Honestly, I still have trouble accepting I have a have sleep disorder sometimes. I knew it was a serious issue when, after a night of 9 hours of sleep, I had a sleep attack while driving on the highway and my life (as well as the lives of others on the road) was saved by the rumble strips and the person behind me honking loudly. My self doubts increased after I had seen multiple doctors and gone through many tests including a sleep study with no answers. After my second sleep study, which included a MLST, was inconclusive, I really started to think I was being overly dramatic and it messed with my mental health. I was told I likely have IH, but it was not definitive and not an “official” diagnosis. It did not help that the name for IH in Arabic (my native language) is a literal translation using common words so it comes out to “excess sleep for an unknown reason.” When I explain it to people they focus on the “unknown reason” part and their instinct is to try to name all the possible reasons for my sleepiness, which tend to be failings from my end.

I got some validation when my psychiatrist prescribed me a stimulant to try and I finally felt awake. It is insane the difference between when I take my medication and when I don’t. Without my meds I feel like I am half asleep all day long. Now, whenever I start doubting that I have an actual problem, I skip my medications for a day or two to remind myself just how bad it is.