Woman’s Rare Disorder Makes Her ‘Fall Asleep’ When She Laughs Or Orgasms

#1

A mother-of-one suffering from a rare brain disorder is at risk of suddenly 'falling asleep' every time she laughs or has an orgasm.

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The 20-year-old was first diagnosed with the neurological condition as a teenager when she experienced extreme exhaustion and began falling asleep in the middle of school lessons.

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And when she first began dating her partner, Junior Santiago, the combination of both conditions meant it would look like she had dozed off immediately after being intimate.

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As well as forcing her to sleep for 13 hours a day, it means her body ‘goes to sleep’ when she hears a joke, gets really upset or even when she is having sex.

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Jessica even suffered ‘sleep attacks’ when she was in labour and has to make sure she’s sitting down if she’s watching something funny on TV.

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At its worst, the condition would see her knees buckle and her chin fall to her chest even when she GIGGLED.

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But it has less amusing side effects, like super-vivid frightening dreams and pre-sleep hallucinations which make her see shadowy figures in her bedroom.

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Jessica told the Daily Star:

"One minute I’ll be there in stitches laughing my head off, not able to stop… The next moment my head is on my chest or I’m lying on the floor."

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"I’m fully awake – I can hear everything but I can’t talk and I can’t move. I can’t respond or snap out of it until the emotion stops. To any other person, it looks like I’ve fallen asleep."

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"It happens when I orgasm too. When I and my partner were first dating it was near enough every time."

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"I just had to explain to him it’s only going to happen when he makes me feel at my very best. But it’s not ideal. It might sound funny – and I do try to be light-hearted about it – but it’s horrible really."

#12

Her family, teachers and even doctors put it down to stress and a change in routine after the summer holidays - but Jessica was worried.

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"I was falling asleep on the bus on the way to school, in my lessons, on the way home, as soon as I’d had my dinner - and sometimes in the middle of my dinner," she said.

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“At the weekend I wasn’t waking up until 3 pm and then I’d go downstairs and fall asleep on the sofa.

“I think people thought I was being lazy, but I knew it wasn’t right.”

#15

She was carrying two cups of tea when her aunt told a cheeky joke - causing Jessica to laugh and then involuntarily drop the drinks after her hands went to sleep.

#16

Months of tests and scans revealed she had narcolepsy - a rare neurological condition that affects the brain's ability to regulate the normal sleep-wake cycle.

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She was also diagnosed with cataplexy - sudden muscular weakness triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, anger, and surprise.

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Narcolepsy occurs equally in men and women and is thought to affect roughly 1 in 2,000 people. The symptoms appear in childhood or adolescence, but many people have symptoms of narcolepsy for years before getting a proper diagnosis.

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Narcolepsy with cataplexy is caused by the loss of a chemical in the brain called hypocretin. Hypocretin acts on the alerting systems in the brain, keeping us awake and regulating sleep-wake cycles. In narcolepsy, the cluster of cells that produce hypocretin—located in a region called the hypothalamus—is damaged or completely destroyed. Without hypocretin, the person has trouble staying awake and also experiences disruptions in the normal sleep-wake cycles.

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Narcolepsy is a lifelong illness.Currently, there is no cure for narcolepsy, but medications and behavioral treatments can improve symptoms for people so they can lead normal, productive lives.

#21

Many people have narcolepsy for 10 to 15 years or more before the disorder is correctly diagnosed.Physicians often misdiagnose narcolepsy, mistaking the symptoms for those of other disorders, like depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, or obstructive sleep apnoea.

#22

Although there is no known cure for narcolepsy, several medications help to control the symptoms. Stimulants are usually prescribed to treat EDS and sleep attacks and usually control most other symptoms. In some cases, certain anti-depressants taken at bedtime may be required to aid in control of cataplexy.

#23

Ongoing research holds promise for people with narcolepsy. Research on how the brain regulates sleep is underway in several laboratories around the world.