Putting a Ring On It: Getting Married While Managing a Sleep Disorder

Some might have noticed my recent name change from “Craine” to “Bhavnani.” As of my writing this, I exited the dating realm and entered the “married and living together” realm. It doesn't seem too long ago that I wrote about how idiopathic hypersomnia affected my dating life. Since then I met someone I connected with, and we got married.

Managing a wedding and a sleep disorder

We met on a dating app and started texting each other as friends over the course of a year. At first we stayed as friends because I was moving out of state, but I ended up moving back to Chicago. From there we reconnected and started dating! It's pretty funny how disappointed my family is about me finding someone online. My family was hoping I would meet someone organically, but I think in today’s society it’s harder than ever to meet people in person. They do love him; they just love to tease me, as family does.

As for my husband’s family, I think they are happy to see he found someone and they don’t have to find an arranged partner for him (nothing wrong with arranged marriages; it can just be a lot of work!).

As of my writing this, we have only done a courthouse wedding. When we can afford to, we are planning a bigger wedding in India. Because of this, I can't speak about how it is having a wedding and idiopathic hypersomnia yet. I'm excited and nervous to see how my idiopathic hypersomnia will affect me during a weeklong wedding in a different country, though! I am thankful that my partner understands my idiopathic hypersomnia and doesn't get mad at me for how it causes me to act.

Getting prepared

As of my writing this, I haven't exactly explained to my in-laws what idiopathic hypersomnia is, because there is a bit of a language barrier. There isn't a translation for idiopathic hypersomnia in Hindi, only the word hypersomnia. I don’t know if they have heard of the word “narcolepsy,” either.

Honestly, I am not nervous of them accepting me with my condition, but I am nervous of trying to do a weeklong wedding with this condition! We are planning to have a traditional wedding in India, which consists of a multiple-day event of traditions such as mehndi (henna), haldi ceremony (turmeric ceremony), saptapadi (tying of the bride and grooms garments), to name a few.

I'm hoping by then I’ll have explained my condition to my new family, so we can make adjustments to the wedding. I still feel it will be an amazing experience to meet everyone and to participate in my husband’s culture.

Having a support system

So far my in-laws have been absolutely wonderful and accepting of me and my quirks from my septum piercing, my stuffed animals corner in me and my hubby’s apartment, and my tattoos. I hope they will accept my condition, too, and continue our growing bond.

It has been so exciting bringing both of our families together, giving me an even larger support system I could have never imagined. I'm hoping that our bond is one to last and that we can grow together as we have these past months!