Mr. Sleepy, a high school trigonometry teacher, loved math. He even did it in his sleep.
Literally.
When students got their first exams back, they notice some scribbles and numbers in random spots. They brushed it off.
A few weeks later, Mr. Sleepy was sitting at his desk while students were taking an exam. Suddenly, students heard Mr. Sleepy snoring.
When Mr. Sleepy would write on the chalkboard, he would slowly drift off, and his chalk would slide down as he dozed off making random, spotted lines.
Students started to think he was sleep deprived. Then rumors about Mr. Sleepy staying up too late playing video games started spreading.
One day a student went to his office for help before school started. As he explained his question, Mr. Sleepy fell asleep on the student’s textbook. He even drooled a bit.
Finally, one day during a college-planning meeting with his counselor, the student brought the issue up, emphasizing he didn’t want to get Mr. Sleepy into trouble – and that he was solely trying to help Mr. Sleepy and perhaps even trying to avoid a dangerous situation.
A month later, Mr. Sleepy was no longer sleepy.
He had been diagnosed with Narcolepsy and finally sought help and treatment.
Dr. Michael Thorpy, Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at the Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York
Dr. Thorpy said Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that causes sleepiness, and in some patients, emotionally induced weakness.
“Narcolepsy is a genetic predisposition and can be precipitated by a vaccination,” he said. “If not treated, the main concern is they’ll tend to fall asleep throughout the day.”
People with Narcolepsy have sleep attacks – they could fall down, get dizzy, and even get injured.
“Getting help is very important,” Dr. Thorpy said. “If somebody has narcolepsy, they’re dysfunctional all day and unable to concentrate. This affects their memory, affects their ability to multitask, and they may fall asleep in a situation they want to be awake in – for example, driving.
“Disorders of sleepiness severely affect the life of somebody,” Dr. Thorpy said. “They should get treated to improve the quality of their life.”
Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this short story, excluding interviews, are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
