4. Lack of Muscle Tone
People who suffer from narcolepsy often have a loss of muscle tone or poor muscle definition. It normally comes on suddenly and many people don’t even notice it at first. It can become severe quickly and even lead to a person collapsing.
When this happens, the patient or the people who witness the collapse may assume it was caused by the patient falling asleep suddenly. In reality, the person who falls is very much awake and alert, they just aren’t able to control their own body and do not have the muscle strength to prevent themselves from falling. It can be a scary thing to experience and witness.
A collapse like this is usually what triggers a person to go to a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. Once narcolepsy is treated, muscle tone may return to normal and sudden collapses are less likely to occur. Some people may continue to experience sudden collapse even with treatment.