All of the following are characteristic of the condition narcolepsy, EXCEPT:
A) Sudden muscular paralysis
B) Sleep paralysis
C) Significantly greater portion of the day spent asleep
D) Excessive daytime sleepiness
Explanation
A) Sudden muscular paralysis
B) Sleep paralysis
C) Significantly greater portion of the day spent asleep
D) Excessive daytime sleepiness
Although people suffering from narcolepsy are prone to excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep attacks, they do not usually spend a greater portion of the day asleep due to poor sleep quality and frequent interruption of nighttime sleep. Answer choice C is therefore the correct answer.
A, B: Sudden muscle paralysis, or cataplexy, occurs when sudden muscle paralysis occurs in a conscious individual. Cataplexy is subtly different from sleep paralysis, which occurs during the transition between sleeping and waking and is characterized by the inability to move or speak for several minutes after waking up. Both are symptoms of narcolepsy.
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