Bec

Bec lives in New South Wales and has Idiopathic Hypersomnia.

I’ve been tired for as long as I can remember! Looking back at my teen years, it’s evident that my excessive fatigue was far from a usual pattern.  To the frustration of my family, and the delight of my friends, I could fall asleep ‘at the drop of a hat’ wherever I managed to lay my head down-something I felt compelled to do very often...  I thought of my challenges as a staying awake problem, rather than as a sleep problem.

Over more than 2 decades, I regularly raised concerns around fatigue with doctors. While there were occasional investigations, my concerns were generally normalised, rather than validated.  While I usually walked away from my consultations with some well-meant recommendations, they never got to the core of the issue- because the explorations never actually looked at my sleep.

When I finally requested referral specifically to a sleep specialist, progress toward understanding my condition began. By partnering with my sleep specialist for assessment and now treatment, and by connecting with the sleep community, I am far less alone in working through challenges posed by my condition. I’m continuing to learn what helps me manage excessive daytime sleepiness, and what makes things harder.

I am keen to support efforts of the Sleep Health Foundation to increase understanding of sleep across the general public so people are more confident to advocate for themselves and loved ones, in accessing appropriate assessment and supports. I would love to see an increased emphasis on sleep training for medical and mental health professionals to support earlier detection and support for sleep problems. Given the potential for profound impacts on physical, mental and social health through optimal sleep quality, greater investment in ‘getting better at sleep’ could help to make a very real difference!