What is excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) due to narcolepsy?

Living with narcolepsy? You’re also living with EDS

EDS is a medical condition that can leave you feeling tired all the time and give you an irresistible need to sleep during the day.

This can lead to problems with work, school, activities, hobbies, and even your relationships.

It’s time for a treatment that helps relieve the EDS you feel due to narcolepsy

Narcolepsy and EDS affect your brain’s ability to stay awake. Your brain’s sleep and wake systems are similar to an on and off switch. When the wake system is turned on, the sleep system is turned off, and vice versa. In narcolepsy, the on/off switch is broken, causing sleep to intrude into wakefulness.

EDS from narcolepsy can be unpredictable. You can suddenly fall asleep 3 to 5 times per day, and it can last from a few seconds to several hours. It’s common to feel this urge to sleep in quiet, relaxing situations, but it can also happen while using physical energy.

Common signs and symptoms of EDS due to narcolepsy include:

Sleep attacks

Irresistible urge to sleep

Frequent tiredness

Trouble staying awake and alert during the day

Unrefreshing sleep

Feeling tired regardless of how long you've slept

Brain fog

Difficulty keeping attention and focus during the day

Download our quick reference guide to EDS due to narcolepsy.

It's estimated that 5 out of 10 people with narcolepsy aren't diagnosed. It's estimated that 5 out of 10 people with narcolepsy aren't diagnosed.

Here’s how EDS due to narcolepsy is diagnosed

Your doctor may ask you to answer a quiz called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).
In this quiz, you’ll answer questions about your likelihood of falling asleep in everyday situations

Download the ESS Download icon Download icon

Your doctor will typically then conduct a sleep study to confirm a diagnosis

Many types of healthcare providers can help diagnose EDS due to narcolepsy, including:

  • primary care doctor
  • sleep specialist
  • pulmonologist
  • neurologist
  • psychiatrist
  • nurse practitioner
  • physician assistant

Many types of healthcare providers can help diagnose EDS due to narcolepsy, including:

  • primary care doctor
  • sleep specialist
  • pulmonologist
  • neurologist
  • psychiatrist
  • nurse practitioner
  • physician assistant

Answer the Wake-Up Call Questionnaire

Five simple questions can help you start a conversation with your doctor.

Narcolepsy is a chronic, potentially disabling neurologic condition that is thought to occur when certain chemicals in the brain can’t regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle.

Narcolepsy affects an estimated 1 in 2,000 people in the United States.

  • Because the signs and symptoms can be difficult to recognize, people living with narcolepsy may end up seeing many different doctors over a number of years before receiving a diagnosis
  • If you have been diagnosed with narcolepsy and are still struggling to stay awake during the day, talk to your doctor
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Expand ISI

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
  • have had a heart attack or a stroke.
  • have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
  • are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is SUNOSI? SUNOSI (solriamfetol) is a prescription medicine used to improve wakefulness in adults with excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  • SUNOSI does not treat the underlying cause of OSA and SUNOSI does not take the place of any device prescribed for OSA, such as a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. It is important that you continue to use these treatments as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not take SUNOSI if you are taking, or have stopped taking within the past 14 days, a medicine used to treat depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

Before taking SUNOSI, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
  • have heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney problems, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
  • have had a heart attack or a stroke.
  • have a history of mental health problems (including psychosis and bipolar disorders), or of drug or alcohol abuse or addiction.
  • are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. It is not known if SUNOSI will harm your unborn baby.
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. SUNOSI passes into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about the best way to feed your baby if you take SUNOSI.
What are the possible side effects of SUNOSI?
SUNOSI may cause serious side effects, including:
Increased blood pressure and heart rate. SUNOSI can cause blood pressure and heart rate increases that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and death. Your doctor should check your blood pressure before, and during, treatment with SUNOSI. Your doctor may decrease your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop high blood pressure that does not go away during treatment with SUNOSI.
Mental (psychiatric) symptoms including anxiety, problems sleeping (insomnia), irritability, and agitation. Tell your doctor if you develop any of these symptoms. Your doctor may change your dose or tell you to stop taking SUNOSI if you develop side effects during treatment with SUNOSI.

The most common side effects of SUNOSI include:

  • •headache
  • •nausea
  • •decreased appetite
  • •anxiety
  • •problems sleeping
These are not all the possible side effects of SUNOSI. Call your doctor for advice about side effects.
SUNOSI (solriamfetol) is available in 75 mg and 150 mg tablets and is a federally controlled substance (CIV) because it contains solriamfetol that can be a target for people who abuse prescription medicines or street drugs. Keep SUNOSI in a safe place to protect it from theft. Never give or sell your SUNOSI to anyone else because it may cause death or harm them and it is against the law. Tell your doctor if you have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol, prescription medicines, or street drugs.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

SUN CON ISI 06/2023

Please see Medication Guide.