I’m a 22 y/o F with ADHD, for which I take stimulant meds to treat— but I think I might have narcolepsy.
I sleep an embarrassing amount every day. My routine is usually wake up (late) like 2-3pm after getting 10+ hrs of sleep at night. I get up, eat, take my adhd meds, and sit on the couch, and then get so sleepy I can barely hold my eyes open, and I fall asleep for an hour or so at least. I set an alarm to wake myself up from these naps, otherwise I’d sleep longer, my meds kicking in don’t wake me up.
But the goal is that when I wake up, my meds are just starting to kick in and I get a pep in my step and get up. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn’t, and I can go right back to sleep even with my meds actively kicking in.
And even when I am up working and stuff and I’m on my meds, I still ~feel~ sleepy… like at any point in the day I could just go and lay down and fall asleep seemingly no matter how much I have slept that day so far.
I have fallen asleep at the wheel a couple of times, I have pulled over to literally take a nap (which I feel unsafe doing) so that I don’t fall asleep while driving.
On days I don’t take my meds? Oh I’m DEAD. I am practically nodding off all day long. However, this is also likely partially due to my body being used to stimulants and feeling over tired without them in my body.
I have literally failed multiple college courses solely based on attendance because I just can’t get out of med in the morning (like I do my work, and get good grades on tests and stuff)
So I guess I’m just wondering what actual narcoleptic people think about this? I know various adhd meds can also treat narcolepsy, so I wonder if anyone has any experience with that to share and hopefully help me figure out if this is normal or not.
Thanks!