A person with narcolepsy may experience fragmented sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, and sudden attacks of sleep. They may also have sleep paralysis, hallucinations when falling asleep, and sudden muscular weakness (cataplexy).
Narcolepsy currently has no cure, but various treatment options can help manage symptoms and perhaps even put the condition into remission. Experts don’t know exactly why narcolepsy happens, but it may result from differences in the availability of certain brain chemicals.
Natural remedies for narcolepsy focus on either helping regulate these chemicals or supporting the body’s overall sleep systems without the use of pharmaceutical drugs.
Exercise
Exercise can benefit your mental and physical health, and it may help regulate sleep and wakefulness.
A small study from 2017 suggests that if a person with narcolepsy does cardiovascular exercise, their daytime sleepiness may decrease.
Current guidelines recommend doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week — for example, 25 minutes daily or 30 minutes 5 times per week.
Common cardio exercises that can benefit the whole body include:
- swimming
- brisk walking or hiking
- yoga
- dancing
- cycling
Find out how to make daily exercise easier and more fun.
Supplements
Narcolepsy often results from low levels of the brain chemical hypocretin, also known as orexin. For this reason, there has been some research into whether orexin supplements can help.
A 2019 medical review called orexin supplementation a more sophisticated way of addressing narcolepsy because, in some cases, it gets to the root cause of the condition. Yet orexin is not yet available to the public, as research is ongoing.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy often occur together. Some research from 2020 suggests that iron supplements may help people with these conditions, but more investigation is needed.
Always speak with a doctor before taking supplements for narcolepsy or other concerns. They may recommend and even prescribe supplements as part of your treatment plan.
Sleep hygiene practices
Sleep hygiene refers to best practices to help ensure a good night’s sleep and regulate the body’s sleep and wake cycles.
Even though narcolepsy affects the relationship between sleep and wakefulness, good sleep hygiene practices may help manage this.
Here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Establish a consistent sleep schedule that allows you to go to bed and wake up at the same time.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and smoking before bed.
- Do relaxing activities before bed, such as listening to music or taking a warm bath.
- Keep your sleep environment cool and dark.
- Leave devices, such as mobile phones, outside the room.
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful way to relax the mind in preparation for sleep. It can contribute to a good night’s sleep, especially if you have narcolepsy.
It may also help with sleep paralysis. This is a common symptom of narcolepsy that involves an inability to move your muscles when falling asleep or waking up.
A 2020 study found that a technique called meditation-relaxation therapy can reduce the risk of sleep paralysis. This technique aims to achieve both psychological and emotional distancing. It involves inward focused-attention meditation and muscle relaxation exercises.
If meditation-relaxation therapy isn’t readily accessible for you, you can try other ways to meditate.
Practicing meditation for 10 minutes daily, either alone or with the help of an app or timer, may help you relax and unwind for sleep at the right times.
Get some tips on sleep meditation.
Napping
Taking 15- to 20-minute naps throughout the day may help reduce daytime sleep attacks.
In fact, one 2022 study related to COVID-19 found that some people with narcolepsy had an improvement in their narcoleptic symptoms during lockdown, in part because they were able to schedule naps at more times throughout the day.
Medical treatment options
If natural remedies for narcolepsy do not help you, other treatment methods are available.
They include:
- central nervous stimulant (CNS) stimulants, such as modafinil or armodafinil, which can target excessive daytime sleepiness
- sodium oxybate, a CNS depressant, which can improve sleep quality
- amphetamines, such as Adderall or methylphenidate, which activate dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters in the brain that help regulate sleep and wakefulness
- newer classes of drugs for narcolepsy, such as pitolisant and solriamfetol, which target the areas and chemicals of the brain responsible for sleep
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