Can i get narcolepsy or you're born with it?

Not born with it: Narcolepsy is a disorder of hypersomnolence, usually presenting in late-teenage to late-20's. Many patients with narcolepsy may have a "hypocretin" deficiency. This is purely academic, however, and no one checks hypocretin (requires a spinal tap) regularly. If you have narcolepsy, the test to diagnose it would be a psg with following day mslt. See a sleep specialist.

Acquired : Narcolepsy develops usually around teenager years and is felt to be acquired. We don't know the exact mechanism, but some type on immunological event might trigger it. It is very rare to be born with narcolepsy.

Both May Be Correct: People with classic narcolepsy with cataplexy are often both with a particular genetic marker which can make them more likely to develop the condition. There has to be some other event, usually an infection such an influenza, which can then trigger narcolepsy. Some people can develop it after a head trauma. See a sleep specialist if you think you have narcolepsy.