[kimberley130]

I have had DSPS my whole life. My mother told me that when I was a baby, sleeping through the night, for me, meant midnight-noon. I would watch Johnny Carson with my parents when I was seven. I was diagnosed with Narcolepsy when I was twenty, because I couldn't stay awake long enough to get out of bed and feed my newborn son breakfast. Talk about guilt. It's bad enough that your parents go through hell trying to wake you up for 17 years of education, but to sleep through your own child...I have probably gone through most of the problems associated with this syndrome.

Anyways, I am new here, so if anyone wants to talk, I will be up all night!

[Kay Pasa?]

Just joined the forum last night (well, more like into the morning hours for others), and I know this kind of discovery has the ability to be life-changing! My problem is that while I am completely convinced that not only does this thing (DSPS) exist, but without a doubt, I have it! It's really hard to bring the rest of the world (or at least my little world of family and friends) on board. Some say to forget what others think and deal with the issue by itself. Some say to try every method of treating it available (medicine, sleep training, light therapy, herbal remedies, will-power, etc.). I'm somewhere in between on this one. I don't need others' approval necessarily, but I'm just sick to death of having everyone think (and tell me) that I'm lazy, unmotivated, sick, depressed, in need of counseling (which I have done for years anyway), incapable of working a "real" job (meaning 9 to 5) and on and on. You know the drill . . .

I was impressed that you were able to do the whole "child-rearing" thing, and handle the guilt associated with the "typical morning routine" that comes along with that! This is scary for me to actually admit, but I think one of the main reasons I didn't have kids (when everybody else was having them) is because I dreaded the morning obligation (and worried that I would fail miserably). It's one thing to fail in school (it's your own rep., well, and my Dad's, if you ask him). But to have this weird sleep lifestyle and try to raise a healthy (daytime) child, terrifies me.

I've battled, like everyone else I assume, with trying to fix it, eventually failing to keep it fixed, and then going back to my comfortable nighttime schedule (working strange hours) and trying to explain to everyone who knows me what is wrong with me for being that way. Thanks for your post, and I look forward to hearing from others about this thing too! Kay