekly sessions that can last for an hour.
The main components of tai chi are slow, gentle movements that involve using all the major muscle groups and joints.
Meditation is also a part of tai chi, an activity which soothes the mind, enhances concentration, reduces anxiety, and lowers blood pressure and heart rate.
It also incorporates deep breathing, which involves exhaling stale air and toxins from the lungs while inhaling fresh air to increase lung capacity, stretch the muscles involved in breathing, and release tension.
Tai chi improves balance, agility, strength, flexibility, stamina, muscle tone, and coordination.
This exercise also strengthens bones and can slow bone loss to help prevent the development of osteoporosis.
It also enhances blood circulation to the brain, which boosts mental alertness.
At the same time, the practice supplies the entire body with fresh oxygen and nutrients., Tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars contain nicotine, which can stimulate your nervous system, causing disturbance in sleeping patterns, sleep apnea, daytime drowsiness, and sleep attacks during the day.
Studies show that smokers also take longer to fall asleep and often have difficulty getting a good night’s rest.
Talk to your doctor about ways to quit smoking, such as patches, pills, support groups, shots, and prescription medication.
About the Author
Joshua Cole
Specializes in breaking down complex practical skills topics into simple steps.
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