Taking a look at narcolepsy

If you've ever faced narcolepsy, curiosity has probably prompted you to ask why some people can fall asleep in the middle of the day for apparently no reason at all.

The disorder has been extensively studied in dogs, and the results from that seven-year study were recently released. Studied was the neurochemical called hypocretin, which plays a role in human and animal narcolepsy -- and in normal sleep -- according to researchers.

Researchers and investigators into the disorder are saying that narcolepsy is due to hypocretin deficiencies in the brain, which cause the boundaries between being aware and being asleep to start breaking down. As narcolepsy affects more than 135,000 Americans, perhaps the further understanding of this disease will lead to treatments for it in the near future outside of what exists to this day.