Narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a serious, life-long, potentially disabling disorder estimated to afflict more than 250,000 Americans, most of whom are undiagnosed. It was once believed that narcolepsy was a psychological problem with a psychological cause; however, considerable research has demonstrated that this theory is not true. Narcolepsy is now considered a neurological disease with an impaired brain regulatory sleep/waking mechanism being the primary cause. Narcolepsy can strike anyone at any age, but symptoms usually occur during the early teenage years. Currently, no cure for narcolepsy exists, and treatmen