5 of the Weirdest Places I've Napped
Living with narcolepsy means sometimes I have to rest my eyes in inconvenient places. There are times when I can fight through the overwhelming urge to sleep, and I’m grateful for my current medications that have significantly helped improve my excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
However, prior to my current medications, there have been times that sleep comes my way and there is nothing I can do but lay down right there and rest. I wanted to share some of the strangest places I’ve had to close my eyes.
5 of the weirdest places I've napped with narcolepsy
1. In the car
Maybe this one isn’t too out of the ordinary, but I always feel a little awkward when I hear someone getting in the car next to me. What must they be thinking of me?
I also feel paranoid that someone will come up and tap on my window to ask if I’m okay. Honestly, I’ve thought about making a sign to put on the window that says, "I have narcolepsy and I need to rest, but I’m okay!"
2. On the floor behind my desk
During my first year of teaching is when I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. The doctor told me that taking short naps throughout the day will help my EDS and could help me make it through the long school day.
I gave a doctor's note to the principal and explained the situation. Every day during my lunch break, I would lock the door and put a sign up saying, "Come back in 30 minutes," and then I would lay on the floor behind my desk and rest.
3. In a secluded corner of the music building
I’ve been in graduate school for almost 2 years now. There was one day last year when I had to work an extra shift at my part-time job and immediately had class afterward.
By the time class ended, I didn’t have the energy to drive home, so I found a small corner in a study room and lay down for a while.
4. In a dressing room
A few years back, I was dress shopping as a bridesmaid for a friend's wedding. After a couple of hours of trying on dresses, I was literally nodding off. I finally crawled into an empty dressing room and lay down for a few minutes.
I was resting and trying to get some energy back when an employee walked in on me. I felt so awkward laying on the floor, so I quickly sat up, apologized, and left the room.
5. At a live concert
Every year my family goes to a music festival called Louder Than Life. It's every September and can get very exhausting for me, especially after several hours in the sun and crowds.
I was having a great time dancing and singing to one of my favorite bands when a sudden wave of sleepiness came over me. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stand for much longer, so I left my group and found a family sitting on a blanket in the grass away from the crowd. I explained I have narcolepsy and needed to nap, and I asked them to keep an eye on me while I did. Not long after, my fiance came and found me and we left a little early that evening.
What's the strangest place you've ever taken a nap to help manage the sleepiness of narcolepsy? Share with us in the comments below!
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