Meditation as a non-pharmacological treatment for narcolepsy: A literature review.

Narcolepsy, a sleep disorder marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations, often reduces social functioning and quality of life. While medications can improve symptoms, they carry side effects like headaches, dizziness, and insomnia. Meditation, a non-pharmacological practice that regulates attention and emotion, may offer a viable alternative. This review introduces meditation's conceptualization and applications, and examines potential mechanisms and existing evidence for its use in reducing narcolepsy symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and overweight.

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Abstract

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations, and is often associated with other psychological and physiological disturbances. These symptoms lead to decreased social functioning and lower quality of life for individuals with narcolepsy. While current pharmacological treatment for narcolepsy can be effective in improving symptoms, there are also significant side effects (e.g., headaches, dizziness, insomnia). Meditation, a non-pharmacological intervention focusing on regulation of attention and emotion, could be a viable alternative. We introduce the conceptualization and applications of meditation, and review the potential mechanisms and existing evidence of meditation as an intervention for reducing narcolepsy symptoms (i.e., EDS, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and overweight).