Be careful with driving and smoking
Driving can be necessary to go to school or work. Usually, treated patients have no increased risks of traffic accidents compared to the general population. But if you have to drive for a long distance, plan to cope with your sleepiness as follows: stop for naps in a safe place, drink beverages containing caffeine (coffee, tee or other energy drinks) or have an exercise break when you feel dozy. This is a difficult discipline to acquire but most patients can learn to identify when sleepiness is increasing and pull off the road for a brief nap well in advance of the diminishment of their driving ability. Also, as smoking can be a source of accidents among narcolepsy patients, try to avoid smoking when you feel tired.
