i cant stay awake..do i have narcolepsy?

My family has always joked about me never being able to make it through a film or a conversation for that matter because im always sleep within the first 5 min. I can never seem to keep myself  awake once i sit down or become still.. i dont have episodes like you see on t.v when a person just literally falls asleep standing or something, but i do fight to stay awoke when i'm doing everyday things after a short period of time. And then to make matters worst Im aware of whats going on around me when i fall asleep even thought my body feels as though im in a deep sleep. Then I wake up more exhausted than before. I have had this issue for some yrs now and im only 25 !! What's wrong with me ? Is it  my metabolism ?Could I be a narcoleptic ??

[Dr Rajput]

Hi, welcome to the forum, you may be probably having Circadian rhythm disorders. If there is long term sleep deprivation in night time or delay in sleep will lead to excessive day time sleep or sleepiness, which happens due to change in normal sleep-wake cycle. This is termed as hypersomnia of central origin.

Narcolepsy seems to be unlikely in your case. In this condition there will be “automatic behavior" such as driving past a highway exit or writing off a page, with no memory of the previous few minutes. Classical narcolepsy constitutes of Hypnagogic hallucinations, Sleep paralysis and Cataplexy which is not seen in your case.

You need to undergo tests like Polysomnography, Multiple Sleep Latency Test which help to substantiate the diagnosis. Having regular nap for about 20 min during day will help to prevent sleep attacks.

If stress is present, you need to go for relaxation exercises. I suggest you to consult a sleep specialist and get treated for recovery of normal sleep-awake cycle. Take care and regards.