Shadab is a friend whom I have known for several years now. He was one of the first people who came to mind when I started working with Share Your Sleep Story, and luckily enough, he was enthusiastic to tell me more about his experiences with sleep. DEALING WITH SLEEP PARALYSIS One night in 2015,…
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When asked what word the thought of sleep brings to mind, Liza answered “wonderful”. For those without sleep issues, sleep is served on a silver ‘bed’. You’re tired, you go to bed. When your life enables you to sleep in your own environment and bed consistently, every night, soundly – “you are blessed. But not…
Nathalie, a 55-year-old woman, went through a breakup that marked the end of her relationship after nine years of marriage. We discussed the impact that this type of highly emotional event—sometimes extremely so!—can have on sleep. On this occasion, I refrained from sharing my personal experiences with Nathalie to avoid influencing her. However, I have…
While sleep is thought to be associated with relaxation, the first word that comes to Emily when she thinks about sleep is “exhausting”. This was the first of many things I would come to learn about during my conversation with her. I had known Emily as a colleague who had narcolepsy type 2, i.e. narcolepsy…
If you’ve followed Share Your Sleep Story for some time, you may already have an idea of the struggle that living with narcolepsy represents. Even for those of us who don’t have it, the ever-growing demands of everyday life are enough to leave us feeling like there aren’t enough hours in a day to get…
As a sleep researcher, I am fascinated by growing evidence in various species on the coexistence of sleep and wakefulness – that our brains can possess hybrid states rather than globally sleeping or awake. It challenges the commonly held notion that sleep is a global phenomenon. These local brain islands can be beneficial in some…
Sleep is a biological imperative, and yet it is not prioritized in national healthcare strategies. As the systems are still warming up to take sleep seriously, individuals with sleep disorders suffer in silence and, worse, get dismissed even when their issues are persistently vocalized. Sarah [pseudonym] is one of the 3 million people suffering from…
When asked what the word ‘sleep’ brings to mind, Reg offers words like ‘quiet’, ‘peaceful’, and ‘rejuvenation’. Yet, for much of his life, his sleep was the opposite. It was a decades-long struggle marked by silence, choking, and a danger that went unnamed and untreated until a terrifying moment on a busy freeway. This is…
Share Your Sleep Story has proven to be a valuable platform for discussing sleep management, disorders, personal experiences, societal challenges, and the urgent need for increased research and awareness. Guillaume, 47, was immediately eager to raise awareness about Sleep-Related Painful Erections (SRPEs), a rare and debilitating parasomnia that he experiences firsthand (parasomnias are troubles that provoke…
Postmenopause is the time that follows menopause – about a year after the last menstrual period – and which lasts for the rest of one’s life. During this time, many people report changes with their sleep. Such is the case for Marie [name changed], a 54-year-old woman I met on a rainy evening. Right from the start, we…
Now 61, Mary [name changed per the request of the storyteller] transitioned from ‘model sleeper’ to ‘fragmented sleeper’ 20 years ago. Her sleep issues didn’t appear with small warning signs. “It was sudden, and I wasn’t sleeping enough. I was finishing books in a week, which is generally impossible because I had all the time at…
“In school, I would fall asleep in class.” “At university, I was falling asleep through all my classes and my exams.” “Then I would go home, and I would watch the lecture recording, and I would fall asleep while watching the recording.” “I couldn’t work. I couldn’t stay awake for more than an hour without…
“When you haven’t slept for 2-3 days, it is very unsettling to go to bed. I was worried about sleeping. I wasn’t really living. I was just exhausted. I was getting paranoid. I was desperate to sleep, but I just couldn’t.” “Challenge, uncertain, discontinuous”: that is sleep for Janet in her own words. “Every night is…
“When I started working different shifts, I quickly realized that it’s hard and overwhelming. It takes a big toll on your life. It’s hard to maintain a work-life balance along with the sleep issues caused by shift work. And that sucks.” SLEEP, ANXIETY, AND TRANSITION SHOCK Fresh out of nursing school, Norah [name changed] was…
We often hear that ‘sleep is the best medicine’, yet for many, getting enough rest is an uphill battle. Healthcare workers, caregivers, and shift workers face an unrelenting cycle of disrupted rest, forced to navigate exhaustion while performing critical duties. Whether it is juggling unpredictable night shifts, balancing professional and personal responsibilities, or simply trying…
Josée Gobeil is no longer with us, but this story is written in the present tense as a tribute to her hard work, empathy and service as a nurse. Through a few correspondences with her and her friend, I felt her commitment to the greater good. I thank her family for having consented to share…
“I haven’t had a single patient tell me that they didn’t have sleep issues, except when they are on sleeping pills.” – Maria, an Occupational Therapist. “Sleep fascinates me.” That is what Maria said to me the first time we met. We connected due to her eager enthusiasm to discuss sleep. “The more I learned, the…
“A life with night shift work and lack of sleep is like a marathon that we impose on ourselves to try to reconcile family life, work, and leisure, but which has immediate and long-term consequences on the mind and body.” – Julie, a night shift nurse “I stopped sleeping to take care of my son…
“Most people want day shifts, but not me. People have a hard time sleeping during the day, but I never had a problem. I can sleep anytime. 4-5 hours of sleep is enough for me. Night shift is just convenient for me.” – Donald, an ICU nurse. Adulting is difficult. For me, the hardest part…
“We expect night shift workers to continue to be fathers, mothers, daughters, wives and, sometimes, come home and take care of their older or sick parents and still perform their 105%.” – Beniamin, a nurse clinician Red eyes, irritability and impatience – these are the glaring signs of the participants who spend a night without sleep…