I don’t have narcolepsy.
Narcolepsy famously has a symptom called sleep paralysis, where the mind becomes awake before it has fully left R.E.M. sleep. Narcoleptics fall in and out of R.E.M. sleep without the steps in between, which is why it seems they sleep so suddenly. That’s how I understand it, anyway.
I have a condition similar to, but which isn’t, narcolepsy.
Earlier today, I walked into a room with my laptop and mouse to find that someone had left a mouse, identical to mine, on the table. I had been sure the room wasn’t occupied, but someone just left this mouse here. I have to choose a different room, but first I have to go back and get my mouse. I thought it was in my hand when I walked into this room, but now it’s gone.
Narcolepsy is about R.E.M. sleep. I get Delta sleep.
There is one dryer that doesn’t work. The neighbor told me he’d be doing laundry. There is laundry in the two dryers that work. My laundry is in the dryer that doesn’t work, but it’s on and spinning. It’s cold. Where is my neighbor? His laundry is done. I’m going to start crying. I need to use the dryer. Someone is taking clothes out of the dryer that aren’t theirs. I hate when people do that. I recoil and drop my neighbor’s clothes. I need to use the dryer.
Delta is the sleep stage before R.E.M.
I need to. I need to shower tomorrow. Today. Tonight, morning? I have to shower awake. How. I don’t have clothes to shower. I need clothes to shower. I am wearing clothes. Can I shower in these clothes? If I bleed, I will get blood on these clothes. There isn’t blood in the shower. Shower is water. Water is clean. I need clean clothes. I can’t remember if I’m bleeding. My foot?
If you look at my brain, I never get R.E.M. I never dream. I never wake up.
Two nights ago, it was three am, and I couldn’t imagine going to sleep. I knew I had to eventually, and so I was safe and responsible and made it home while I was awake. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I had blisters. I was happy.
Going to sleep in a dream is what makes you wake up.
People suffering from the sleep disorder idiopathic hypersomnia can experience periods of disorientation, irritability, sleep inertia, and automatic behavior, where they will perform normal activities while in a partial sleep-like state, often not remembering these activities later. They may move objects to unusual places. Writing, read back, is found to be incoherent.