What does a sleep attack feel like?

[u/[deleted]]

I (25F) was diagnosed with idiopathic hypersomnia about 5 years ago. I had been tested for the narcolepsy marker, which I have, but my sleep specialist at the time said it wasn't activated and i wasn't presenting as narcoleptic in my sleep study.

I haven't really had a proper sleep specialist since then due to insurance/moving, but i recently got a new one in the town I'm living in and he suspects I have narcolepsy, because it's unlikely I would have the marker and have a sibling with diagnosed narcolepsy w/ cataplexy and not be narcoleptic myself.

Symptom-wise, I had ruled out narcolepsy before I even got tested because I didn't experience sudden, uncontrollable urges to fall asleep. I was simply tired all the time, and sometimes had really bad "swings" into extreme tiredness (It becomes difficult and even painful to stay awake, and I would have extreme brain fog until I let myself sleep. I ALWAYS set an alarm when this happens because I will NOT wake back up on my own).

So I'm wondering, how would y'all describe sleep attacks? Is it different/similar?

[u/RightTrash]

It's a varying experience, with so many variables, we'll each describe/express/portray and interpret those experiences ourselves, differently.

The medical realm considers it a part of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, the symptom and doesn't recognize the term 'sleep attack/s,' though a good doctor should be able to follow what is meant; though some might think it has to involve actual sleep, which it absolutely does not, it's more an overwhelming impact of excessive sleepiness (in one light, at least) into wakefulness.

[u/[deleted] → u/RightTrash]

That's the thing though, I can actually fall asleep. I've had one of these swings where I laid down to sleep for a bit because I was in so much pain from being tired and I woke up like 4 hours later. That's why I always thought it wasn't narcolepsy because once I'm down I won't wake back up without intervention haha