Education/employment

• Narcolepsy can have a major indirect impact on concentration, attention span and short term memory. It does not affect cognition or intelligence directly, so it is important to keep teachers/employers and colleagues informed of the diagnosis. With appropriate allowances made for their sleep disorder, most people can function within normal limits. Especially for children who are diagnosed with narcolepsy, it is important to establish arrangements to make sure they are maximise their potential
• For example, planning naps between classes or at break times, having extra time to complete work/exams, recording lessons
• Similarly, informing your employers can help them understand your needs and help you to continue to have a successful career
• It is worth approaching your employer with regards to planned naps during the day, recording meetings, working flexible hours which can all help you to still perform at work
• Shift work often causes problems with regulating a normal sleep-wake pattern. Some people living with narcolepsy actually prefer shift work and adapt well although for others it can worsen their sleep-wake symptoms. Individuals might need to explore their own preferred patterns of work schedule
   

It should be kept in mind that public awareness and understanding of narcolepsy is still very limited.

Decades ago many of the patients with narcolepsy seen at the Stanford Sleep Disorder Centre in the USA have become practically disabled by the age of forty. This is the tragic result of a complex problem which involves motivation, employment inflexibility of work requirements, social attitudes, the individual's natural ageing process and the long-term drug effects. The challenge for the physician of the patient with narcolepsy is to help him or her to achieve maximum alertness and participation in society.

(Adapted from Narcolepsy Eds: Guilleminault C et al, New York:Spectrum Publications, 1976)

Hopefully, this situation is much improved in the 21st century.

A key factor in achieving success in your employment is ensuring that your employer is fully informed about your condition. Once your employer knows about this it should be much easier to develop a napping strategy and to talk about mutually beneficial working hours. With developments is therapy and with increased knowledge of the condition there is no reason why most people with narcolepsy cannot have a satisfying and successful career.