Genetically narcoleptic dogs were recorded continuously for 24 h to examine their sleep-wake patterns and to evaluate the extent of sleep fragmentation. Three narcoleptic and three control dogs from each of two affected breeds (Labrador retrievers and Doberman pinschers) were surgically implanted with electrodes for recording standard sleep parameters. Recordings were scored in 30-s epochs for the states of active waking, drowsiness, light sleep, deep slow wave sleep, REM sleep, and cataplexy. All affected dogs displayed marked fragmentation and disruption of the sleep-wake cycle characterized by repeated awakenings, frequent shifts in sleep stages, numerous attacks of cataplexy occurring from active waking, and a disturbance of the normal REM-NREM periodicity. This sleep disruption was reflected in significantly greater numbers of episodes of each behavioral state as well as in a 38% increase in the total number of all states. These results demonstrate a severe disturbance of the normal sleep pattern in canine narcoleptics. The possibility of a general dysfunction of circadian organization is discussed.