Biology Forums - Study Force

Does anyone know the difference between narcolepsy and just falling asleep a lot. I mean, I fall asleep during lectures, which is not uncommon, but I've even fallen asleep on tests, just randomly with my girlfriend, and other times. 

Is this narcolepsy? Cause I downed a cup of coffee, and a 5 hour energy and it still didn't help..

Are you getting continuous sleep at night, i.e. 6 hours straight?

Always at least 6, but usually between 8-9 hours on average.

What kind of tests determine if one has narcolepsy?

I don't think you'd want to indulge in those tests. There are two of them though, the polysomnogram and the multiple sleep latency test. The polysomnogram is an overnight test that takes continuous multiple measurements while the individual is asleep to document abnormalities in the sleep cycle. A polysomnogram can help reveal whether rapid eye movement sleep occurs at abnormal times in the sleep cycle.

The multiple sleep latency test is performed during the day to measure a person's tendency to fall asleep and to determine whether isolated elements of rapid eye movement sleep intrude at inappropriate times during the waking hours.

With all conditions, you can't simply diagnose yourself based on your sleeping habits. You may even have a blood condition where you have low blood count, either the red or white cells. In some cases, narcolepsy is caused by a lack of hypocretin.

When you get these sleeping attacks, keep yourself busy doing something to get your mind off it. I personally think your circadian rhythm is off due to choices you've made in the past, i.e. sleeping late, etc.

I tried a bunch of tips to stay awake, but I've fallen asleep mid sentence while taking notes in Calc, and Philosophy, and I was actually interested in both.

I have a regular sleep schedule, (11-7)ish everyday.

Is there a non pharmacological way of raising blood count and/or hypocretin?

This cannot be done without having a proper diet, but don't run to that conclusion right away. Find yourself a doctor and get a blood test done if you feel strongly about this. This requires a thorough analysis of you as a whole, your weight, height, diet. However, if you want to reverse the effects of low blood count, start exercising heavily, since this increases your O2 levels. In addition, eat meals with iron, such as red meat.