Ba a san musabbabin narcolepsy ba. Cutar tana bayyana musamman a cikin mutanen da ke ɗauke da wasu kwayoyin halitta, koda waɗannan ba su isa su jawo cutar ba.

Mai watsawa na neurotransmitter (l'munafurci) da ke cikin kwakwalwa, na iya zama ɗaya daga cikin sanadin narcolepsy. Koyaya, wasu dalilai na iya haɗawa, kamar wasu ayyukan autoimmune, cututtukan ƙwayoyin cuta, rauni na kwakwalwa ko wasu abubuwa masu guba.