Narcolepsy, a Big Warning for Smokers

Scientists have found that must urgently quit. Narcolepsy is a rare condition characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of deep sleep. People with narcolepsy can fall asleep suddenly and without warning, even while eating, walking or driving, those who smoke nicotine in bed are at a high risk of burning either themselves or the objects around them, or starting a fire, if they fall asleep.

That’s why patients with narcolepsy really need to quit smoking because they’re at higher risk of injury.

Nicotine is considered to be a stimulant which can keeps smokers awake.

Anti-tobacco researchers investigated smokers with narcolepsy to obtain more information about these smokers.

According to the results, in the community-based study, 62.5 percent of narcolepsy patients were past or present smokers. Seventeen questionnaires were completed, in which 47 percent of respondents were past or present nicotine users. All respondents identified nicotine as effective in decreasing sleepiness. Thirty-seven percent fell asleep while smoking. Twenty-five percent smoked in bed. Burns were reported by 75 percent involving clothing, furniture or carpet.

Ron Kramer, M.D., of the Colorado Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo., said that he was not aware of this particular risk to his patients. He said he routinely cautions his patients about the dangers of driving and cooking, but will now add smoking to the list.

Scientists found that smokers who tried to quit smoking, described difficulty because sleepiness worsened without nicotine.

Patients reported using both cigarettes and nicotine patches to try reduce cataplexy, researchers added. Cataplexy is a medical condition which often affects people who have narcolepsy, a disorder whose principal signs are EDS (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness), sleep attacks, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disturbed night-time sleep.

The excessive sleepiness brought on by the narcolepsy may also complicate any attempt by smokers to quit the habit of nicotine use.