Mercy Pediatrician Dr. Ashanti Woods Discusses Narcolepsy and Children

Pediatric narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition wherein children may have excessive daytime sleepiness and an uncontrollable desire to sleep, falling asleep at any time, even during the day.

For a recent Healthline.com feature, Ashanti Woods, M.D., FAAP, a specialist in general pediatrics at Mercy Family Care Physicians in Baltimore, Maryland, addressed questions regarding pediatric narcolepsy—whether it is considered a disability for school, what reasonable accommodations for narcolepsy can be made, and how parents can create healthy habits for their child outside of school.

Who should a parent talk to at their child’s school?

Parents should first start with touching base with their child’s teacher. Teachers spend more daytime hours with our children during the week than we as parents do and will therefore be able to provide a wealth of information regarding our child’s performance and wakefulness during the day. Similarly, it is up to the parents and teacher to both be astute and aware of narcolepsy as a diagnosis as the condition is often underdiagnosed or diagnosed late—sometimes being misinterpreted as an unengaged child or learning disability or attention deficit disorder. Parents should also engage any student counselors or resource advisors, as accommodations will likely be needed for the child who is diagnosed with narcolepsy. The pediatrician or sleep medicine doctor should also be available for discussions with the learning team.

What are some reasonable accommodations for narcolepsy?

Children with narcolepsy should be evaluated by the school’s team responsible for awarding individualized education programs (IEPs) and 504 plans. Reasonable accommodations include preferential seating, nap allowance, break allowance, access to healthy snacks, extra time on assignments, and use of device like an iPad/tablet for learning (as blue light may help with wakefulness and engagement).  

Are there special education plans in place for children with narcolepsy?

An education plan can be created for the child with narcolepsy. Each plan may be different depending on type (severity) of narcolepsy.

How can a parent create good habits outside of school? Like having the child go to bed at the same time each night?

Sleep hygiene is very important. Good sleep habits include proper diet (healthy foods with limited sugar/caffeine intake), plenty of activity throughout the day and in early afternoon, often a bathing routine of some sort in the early evening, a reading activity, followed by a period for relaxation before bed. Screen time (tablets, video games, TV, smart watches) within two hours of desired sleep time is often counter-productive to the initiation of sleep (translation: no screens 60–120 minutes before bedtime, especially if sleeping is not optimized).  

Are there any takeaways/advice you could offer to parents who have a child with narcolepsy?

Continue to advocate for them in the school setting and welcome the participation of their child’s pediatrician or sleep medicine doctor. Also, I would encourage parents to be open to the consideration of medication management of narcolepsy symptoms if good sleep hygiene alone does not yield the desired results of daytime wakefulness.  

Dr. Ashanti Woods routinely serves as a pediatric medical consultant for a variety of children’s medical and lifestyle topics for local television stations, newspapers, national magazines, blogs and talk radio. Dr. Woods has written a variety of clinical publications and presentations. He has received numerous awards for his outstanding medical care, including:

• "Top Doctor" in the General Pediatrics category – Baltimore magazine 
• G. Bowers Mansdorfer Award for Primary Care – Mercy Medical Center
• Primary Care Pediatrician Award – University of Maryland Ambulatory Center