Bella Kilmartin

One of the things I have recently been really struggling with is my sleep at night. It has been extremely fragmented, and I am waking up constantly throughout the night...

Grief is something that I have been used to from a young age. It is extremely hard to go through, but narcolepsy and grief feels like a different ball game...

So many people don't know what narcolepsy is. Those who do have limited knowledge and understanding. Thanks to its portrayal in the media, a lot of people think that narcolepsy...

In a previous post, I wrote about conducting my research project for my master's degree in health psychology. My research involved interviewing individuals with narcolepsy to explore the lived experience...

I recently finished my master's degree in health psychology. I'm so happy because I achieved a distinction which I am incredibly proud of. Completing a master's degree requires a lot...

When I was first diagnosed with narcolepsy, I internalised all of the stigma that comes with it. Narcolepsy is often not taken seriously by people in society and by healthcare...

I have recently just finished my master's degree at university. When I was younger and doing my GCSE exams at secondary school, I was extremely career driven. My life goal...

I always hated studying poetry in English Literature. I think it was because we studied poetry that I never connected to. However,  over the past couple of years I started...

There are many things I love about being a narcolepsy advocate. When I was first diagnosed with narcolepsy, I took on all of the stigma associated with narcolepsy and internalised...

We are always being told about the importance of sleep by health professionals and in the media. One example comes from the Mental Health Foundation (UK), whose article on the...

Narcolepsy is a relatively rare condition compared to most. Invisible illnesses and hidden disabilities are gaining a lot more awareness. This is thanks to campaigns, more people being open, and...

In a previous post, I spoke about my experiences of nights out and drinking alcohol. I've struggled with it and, at times, put myself in dangerous situations. Along the way...

Here in the United Kingdom, the legal drinking age is 18. We Brits are known for loving a good night out, whether that’s a night in the pub or dancing...

Before I started experiencing symptoms of narcolepsy, my health was pretty good. I'd only been to the doctor a handful of times in my entire life. My medical record is...

I struggled during my time at sixth form with narcolepsy. However, I managed to get the grades I needed to go to university and complete my bachelor's degree in psychology...

Narcolepsy is a condition for which there is no cure. This means that those of us who have it will live with it for the rest of our lives. This...

Automatic behaviour is when someone experiences a temporary brief sleep episode during an activity (e.g., eating and writing) and automatically continues with the activity for a few seconds or minutes...

At Narcolepsy.Sleep-Disorders.net, we are thankful for our amazing advocates who share their experiences of living with narcolepsy. In our advocate spotlight interview series, we get to know our advocates better...

Nightmares, as anyone knows, can be pretty scary. Luckily, they tend to occur mostly in childhood and only happen on rare occasions in adulthood. However, nightmares are one of the...

Living with narcolepsy can involve fighting excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue on a daily basis. Getting through each day and engaging in daily activities can feel like a never-ending battle...