“Narcolepsy, a chronic neurologic disorder resulting from dysregulation of the sleep-wake cycle” (Thorpy, 2016) Thorpy’s quote says it all. Narcolepsy is a sleep problem, where the body cannot maintain sleep or awake for more than a few hours at a time. The reason is lack of brain chemical called orexin/hypocretin, whose purpose is, among other things, to promote wakefulness, but has also been linked to appetite. Having low levels of this particular chemical does not only make one sleepy but creates many other sleep-related problems. (Mieda & Sakurai, 2016). The problem is, this description does not really give any idea of how the symptoms can manifest and how it feels.…
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First experiences of Excessive Daytime Sleepines (EDS)
I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy in 2007 at the age of 21, but when I look back my first memories of the symptoms start around the age of 14. I can recall these memories easily because the transition from no narcolepsy to narcolepsy happened in a house we lived in for about five years. Only during the last year in that house, the symptoms started to show. An irresistible urge to sleep I remember a time when I could study all day or read a book in my room without falling asleep. I also remember the first time I fell asleep in the middle of an exam and how strange…
