Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system. It causes excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired vision, sudden loss of muscle control and disturbed nocturnal sleeping patterns. Light therapy is often used to reduce symptoms and recondition the body to more natural sleeping patterns.
Narcolepsy
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, narcolepsy affects one in every 2,000 people. The main symptom, excessive daytime sleepiness, causes the patient to fall asleep extremely easily, and often in inappropriate times and places. It frequently happens when the person is relaxed, such as while reading, watching television, sitting in a meeting, waiting for a bus or engaging in conversation.
Narcolepsy is thought to be caused by abnormalities in structure and function of hypocretin neurons, a group of nerve cells in the brain. These neurons in the hypothalmus normally secrete neurotransmitter substances called hypocretins. Low hypocretin levels can cause the excessive sleepiness and other symptoms of narcolepsy.
Light Therapy
Light therapy has proved effective in helping to cure the symptoms of narcolepsy. The body has a natural internal clock that prompts it when it is time to sleep and when it is time to be awake. The normal clock induces a person to sleep at night, but sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, throw off that internal clock entirely. Light therapy is the process of resetting that natural internal clock, and reconditioning the body to fall into normal patterns of sleep and wakefulness.
The patient is exposed to bright artificial light for several intervals throughout the day to induce wakefulness. When he begins to feel fatigue or sleepiness again, another dose of the artificial light is used to keep him from falling asleep and to allow his body to condition itself into a pattern of sleeping only when it is dark, or at night as he should.
Types of Light Therapy
Light box. This is the most used form of light therapy. Small enough to sit on a desk or table, a light box houses several tubes that produce bright light. The patient sits 18 to 24 inches away and completes tasks such as work or reading, without looking at the light itself. This helps regulate the controls that keep her awake or allow her to sleep.
Desk lamp. This works the same as the light box, but it is smaller and not as bright. It blends in better in an office.
Light visor. This light source is worn on the head and hangs over the eyes, much like a tennis visor.
Dawn simulator. This uses lights to gradually make the room brighter or darker. The lights start out bright in the morning, and they slowly dim until evening. This helps to condition your internal clock to follow more natural patterns.
Tags: internal clock, artificial light, daytime sleepiness, excessive daytime, excessive daytime sleepiness, Light therapy, Light Therapy Light