Symptoms of Narcolepsy in Children & Teens

Cataplexy is often brought on by strong emotions, including:

Laughing hard
 

Feeling excited
 

Being surprised
 

Getting scared suddenly
 

Feeling embarrassed
 

Intense joy or playfulness
 

These triggers can cause brief episodes of weakness, including:

Head drops
 

Knee buckling
 

Tongue sticking out
 

Face muscles going weak
 

Difficulty speaking
 

Cataplexy is not dangerous by itself, but it can be confusing or frightening if the child or those around them don’t know what it is.

Fall asleep in class or during activities.
 

Feel extreme fatigue even after a whole night’s sleep.
 

Have trouble staying awake during conversations
 

Struggle with focus, attention, or finish“checked out,” “unmotivated,” or “not trying”
 

Experience “brain fog” throughout the day
 

Teachers often misinterpret this as laziness or lack of effort, but it is a neurological symptom.

Sleep Attacks

Sudden, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep — sometimes mid-sentence, mid-activity, or during transitions between classes.

Sleep Paralysis

These experiences can lead to sleep anxiety or afear of bedtime. Waking up (or falling asleep) and being temporarily unable to move or speak. Episodes are brief but frightening, especially for children. 

Intense dream-like experiences when falling asleep or waking up. Young people may describe:

Seeing people, animals, or shadows
 

Hearing voices or noises
 

Feeling like someone is in the room
 

Experiencing vivid, sometimes frightening images

 Disturbed Nighttime Sleep

Despite daytime sleepiness, nighttime sleep is often fragmented:

Frequent awakenings

Restlessness

Vivid, intense dreams

Difficulty staying asleep

Feeling unrefreshed in the morning

Lack of Deep restorative sleep 

Parents may think their child slept all night, but the sleep quality is poor.

Many young people experience:

Difficulty concentrating
 

Memory problems
 

Slower processing speed
 

Trouble following instructions
 

Forgetting schoolwork or assignments
 

These symptoms are often misdiagnosed as ADHD

Automatic Behaviors

Periods where a child continues an activity (writing, walking, scrolling) without being fully conscious, and may not remember it afterward.

Mood & Emotional Changes

Irritability
 

Mood swings
 

Anxiety
 

Feelings of frustration
 

Emotional sensitivity
 

These are often misunderstood as behavioral issues when they are really symptoms.

Social Withdrawal

Avoid social activities due to exhaustion
 

Feel embarrassed about symptoms
 

Fear falling asleep around peers
 

Feel misunderstood or isolated