A condition that causes young sufferers to fall asleep spontaneously, often dozens of times throughout the day, was explored at a dedicated event funded by The Children’s Hospital Charity.
Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder that affects children from around age six and lasts into adulthood. Children known to have this condition in the region were invited to attend the first Narcolepsy Day in September 2015.
Professor Heather Elphick, consultant in paediatric sleep medicine at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, said: “Some children may fall asleep just two or three times in the day, but have sleeps lasting hours on end that they are very difficult to rouse from.”
“Others fall asleep dozens of times a day for just a few seconds at a time. They have to be careful when crossing roads, as they may fall asleep while walking, they need to be careful at heights, when around stairs and they may never be able to drive.”
“The sleep clinic exists to control the symptoms of narcolepsy, so the children can go on to live their lives and be independent.”
The first Narcolepsy Day brought together 40 guests from 12 families across the region to help learn about the condition and introduce support networks. The children, aged 8 to 16, had an opportunity to meet each other, hear specialist advice on their condition and learn about transitioning into adult care.
