Environmental exposures may contribute to narcolepsy

Imagine falling asleep while standing in line, driving, or talking, and you have an idea of what narcolepsy, a disorder that causes people to suddenly fall asleep during the day, is like. Scientists have looked at body mass index, immune responses, and stressful life events as possible causes of narcolepsy. Researchers at the University of Washington, however, suggest that these factors may not be as important as environmental exposures in the first two decades of life. They came to this conclusion after looking at studies previously conducted by other researchers on the causes and prevalence of narcolepsy. Which exposures might be risk factors for developing narcolepsy will be the subject of future research. This study was published in the January 1, 2007, issue of SLEEP.