– Wakefulness-promoting formulations: this group of medications influences the chemicals in the brain that are active when a person is awake. They “trick” the brain to be awake even if it wants to shut down for sleep. The pills are also effective for individuals deprived of sleep who don’t have narcolepsy.
– Cataplexy management formulations include majorly antidepressants which principle of action is laid in the inhibition/prevention of reuptake of free serotonin and norepinephrine by the presynaptic cleft. The increased level of these substances achieved through prevention of reuptake results in better emotion control and as a result, rarer episodes of cataplexy.
– Night-sleep normalizing formulations are pills that are also appointed for insomnia. They usually have muscle relaxant, anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, amnestic, and anticonvulsant effects. The effect of these drugs is based on different mechanisms. The effect of already mentioned medication Zolpidem is based on specific agonism with central omega receptors (benzodiazepine receptors type I and II), macromolecular GABA receptor complexes that cause the opening of neuronal anionic channels for chlorine. It reduces the time of falling asleep and the number of nightly awakenings prolongs the duration of sleep and improves its quality.