Narcolepsy

Why it works: Melatonin is not a first-line, proven treatment for narcolepsy (stimulants, sodium oxybate, pitolisant/solriamfetol are recommended by major guidelines). However, melatonin can hel...

Instructions: Important: there is no single universally accepted melatonin dosing protocol for narcolepsy — most guidance and clinical practice use melatonin to improve nighttime sleep (not to t...

Warnings: Common side effects: daytime drowsiness, headache, dizziness, nausea, vivid dreams or nightmares. Be...

Studies: Randomized trial(s) showing REM/subjective benefit: an early...

Why it works: There is no high-quality clinical evidence that 5-HTP is an established treatment for narcolepsy. Its use is theoretical — because 5-HTP raises brain serotonin and downstream melat...

Instructions: No standard, evidence-based 5-HTP dosing for narcolepsy exists in clinical practice guidelines. Major sleep disorder guidelines recommend prescription therapies (modafinil/armodafi...

Warnings: Serotonin syndrome (potentially life-threatening). • 5-HTP increases serotonin. Combining 5-HTP with...

Studies: No randomized controlled trials or authoritative guideline e...

Why it works: Effect on orexin/hypocretin signaling: The main laboratory finding behind XSTQ’s use for narcolepsy is that XSTQ up-regulates orexin receptor expression (OX1R and OX2R) in neuronal...

Instructions: How the experimental study prepared XSTQ: The lab study prepared XSTQ as a classical water decoction, filtered and sterile-filtered; for cell work they adjusted concentration (the...

Warnings: Because the clinical evidence base is weak and herbal formulas are complex mixtures, the following s...

Studies: Main published laboratory study (mechanistic, in vitro): “Xi...

Why it works: There is biological plausibility and some small clinical evidence that Panax (Asian/Korean) ginseng can improve wakefulness, reduce fatigue, and help excessive daytime sleepiness (...

Instructions: Important: these are general clinical/supplement practice patterns reported in the literature and product monographs — talk to your sleep specialist before using ginseng (especiall...

Warnings: Drug interactions — especially warfarin and other anticoagulants. Ginseng has documented interaction...

Studies: Systematic reviews & reviews (clinical + preclinical): m...

Why it works: Chamomile may modestly improve nighttime sleep and reduce anxiety for some people, which could indirectly help daytime sleepiness in any sleep-disordered person — but that is not t...

Instructions: Below are doses used in clinical studies (useful as reference points). These are for sleep/insomnia trials, not narcolepsy treatment trials:. Standardized chamomile extract (capsul...

Warnings: Not a replacement for medical narcolepsy therapies. If you have narcolepsy (diagnosed or suspected),...

Studies: What supports chamomile for sleep/anxiety (not narcolepsy):S...

Why it works: There are no well-controlled clinical trials showing Rhodiola rosea treats narcolepsy. What exists is moderate-quality evidence that Rhodiola can reduce fatigue and improve mental...

Instructions: Important: These instructions reflect doses used in fatigue trials and common supplement practice — they are not clinical guidance that Rhodiola is an approved narcolepsy therapy....

Warnings: Drug interactions (important):. • Serotonergic drugs (SSRIs/SNRIs/MAOIs): Rhodiola may influence ser...

Studies: What exists (evidence for fatigue / stress-related decreased...

Why it works: Green tea may help some people with narcolepsy as a mild adjunctive strategy because it contains caffeine (wake-promoting) and L-theanine (which can improve attention and reduce ca...

Instructions: Target the stimulant effect (caffeine) in the morning / early daytime. Small clinical trials of caffeine in narcolepsy used ~200 mg/day as a single morning dose and reported improv...

Warnings: Not a replacement for prescribed narcolepsy meds. Standard care for narcolepsy uses approved wake-pr...

Studies: Caffeine in narcolepsy (small RCT/pilot data): A randomized...

Why it works: Short, planned naps reduce accumulated sleep pressure and interrupt the pattern of unplanned “sleep attacks.” People with narcolepsy have impaired wake-maintenance (often due to or...

Instructions: These are the commonly recommended, evidence-based practical points used by sleep clinicians and patient groups:. Core rules. • Aim for short naps: typically ~15–30 minutes per nap...

Warnings: Not usually sufficient alone. Clinical guidelines emphasize naps as an adjunct to pharmacologic ther...

Studies: Scheduled-nap research is modest in size but consistent that...