“You are so lucky being able to sleep so easily.”

Really? You think so?

Narcolepsy is defined as “excessive daytime sleepiness” and while it is nice to be able to sleep at night it is no joke to fall asleep in the middle of dinner. And, of course, it is really hard on sufferers before they are diagnosed. My Mother was most confused by how alert and lively I would be when going out with school friends compared with how dopey I could get during an evening in. One thing I am eternally thankful for: it was just accepted that I might fall asleep. I was expected to get on with life the same as my siblings. And luckily for me I have been able to manage without taking medication.

Do you fall asleep on the train after work? Every commuter does – so imagine what it was like for me. I once awoke to find that my head had dropped and I was dozing on the shoulder of the young man next to me who was too polite to shake me off. Actually, every journey is different and I may well remain alert all the way, totally engaged in conversation. On other occasions I may crash at the start of the journey to awake bolt upright as the train reaches its destination. Have you noticed that as the train approaches the station and brakes it makes a different noise? It is the same with buses and it is that change in the engine noise that rouses me.

Of course, nowadays most trains announce the next station which is so helpful. Back in pre-mobile phone days I set the alarm on my watch to go off five minutes before I was due at my destination. Mobile phone are such a useful resource for narcoleptics. If I need to snatch a quick nap before going out in the evening, I set my timer for ten minutes then relax in a chair.The only thing I seldom use my alarm for is getting up in the morning, since I always wake up around the same time.

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