How narcolepsy patients with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) present.

Frequently, they do not use words such as “sleepiness” or “drowsiness.”^2-4
- Instead, they may complain of vague symptoms such as “tiredness” or “fatigue.”^2-4
The first challenge for the clinician is to distinguish “sleepiness” from “fatigue.”³
- Fatigue is described as a feeling of tiredness, lack of energy, or general sense of exhaustion.^2,3
- Sleepiness is the inability to avoid falling asleep.³
Patients with EDS may also appear depressed or irritable.^2,3
A comprehensive sleep history is the most important aspect in evaluating EDS.³

In an effort to cope or counteract sleepiness, children may become aggressive, emotional, irritable, distractible, or hyperactive.⁵^-⁷
Caregivers may say their child always feels tired or falls asleep randomly or at unusual or unexpected times.⁸
- One way to assess is to ask for recent examples of the child falling asleep suddenly and unexpectedly.
EDS can be misinterpreted as simply a need to nap in younger children or as laziness in older children.⁹
Different sleep duration in children may make it more difficult to assess how much they sleep.⁹^.¹⁰

Key questions for evaluating excessive sleepiness.

Does the sleepiness occur only when in a quiet situation or also when the patient is active?
What is the patient’s sleep-wake schedule (what time does he or she go to bed and get up on weekdays and weekends)?
Does the sleepiness occur during situations that would compromise safety?
Are there other sleep features that may identify the cause of sleepiness?
Does the patient take naps?
What medications is the patient taking?

These videos represent actual patients and caregivers describing EDS using their own words. Not all patient experiences will be the same.

EDS may affect your patients in many ways.