On World Sleep Day Friday March 17 2023, I was honored to be a guest on ABC News Live to talk about sneaky signs of sleep disorders. Please watch and share this video. 

The segment featured ABC News Anchor and Correspondent, Diane Macedo, author of The Sleep Fix, in a group chat with Dr. Michael Grandner, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist and Director of the Sleep & Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, myself (Julie Flygare, JD, President & CEO of Project Sleep and author of Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir of Narcolepsy) and Mike Muse, ABC News Contributor and SiriusXM Radio Host of the “The Mike Muse Show.” 

Sleepiness can be sneaky

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to talk about my journey toward receiving my narcolepsy diagnosis. how it was hard for me to detect my sleepiness, as I was not falling asleep in class, but rather not fully “there.”  I thought maybe I wasn’t cut out for law school, the course work was just too dense or challenging for my brain. Turns out, I was living with type 1 narcolepsy with cataplexy, a serious chronic disorder of the sleep/wake cycle and didn’t know it! 

Mental health and sleep health

It was wonderful to also highlight the important connection between mental health and sleep health in this segment. I’d felt so out of control when I didn’t know what was wrong. Finding my narcolepsy diagnosis put me on a path toward finding treatment, community support and self-acceptance. 

Could I have a sleep disorder?

If you or a loved one is having trouble maintaining clear and present wakefulness during the day on a regular basis, it is important to consult an AASM Board Certified Sleep Specialist because most primary care health care providers may not be familiar with sleep disorders. Learn more on Project Sleep’s website: www.project-sleep.com.

Huge thanks to ABC News Live and Diane for this opportunity to share my story and raise critical awareness about under-recognized and often misunderstood sleep disorders. Thank you for sharing this video!