Why does my teen randomly seem to doze off in the daytime?

Having a constantly sleepy teen is pretty normal, but when there’s enough stimulation to keep them awake and they still fall asleep, this may be a warning sign of something more serious.

Narcolepsy is a sudden and temporary loss of consciousness that can develop at any age, but usually appears in adolescence, with more than half of sufferers reporting their first symptoms as a teen.

Symptoms of this rare condition—it affects around 1 in 2,500 people—include fragmented sleep at night due to repeated waking. The next day, this results in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), leaving the sufferer likely to nod off at random times. During narcoleptic episodes, the sleeper quickly enters REM as they fall asleep and often experiences visual hallucinations.

Some people with narcolepsy may also experience a related, more dramatic condition called cataplexy—an abrupt loss of muscle control that causes them to collapse. Although a person experiencing cataplexy may appear unconscious, they are awake but temporarily paralyzed. Cataplexy is usually triggered by strong, positive emotions and associated behaviors, such as laughing, so it can be particularly distressing when it occurs during what should be an enjoyable experience or activity.

WHAT CAUSES NARCOLEPSY?

Research shows that narcolepsy may be linked to a lack of hypocretins (also called orexins), the neurotransmitters involved in the regulation of the normal sleep/wake cycle. This deficiency appears to cause the sleep/wake “switch” to flip on and off during the day. Research is ongoing, but factors such as age, genetics, and certain infections and illnesses all seem to play a part in triggering the condition.

Life Stages | Why does my teen randomly seem to doze off in the daytime?