18 replies to this topic 1 votes

[Hum]

A British teen suffering from a rare neurological disorder that induces long periods of sleep recently awoke after sleeping for two months.

"I've missed nine exams and my birthday in November," 15-year-old Stacey Comerford tells the Sun. "It's easier now people know what it is. It's easier to explain to them. Before, people didn't believe me. That was the hardest thing."

Comerford suffers from Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS), also known as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, a condition affecting only about 1,000 people around the world.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) says Kleine Levin Syndrome affects primarily adolescent males (70 percent) and can often result in an individual sleeping for up to 20 hours at a time. While there is no treatment or cure for the condition, many individuals living with the condition simply outgrow it as they age, usually over the course of 8 to 12 years.

The NINDS describes the symptoms as, "Episode onset is often abrupt, and may be associated with flu-like symptoms. Excessive food intake, irritability, childishness, disorientation, hallucinations, and an abnormally uninhibited sex drive may be observed during episodes."

"There's never any warning. I've even found her fast asleep on the kitchen floor," Comerford's mother, Bernie Richards, tells the Sun. "When she's in an episode, she might get up to go to the toilet or get a drink but she's not awake. I call it sleep mode."

Richards says doctors initially waved off her daughter's symptoms as a result of "moody" behavior.

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[+zhiVago]

Hum, on 20 June 2012 - 00:21, said:

after sleeping for two months.

wow, I guess she might live longer than most of us coz her metabolism is slow.

and I wonder how hard it is to fake this syndrome lol. My sister can sleep for days and she can fall asleep pretty much anywhere even in a loud environment.

[Simon-]

I sleep for long periods of time (I can easily pull 16 hours normally, 24 hours if I was really tired, but I can get up with 9 hours if I set my alarm), it feels good to sleep. Having an insatiable sex drive sounds good too. Don't know about all of the other symptoms, I don't like the sound of that.

[+articuno1au]

I slept for 30+ hours a little while after a car crash. Woke up for about 6 hours, had pizza with friends and complained about being tired (to much laughter given how long I had been asleep) then went back to bed for another 12 hours..

Maybe she's been in a lot of car crashes?

[Warboy]

articuno1au, on 20 June 2012 - 08:40, said:

I slept for 30+ hours a little while after a car crash. Woke up for about 6 hours, had pizza with friends and complained about being tired (to much laughter given how long I had been asleep) then went back to bed for another 12 hours..

Maybe she's been in a lot of car crashes?

I know the feeling, Had a broken jaw once. Sleep for 2 weeks, Would only get up if I had to use the bathroom or "drink", So about 1-2 hours a day, but the whole 2 weeks was mostly sleep.

[Mohitster]

Pardon my ignorance here, but these people who sleep on the trot for days do not eat at all or what? There is no mention of her eating between the sleep in the article....would be really surprised if they don't!

[The Laughing Man]

Mohitster, on 20 June 2012 - 10:03, said:

Pardon my ignorance here, but these people who sleep on the trot for days do not eat at all or what? There is no mention of her eating between the sleep in the article....would be really surprised if they don't!

"When she's in an episode, she might get up to go to the toilet or get a drink but she's not awake. I call it sleep mode."

I'm calling BS on this one.

[metro2012]

"abnormally uninhibited sex drive" while in "sleep mode"?

[+zhiVago]

Mohitster, on 20 June 2012 - 10:03, said:

Pardon my ignorance here, but these people who sleep on the trot for days do not eat at all or what? There is no mention of her eating between the sleep in the article....would be really surprised if they don't!

The Laughing Man, on 20 June 2012 - 10:40, said:

"When she's in an episode, she might get up to go to the toilet or get a drink but she's not awake. I call it sleep mode."

I'm calling BS on this one.

This episode here is the onset episode. It's a period of excessive food intake and sleeping for many hours over (hypersomnia and sleepwalking) before going into full hibernation mode for weeks and months.

http://en.wikipedia...._Levin_Syndrome

[Neobond]

Mohitster, on 20 June 2012 - 10:03, said:

Pardon my ignorance here, but these people who sleep on the trot for days do not eat at all or what? There is no mention of her eating between the sleep in the article....would be really surprised if they don't!

I saw a program about it a year ago, might have been the same teen.. but she isn't actually asleep for all that time, she is forcefully woken up to eat, drink, use the bathroom but her state isn't one where she's fully awake and thats what takes two months to come out of, if it's the same girl, she'll be normal again for about a week or two and then slip off again. Sad condition really.

[Detection]

When I was a teenager my parents called it "Being Lazy"

[Neobond]

Just checked out the article, and I saw a program on 18-year-old Louisa Ball who has the same condition, this is a different girl then.

[Detection]

Neobond, on 20 June 2012 - 11:08, said:

I saw a program about it a year ago, might have been the same teen.. but she isn't actually asleep for all that time, she is forcefully woken up to eat, drink, use the bathroom but her state isn't one where she's fully awake and thats what takes two months to come out of, if it's the same girl, she'll be normal again for about a week or two and then slip off again. Sad condition really.

I guess if they never grow out of it, they would need a carer for the rest of their lives

[nik louch]

Quote

Having an insatiable sex drive sounds good too

Sounds like hell to me. Never having sex that satiates your desires?

[+zhiVago]

Neobond, on 20 June 2012 - 11:08, said:

she is forcefully woken up

I've read they give people amphetamines (aka speed) lol to accomplish that.

Anyways, this whole syndrome sounds like normal behaviour of some other mammals like the bears with their winter hibernation ) ..except it's not seasonal