“Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that causes persistent sleepiness and additional symptoms such as brief episodes of muscle weakness known as cataplexy, vivid, dreamlike hallucinations, brief episodes of paralysis when falling asleep or upon awakening (sleep paralysis), and fragmented nighttime sleep. Symptoms typically develop over several months and last a lifetime.

Narcolepsy is a manageable condition, and people with narcolepsy can lead full and rewarding lives.  One cause is genetic factors clearly play a role. Most people with narcolepsy have inherited a gene that codes for the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQB1*06:02, which is important for immune function. This gene is found in 12–25% of the general population, and it increases the risk of developing narcolepsy 7- to 25-fold.³ Additional genes can increase or decrease the risk of developing narcolepsy, and, like HLA-DQB1*06:02, most of these affect the functions of the immune system. Normally, the immune system kills off bacteria and viruses. These discoveries suggest that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system accidentally kills off the hypocretin-producing neurons. “.

Harvard University (https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/narcolepsy)